Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-12
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM,

Civil service reform is a subject much
written about. II is q very pretty SAD
iect to write on. IL is a subject for q very
beautiful composition. 1t Is, likewise,
very desirable thing in government.
Hni 10 oct down to the bottom of the
snb;ect let US ask the question, Are We
eyer TO enjoy it under our form OF gov
e,,,n,ent9 We would like TO have q
oa,,did answer from one who knows.
SohOdy knows. That IS the trouble.
The whole subject is theory, and the
e,,tcone of IL a matter of conjecture. 1t
has been discussed through the press,
i'm the halls Of Congress,
from the pulpit and around
the family fireside. Yet we are as Tar
nom its accomplishment as we were
fiftpen wears AFRO. Gen. Hayes came in
10 the Presidency loud with probes
sions for a civil service reform. His adj
ministration closed without fulfilling
hispromiseS. Then Gen. Garfield came
in with still louder professions, anu the
country expected better things from MN
than they did from Hayes, because ne
WAS ADLER and more sincere. Scarce
three moons had waXeda and waned over
his administration when the country
witnessed the most desperate taetional
fight ever known i'm our pOliticai annals,
ali growing out of an open disregard oil
the reform the administration had cont
mitted itselfto, by the removal OF an
eflioiCnt officer from the New YORK
custom house, and the substitution oil
another one more suited to carry out
fearful tragedy, ana s-hc mRphegT5 q
around the bier of the dead President
all hearts acknowledged the necessity
for the reformation Of an evil in OUl
civil service which had brought such
disastrous results, and all hearts deter
mined that the time had come to inau-
gJIratC the new refOria. Even the in.
coming President felt the force of pub,
lie opinion 50 strongly that, contrary to
the teachings and practices of all his
past life, he, too, declared with his first
official breath the necessity fOrthe long
desired refSfnFS y few more moons
wax and wane and the same
lips which spoke 80 feelingiy OF
carrying out this polic;, utters the word
10y which faithful public servants are re-
moved and their places given to the
henchm.n Oft traitOrOus repudiatOr, in
order to secure the defeat Of an OppOsi,
ton political party.
We are Justified in saying that civil
service reform is a theory. ifadopUed it
destroys the hope OF party aScendancy,
and the party in power will never assent
20 that which Cndangcrs It's own exist
CncC. Yet, some one says, there is 4
power behind more powerful than the
dominant pary-the people. Ave,
there's the rub. The people have grown
inSensibictO all these evils. Ii is true
that now and then some one like Geo.
VIM. Curtis will break out into TRADE,
and inaugurate crusade for reform in
the civil service. But he doesn't attract
4 following, probably because he does
not practice his own profession.
People look upon him as Il harmless
crank, and his ebullitiOns boil down. II
Is the insonsibility Of the people which
presents the most threatening dangers
To our Institutions. 1t IS hard to arOusG
them; and when aroused it is Il sort of
spasmudic: affair, just as ut Gariield's
funeral, aud then excitement suddenly
dies and everything relapSeS into the old
grooves.
just a. in Federal affairs, 30 it is IN
State matters. Those in authority some
times do that which the people regard IL
an outrage, a wild protest is INTERCEPTED,
and before time has elapsed to ask re-
form, the public mind has forgotten the
occurrence, or fOrti1iCs itself to receive
The neXtshOck without 50 much sCnsibil-
ity. Iuscnsibility of the peOple!. That
i what's the matter.
Let the wOuld-be rcfOrmerS go to work
and prepare the public mind for Il refor-
nation before working out reform.
When the people have once determined
upon a matter OF this kind there will be
no difficulty ia dcyiSing the means u
bring il about.