National Republican., 1881-08-01
More About CiviI.scrvicc Reform.

| owner fOrgetS or abandOns all the de.
cencies of life. THE REPUBLICAN amused
itself few days since by short study OIL
the effects which would follow the entir,
extinction of q desire for office. 1t was
not pretended that this was either
natural or to be wished for. We fully
agree, and, indeed, we insist, that in this
Republic no limits can be put on any
citizens aspirations for political honor
or desire for public employment except
those prescribed in the Constitution and
laws We despise the small traps set by
some schoolmen to exclude from place the
sons of the people. We believe
there are no more thirsty office
seekers in the United States than
the Miss Nancy breed, who lisp and drawl,
dress like Englishmen, and, while de-
nouncing as a spoils system the methods
under which they cannot get office insist
upon spoils system under which they
believe they would have an advantage.
These are wcaklings who have been
made scholars at college, but who have
not common sense enough TO know that
IN aptitude for the affairs of life is not
limited TO those who best know Greek.
And yet, because these spoils-hunters are
disgusting by reason of their hypocritical
cant, their false pretcnses of lofty disdain
for office, their unrepubican ains, and
their sneaking defamation of the more
open and avowed politicians, it does not
follow that the latter are not to be COM
planned of for the vices among them.
The crime of Guiteau has caused much
discussion Of the civil service and the
abuses prevalent in connection with ap-
pointments. There has been much trash
written about the matter. We desire to
contribute few ideas which seem to us
sensible. So far from believing ambition
to be an ignoble passion, we regard it as
a most manly one. So far from seeing
anything wrong in the wish of any man
to obtain public employment, it appears
to us as commendabe as for him to de-
sire TO work atall. Efforts to better ones
condition are made in obedience to the
instinct which distinguishes men from
brutes.
Every eligible citizen may aspire to the
Presidency, Or to the Senate, or to any
high place. But these are chosen be-
cause of their adherence to some idea or
opinion dear to that element of the people
which elected them. Five millions of
voters may carry presidential election,
but they do not thereby all vote
themselves into Office. There may be a
hundred thousand offices in the land. If
all incumbents were to be turned out
about one in fifty of the victorious party
could be appointed in their places. 1t is
probable that only about one-half of
the voters desire places. And so one
in twenty-five aspirants could have
Office if all would vacate. But where
the election has not changed the political
complexion of the Administration it
would perhaps be difficult to find reasons
for turning out more than one-fourth of
the one hundred thousand. This would
make twenty-five thousand places for
two million five hundred thousand voters,
or one for each hundred Imagine one
hundred anxious applicants for each Of
flee, these offices including clerks and
other subordinates. Think of the diff
ferent degrees of eagerness with which
they will urge their demands. How many
ways to pursue, how many strings to pull,
how fierce the chase.
The right to desire and to seek office is
admitted So the desire and right to se-
cure seat in a car, knife and fork at q
table, partner in the dance, and first
look at The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN in the
morning-these are all admitted. But
oh! critic of the Critic, there are manners
both good and bad, there are men and
there are two-footed swine, there are
those of patient merit" and then there
are "the unworthy" THE REPUBLICAN,
in all it has said and may say anent the
civil service, pleads for some regard for
decency. Are there not times and occa-
sions for all things? Must man be
bawled at through his bedroom-window
at night or whispered to in the aisle at
church, or run down in his own
house like q cornered rat by place-hunt-
ers because he has been so unfortunate
as to be elected President? Must he per.
sonally converse with the two million
five hundred thousand free American
citizens as to the twenty-five thousand
places to which they aspire, and wrangle
with two million four hundred and
seventy-five thousand Of them because
he cannot serve them, and with twenty
four thousand nine hundred and fifty of
the others because he can do no better
for themP If ninety-five out of every
hundred are civil, and content to present
their applications and Endorsements at
the appropriate Department and await the
result, must these all be ostracized because
the remaining five come here and person
ally badger and importune the appointing
power for the one place which can be
given TO the whole hundred? We have
been told of case where distressed
President (who shall be nameless) went
to u Department personally and begged
that its head would at once appoint u
person to q 5000 clerkship. This Presi-
dent stated, in reply to a question, that
he did not know the applicant, but could
neither escape nor longer endure the inn
portunity, which could only be stopped
by an appointment. Here was Il case for
the police, but SO common had it become
that such remedy was not thought of.
We want no civil-service reform which
is themere ridingo Of ahobby-horse for the
purpose of exhibiting horsemanship; no
reform WHICH means monopoly of office
for the sham reformcrs. WHAT'S needed