Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-30
cIyuL SERVICE REFORM.
A Resrospeot--The BvIls OF bureau
craCy, with suggestions for Their
Cure.

Editor Morning Nsrs The people Of the
United States are alarmed by the influence
welded In their political affairs by the civil
service OF the General Government. From
a small cloud IN the horizon OF our early
national history It has grown With the de-
velopment aud increasing population of the
country until Il completely overshadows IT,
aud has become threatening, II not already
dangerous, to our Democratic Republican
system and to our liberties. The people
are Justly disturbed, and with singular
unanimity, without regard to party lines or
10 geographical sections, demand reform.
| VIII the politicians who manipulate the
civil service yield to the peoples urgent
call, or are they strong enough to postpone
action indefinitely aud maintain the civil
service as It is, corrupting our elections and
demoralizing generally the integrity of our
citizenss
Having had some years Of experience
| with the civil service of the country when
| ia charge of a bureau of the War Depart
ment, and studied It then and since, in may
not be thought presumptuous in me to give
to the public the result OF my observations
aud conclusions, with the suggestions in
duced by them, as nv contribution to the
common stock Of influences pressing for the
desired information.
When the colonies revolted against Great
Britain and united In forming a Confed-
erscy STYLED THE UNITED STATES OF AMER
ICA, such colony or State retained, by the
Articles OF Confederation, its sovereignty,
freedom and independence. aud every power,
jurisdiction and right not delegated express
ly to the Confederate Congress. The Con-
federacy was only firm league of friend
ship entered into by sovereign States, for
their common defense, the securi Y of their
liberties and their mutual and general vel
fare. Taxes, duties, imposts, and the civil
service, were assessed, collected In, and con-
trolled by each State for and by
ifs own citizens. Such was the con-
duct of civil affairs with the
adoption by the States in 1889 of
our present Constitution. By that fnstru-
ment common treasury for all the States
was established, and regulations Of com
merce, of post offices and post roads, of
coinage, aud of the other functions of com
mon interest, were transferred to the central
government, then created, whose laws were
also made supreme in all the powers grant
ed to 1t by the States. By these concessions
national civil service was necessarily
created; In its infancy subordinate to the
political principle, that gave 1t birth, but
which now in manly vigor seeks to control
(no longer to obey the popular voice, and
if not checked in time to hold the destiny
of the United States at its will. We trust
that It is not already too late to return to
first principles, and transmit to posterity In
matured excellence the Republic we in
herit from our ancestors.
During the administrations OF the Presi-
dents Washington, John Adams, Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe aud John Quincy Adams,
all of whom but the last had been more or
less prominent In framing the Constitution,
and, therefore, may be assumed to have
understood its text aud spirit The practice
had been to regard public officers as the
servants of the people, and to appoint to
office only such men as were properly quslifi-
ed for the duties to be discharged They
recogniz d the facts, too, that experience
in any special occupation gave additional
strength to qualification, and that fidelity
was encouraged by the assurance of tenure of
office so long as ability and good behavior
sustained the incumbent The freedom of
political sentiment was recognized, and
party adhesion was not made the basis of
Iublic appointment, although unquesiion-
ably favorable recommendation; and the
nominations to Federal offices within the
Safes were confined 10 the citizens of the
States in which they were exercised. The
Constitution Of 1889 merely took up the
articles of confederation and gave them
vitality by modifying the method OF their
application, with the addition OF supreme'
control ia the regulations of commerce,
post office matters and a supreme national
judiciary. Such were the generally recog-
niZed principles of administration under
the first six Presidents in the ten terms of
their service, from March 4, 1850, to March
4, 1929, period of forty years.
Fer the eleventh term, beginning March 4,
1929, General Andrew Jackson had be- n
elected, and upon his installation into office
a new construction of the appointment to
Federal offices was introduced and vigor-
OuslY carried out. General jackson claimed
that the national offices belonged Of righ
20 the parry controlling the National Gov
srnment, because public policy required
harmon Y among those selected by he popu-
lar voice 70 manage their common national
interests; and, therefore, differences of DO
lticsl sentiment IN those holding office uu-
der the Federal Government were injurious
to the peoples interest and not tolerable
This was purely military view of the ques
ton, which In the course of time resulte as
we now see in the maxim of military plum
dering, 'ao the victors belong the
spoils," and established alleeisnce to
party as an essential qualification for
pubic office. In fact, Gen. Jackson sank
the craftsmanship of the Presidency to the
rude level Of armed capture by regard
ing the Federal offices under executive pa
trOpage as 'Goot" for lavish distribution to
his followers The civil obligations of the
National Executive were lost sight of by
him in the contingent power of military
Commander in-Cbief, and he Appropriated
bis administration as closely as he could to
the discipline of military obedience. Presi-
dent Jackson had his merits, but had also
his faults, of which the greatest was his ar
bitrary will, excellent In a camp but out of
place in the Executive Cabinet.
The notion that the Federal offices were
foot" for party success, once introduced,
was eagerly advocated; by the leaders in
politics, who recognized in it a profitable
element for pushing forward their indvid-
ual ambitions; and by the incident. idle and
vicious, who saw in public Office the means
of comfortable living without hard work,
and official consequence, gratifying to a
petty vanity. His ideas grew in strength and
corruption, until they have vitiated the
political body to the degree that the evil
must be definitely checked, or our Demo-
cratic Republican form of government
perish. This is now our peril, and our task
to avert.
Ny close observations of the civil service
began in Washington city In the year 184S,
nineteen years after the Jacksonisn poison
had been injected into our political system,
and its luxurious effects were then manifest
in all of The civil departments of the govern
ment. The War and Navy Departments
had resisted its encroachments, as the re-
suits and responsibilities of their action
were direct and prompt In their reaction.
Experience and skill In the discharge of
their duties, therefore, were indispensable.
Nevertheless, incompetent clerks and
drones were sometimes forced upon them
by party dictation in spite of the re-
monstrances of their Secretaries. l recall
one old six footer from one of the Western
States, who could not write or spell better
than an ordinary school boy Of eight
or nine years OF age, and who,
after trial in every room OF the
Quar'ermaster Generals department, was
Tor the good of the service, given nothing to
do, and whose time was passed in reading
newspapers and loafiDg. But he had been
leading politician in his State, and must be
provided for. Hence his imposition upon us
10 idieness at good salary. Year by year
during the period of my service. l saw the
evil growing, and markedly so IN the Treas
ury, Post Office and Interior Departments
and that fraud and corruption followed
closely in its steps. Out of ten appointees,
there were three or four good ones, three or
four Indifferent, end the rest worthless, IL
not absolutely vicious Corruption began
to faint all D ,siiions, and with the desiruc-
ton of the National Democratic party at
Charleston In 1860, political RIGHTEOUSNESS
shook off restraint The civil war extended
the national decentralization in both sections,
until political honor, good faith and honesty
became generally only traditions of the dim
past, aud the government fell into imminent
danger of death from it's debasement. Can
this downward tendency be arrested, and
the country saved-and il so, by what
meaDs2
''Faciiis desceusuS Averni;