Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-13

transacted by business men. on business
principles, and all the more Kigidly and
faithfully, because tits the business of the
people, 'a - = (.
If vacancies were to be filled only by the
one man whom proper intelligent compari-
son, based on competition, should show to
be the fittest, irrespective of personal infu-
ence or action, how little would be the
pressure for removals! II removals were
only for cause of inefficiency or unfaithful-
ness or because another was shown to be fit
ter and better, how little would be the
scramble for office!
Z. This is the merit system. 1t appoints
men who are honest, capable, and faithful.
It keeps in service those who are proved to
have such qualifications. 1t would open
the subordinate civil ceryice to all who
chose to aspire. 1t would fill that service
with the men proven to be the best by fair
competition. 1t would elevate the tone of
all aspirants by making them feel that they
owe nothing to patronage, but all to merit.
ltwould make that service
TenfOld More Ehiclent.
1T would greatly reduce expenses. 1t
would set up the adoption of principle, and
not emolument, as the prize of party strug-
gle, 1T would destroy the dangerous
qualify, even il it should not seriously
moderate, the zeal of party spirit. 1t
would consign politics to men Of higher
aspirations and nobler aims. 1t would ele-
yate the motives, and therefore the tone of
party strife 1t would raise the temper and
style of public partisan discussion. 1t
would eliminate the brutality of our poll
tics. 1t would leave to our President and
Secretaries and congressman time and
heart for their high duties.
The merit system would do all this 1t
do Itch 80
give to merit the highest rewards; and
would therefore stimulate excellencies into
competition. 1t would demand and stimu-
late higher grade of intellectual and poll
tical education. 1t would in time reach
popular elections and appointments to the
offices which dictate policies. 1t would
reach popular opinion and through it stamp
out all interference with free ballot and
q fair count, whether by fraud, or force, or
intimidation of voters 1t would put an
end to political assessments and the eXpen-
diture of immense corruption funds Like
Jacobs ladder, its foot would be on earth,
its top in the heavens, and angels, bearing
public blessings, would descend upon it.
1t would realize the aspiration of the con-
yention of Massachusetts, which, far back
in the olden times, ordained the provisions
of its constitution "to the end that il may
be government of laws, and not of men,"
Mr.. Pendleton then, for the purpose OF
showing that the evil could be.eradicated,
skctched the condition of England at the
time Lord Palmerton broke up the spoils
system, which had lasted for $50 years, and
introduced that of competitive eXamina-
tiOns, and maintained hat the same thing
could be done here, where it was Of but
twenty years growth. He then explained
that the provisions of the bill did not apply
- a. tnI h,,t hn 10 II
GERS appointed by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate; or to officers of the
army or the navy, or of the judiciary; or to
officers in the poStOtfiCes or CustOm-houses,
where the number of clerks does not exceed
fifty; or to labOrers. They do not apply TO
those officers who may exercise political
power, who may dictate policies, whose eff
cient cooperation may be essential in car
rying into effect the theories or policies Of
parties.
Offices to which Ii Applies.
They apply only to that immense body
of subordinate officials, clerical and admin
istrative, whose duties under every admin
istratiOn would be the same, who could not
under any circumstances, in the proper ex-
erCise of their functions, affect in the
slightest degree the political programme OF
the party in power They apply only to
that body of inferior officers whose ap-
pointment may, by the terms of the Con-
stitution, be vested in the President alone,
in the courts of law, or the heads of De-
They do not apply to any even OF this
class who are now in office, except i'll the
case ef promotion. All present incum-
bents are left undiSturbed until their term
of office shall expire or they shall be re-
moved
This bill does not touch the questions of
tenure of office, or removals from office,
except that removals shall not be made for
refusing to pay political assessments or
to perform partisan service. 1t leaves both
where it finds them.
Public Opinion Stimulated.
The demand of the hour is an "Omnip-
otent public sentiment which alone can
force reform" Laws cannot be enforced
against q controlling public sentiment.
Laws not enforced are vain. The evils OF
the spoils system have grown during the
last twenty years, and during these twenty
wears there has sprung up no "omnipotent
public sentiment forcing their reform.
These were the years of permissive legisla-
ton and no appropriations, attestlng the
indifference of Congress and discOuraglng
the growth of that popular sentiment. Re-
cent events have quiCkened it. Let us ap-
ply active cOerclve legislation. Let us
make pT1CllCtS, NV" ~
sOlutely illegal Let us put the Senate,
the Congress, actively on the side of reform.
Let US appeal to the best instincts and
aspirations of the people, and the potent
voice of this great power in the State will
evoke and concentrate and develop and
energize public sentiment which will be-
come omnipotent.
| do not underrate the difficulty OF erad-
iCating the spoils system. We must em-
ploy every agency at our command. We
must have President thoroughly favora-
bic, with the courage Of his convictions.
We must sustain, protect, encourage, stim
ulate, and command him with all the au-
thority of law. We must have a public
opinion sustaining and supporting both.
hope, nay, sincerely believe, We will
have them all if we Senators this day, on
this floor, do our full duty. And earnestly
appeal to both sides OF this Chamber to do
that duty.
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