National Republican., 1881-07-16
True Civil-servicc Reform.

has been subjected by the great Office
seeking crowd, and expressed the hope
that upon his recovery he and those
around him would be able to abate the
tremendous and destructive pressure.
Meeting Republican ex-senator yester-
day lone who has for several years been
in private lifc), he expressed his satisiac-
ton at the views of The REPUBLICAN, on
this subject, and said he had definite
President be provided with an executive
secretary, with liberal salary, TO whom
all clerks and employees of the Executive
Mansion, except the Presidents private
secretary, shall report, and who shall re-
ceive all persons who have business at
the White House, except the following ::
Head OF Departments.
Generals of the Army.
Admirals of the Navy.
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress.
Judges and officers United States Courts.
United States Treasurer and Assistant
Secretaries of the Treasury.
Governors and secretaries of States and
Territories.
Foreign Ministers.
District Commissioners.
All business with others than tn lose above
enumerated to be transacted through the
executive secretary, who must answer at
once, or refer the person TO the proper
officer and place for an answer.
The power of appointment TO office to
be vested by Congress in the heads of De-
partmentsa as far as practicable and deemed
desirable by the President.
Applications for office not vested in
the heads of Departments to be referred
to them for examination and recon-
mendation. All appeals to the President
from those recommendations to be in
writing,
Each head of a Department to be re-
sponsiblc for the efficiency and good con-
duct of all employed under him.
The following is from our friends mem
orandum:
All Cabinet meetings TO be open TO this execu.
tive secretary, who shall keep true record of
executive procecdingf," and in the most conf.
dental manner preserve the same.
All decisions made in executive session by the
President TO be held to be the policy of the Admin
iStrption and strictly sustained and enforced by
heads of Departments.
No officer or employee Of the Executive Depart
mcnts to be absent from duty for single day with
out leave, in writing, from head ofthe Department
aud all leaves except for sickness, to be had with
out pay.
Twenty minutes before twelve o'clock each day
to be occupied in public reception for those wish.
ing to pay their respect to the President.
While we do not concur with all the de-
tails Of the above plan, its general ideas
are excellent.
OF course, the President cannot adopt
q scheme of rigid exclusiveness, but he
can have some protection from the great
crowd. For halfhour or even an hour
each day he can be seen Of those who
come but to see. Such callers ought to
be excluded at all other hours. 1t is not
his duty to see people who want Office
A secretary can meet them, and, ascer-
tanning their business, refuse to admit
them to the President, who has more
burdens than any one man ought TO
bear without their intrusion. Let them be
referred to the Departments-all of them.
Let the President hear of such matters
through his Cabinet officers, and, where
contests are sharp, let him decide who he
desires to see on the matter, instead of
being subject to the beck and call of
every disappointed applicant for office
from foreign mission down to 4 messen-
gership or laborer's place in Il Depart
ment.
One oflice-seeker shot the President
and came near taking his life. Ten thou
sand office-seekers can, and, permitted,
WILL kill him by ill-tmed and greedy i'm
portunity.
The deserving and the well-behaved
will not be offended at the establishment
Of labor-saving methods. The Nation
needs the Presidents health and strength
and clearness of mind for matters of more
moment than the feeding of swine.
The eX-Senator's views concerning the
doings of the Cabinet do not so much in
terest u.s. Nor do we agree that there
ought to be no leaves of absence for rest
and recreation.
The main thing is TO shut out from the
White House the crowd who have busi-
ness with the Government, and comp ell
them to go to the Departments, which
were created to transact that very busi-
ness. This the President himself can
direct to be done. Every man can be
kindly told where to go, and every
decent man will he satisfied. As for the
sturdy beggars, they are the very ones
not TO be cOnciliated. If they insist on
remaining when politely referred to the
proper place, let a policeman enforce
their withdrawal. The Executive Man
sion is neither an ale-house nor an asy-
lum. The peoples President has right
TO see only whom he pleases and when
he pleases. He has business, and has O
right to time in which to transact it,
The heads of Departments would dc
Well to also make some rules which would
deprive ofIice-seekers Of much present
license.
Let MS have reform of the civil service
which will send oflice-begging workers
collegiates, and loaiers all about theil
business, leaving their applications anC
recommendations behind them. Teach
them to use the mails and no
TO rely so much on brazen per
sonal importantly. Grant them moth
ing for their much speaking, Theil
displeasure cannot hurt an Admins
tration which merely chooses its own tim,
for deciding upon their applications