National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-28
A New Reform Needed.

| is a peculiar one. For some years we
have been having civil-service reform ad
IauseGm. 1t has been clap-trap, pretense,
and sinister design under pleasing name.
1t has deceived many good people, many
well-meaning public men, and has been
the political capital of a set of factionists
and sentimental dawdlers in politics, who
have used it to the injury of their friends
and to the advantage of nobody, not even
themselves. If they had the sense which
their use of language implies, which, un-
fortunately, they have not, for it is one of
the singular facts about their civil-service
demands that they can argue and argue
with the visible evidence of the falsity OF
their conclusions right before them; or
| if, by some miracle, they could be endowed
with the power to leok through their
words to the conclusions that are known
to all men but themselves, we might
hope that practical sense would eventu-
ally reassert its place, in lieu of the
vagaries that have long controlled them.
For we speak advisedly when we say
that never before, under any government,
has the civil service of country been as
efficient, as pure, as free from just COM
plaint. and as economical as it is in the
United States. and has been ever since
the Republican party has administered
the affairs of the Nation. Again and yet
again has the Democratic party, with all
the force of an arbitrary dictator, in
vaded the service at random or after due
preparation, and, having gone forth to
Congress, has returned whipped, like a
sneaking cur, back to its kennel. The
years of investigation lie back of us, a
mark of condemnation, showing where
Democratic malice and impotency have
marched and camped, but it is broad
band of light upon the pathway of civil
service. Not in one instance in this rig
orous campaign against the civil service
have the Democrats caught even so much
as a straggler.
Suhiecting the affairs of the Govern
ment to a microscopic test, they have
found nothing upon which to base q
claim of dishonesty or incompetency. If
they have, then we would like to hear of
il. And il is poor return for this fidel
ity TO trust for nominal Republicans to be
continually parading their silly ideas
upon "civil-service reform" upon the
country. Reform is good thing in its
way, and it is one of the essentials of Re-
publican principles TO keep it always an
active agency in the conduct of affairs,
just as they are doing; but "civil-service
reform" as party cry against Re
publicans, is mere twaddle and insult 1t
has now degenerated SO far that the Dem
ocratic party, for lack of something bet
ter, has become foster-parent to it. Let
them have it. 1t will comfort the heart
made desolate by the untimely demise
of the rag-baby. But it was not our in
tention to speak of the past so particularly
as of the future. What we need, indeed,
in the way of reform is political re-
form. We propose that the functions of
civil-service reform, which have so long ell
gagged attention, may be put aside, in view
of the facts cited, until political reform, as
it applies TO Democrats holding office in
Republican administration, has some con-
sideration.
We are not apologists for the assump-
ton that they ought to be summarily dis
missed. The party that has brought
honor upon the country deserves this
recognition of its rights and sacrifices
1t was sustained in its efforts by the con-
viction that the administration would be
as true to it as it has been TO the admin
istration. 1t is stigma upon the party
to keep in Office those who were secretly
conniving and working against its success.
1t is a base condemnation of its own vital
principles to thus sustain those who are
opposed TO them, and who would, had
they the chance, consign the high pllr-
poses of the Republican party to failure
and destruction. Principles mean some
thing We hope, and the success of party
is the success of certain line of theories
If these are sustained by the public they
are, under this Government, supposed to
be right, and, in this instance, are right
Now, to hold up those who have contro-
verted these theories by voice and vote
is simply to abandon the principles at
stake, and, after having won, to basely
turn them over to those who oppose
them. 1t is not only folly and injustice,
but it is positive recreancy, and We may
rest assured that the party, if it follows
this system, will suffer by it as 1t has IN the
past Principles, not men, have succeeded.
Men, as the vehicles of false principles,
are inimical to the future success of
those principles. They should be put out
of Office and their places be given to the
men who have dared the contest for the
right.