The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-14
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
DEBATE ON PENoLEToNs BILL
In the S,uats-WhAt the OhIO Senator Has to
SAY Ia Favor OF His Proposed RofOrn-DAW"
Replies to Structures on Ills ThsOry-HIll,
ofGsOrgla, Takes Hand In the Debate.

pPVAu uPSh HAS pht w ASbS'@sS " -
: prove the civil service.
He defined the spoils system as the uni
versal rule. Ii there be any exception
it only emphasizes the rule, and
office partisan work and official salary Us
pay, and change in the otEice-holder us
soon us the salary 81 all have paid for the
work or better or newer wor ker ap-
pears.
He traced Guiteau's motive in shooting
Garfield, and said; "The fact is patent
that he wanted an office and did not get 1t,
and he believed the President was respon'
sible for his failure. He wanted new
deal; u new distribution OF the Offices, He
believed new President would make a
new distribution and that he would have
another chance. The desire for office, and
the belief that he had earned it; the belief
that the President could aud ought to di'
vide the spols among the viCtors; the bru-
talty OF our politics, which traduCes the
character and villities motives whenever Il
difference OF opinion or action exists,
these made his crime possible,
these made it possible for the assassin to
assert that he thought he was doing his
party and his country service. These are
the fostering beds in which such fools are
born, into which such madmen and such
schemes Of wicked devitry are hatChed.
The act Of Gniteau is exceptional. Tho
causes which contributed to 1t arc imbed-
ded In our system and are ever present
OF the effect OF our spoils system on public
men and public service, Senator PendletOn
said this system drives Senators and Repre-
sentativCs into such position that not
only do they neg lect the chief duty OF lcgis-
lation, but too often are they tempted by
their friends and supporters and are
almost coerced to make the support OF an
administration conditional upon obtaining
OlIlcel for their friends. Nor Is this all or
even tho worst this appeal to loan Of money
and loan Of patronage us stlmuNnts to ex-
erton, creates Il fierce and brutal party
spirit which stops ut no wrong In the ac-
Complishmcnt Of It's ends. 1t makes
an intelligent exercise Of the clec.
tive franchise impossible. II makes
4 free election and falr count
impossible, II lCvicg contributions on the
salaries Of all officers, and expends vast
sums This Is collected for Corrupting
voters. 1t lowers the tone and dGgrades
the sentiment not only OF tho public men
but more important still, OF the whole peo.
pie behind them. We must supplant this
system. We must chase 1t out with hue
and Cry. In Its place We must put
other and better systems founded on
the idea that public Offices are public
trusts TO be administered safely for the
public good; that the iittGst men shall nd.
minister them until still filter and better
men shall be found; that offices have no
right to be, except that the faithful execu.
Cution OF the duties attached to them Is
necessary to the public welfare, and the
maximum OF efficiency and the mini
mum Of cost constitute the only condition
on which they should exist. We must es-
tablish the idea that the business OF 50,000,-
600 OF people must be transacted by bust.
ness men upon business principles, and all
the more rigidly and faithfully because II Is
the business OF the people.
Mr.. Pendleton then explained at length
tho scope OF his bill, saying he invited
criticism and discussion Of 1t. lie closed
as follows: appeal to the senators on the
OthersidG Oithis chamber. You have the ad.
ministrntion. You have the Offices. You are
enjoying power and emolumGnts. This
bill does not disturb you in tho possession
OF them. appeal TO the Senators on this
side OF the chamber. We are In the mi.
nority We have no Offices now, the
chances OF timo will sooner or later put
them in our grasp. Let us now declare
that we will have none ot these Offices ex-
cept those which may be won by merit.
Let us give this our earnest support. In
tho great reform let us give this as Il token
Of tho purity and patriotism Of our coming
administration Of the Government Let
us convince the people, even our oppo.
nents, that We contend for power, not that
we may enjoy emolunCnts OF office, but
that we may lead the country In the path.
ways OF advancement and beneilcence
under the inspiration OF true Democracy.
Patronage, however pleasant for the mo.
mont, Is curse to any men or party. Let
us put II behind us now and let us do the
right now. Let us destroy ii and we will
in the future reap our full inestimablo re.
ward In having disengnged Our party md
our President from influences which will
surely plant the seeds OF early defeat In
our coming victory and In having saved
our country from the perils which now en-.
virOn II.
Senator Dawes replying 10 the criticism
upon his position on the subject by Mr..
pendleton, said these were due 10 his In.
ability both now and IN the last
Congress to support that feature Of
| N. Nuas tnfa
or the establishment In Washington
OF the Board Of Examiners or "Impcrium
in ImperiO' with no prescribed teuure who
are to superintend or control all examine
tions in all the departments and places In
the civil service covered by tho bill.
The Senator now argues that he
Dawes for this reason did not
want to have legislation on the subject.
Ills own effort llas been 10 awaken the
public sentiment, out Of which would be
evolved legislation OF practical utility,
and lle had stated and now re.
itcrated that for ten years the stat
ute book had contained authority
enough 10 accomplish everything the
most ardent reiormer desired 10 have nc.
Complished lie believed that n
board suCl rs proposed, would dc.
pend for its efficiency solely upon
The spirit Of the Executive, who
appointed II. His own conviction was that
tie remedy for abuses in the civil service
was In the people Of the country, and could
on lie applied effectively by them.
Mr llfl, Of Georgia, said in his Judge.
ment the difficulties were not in want
Of legislation and therefore II was very
. | tiut...tN 10 tutt "A katr,nI., A..
be applied be legislation. One great
difficulty he thought, was that while
, everybody was preaching very earnestly
, on civil service reform, nobody was
praciicing II, md II did not
| seem 10 make any difference to the people
, whether their representatives were practir-
ing It or not. While the country was
weeping over the tragic end Of
our late President a Federal
| Judge was soillng his ermino by
1 | 4 a Nala Ii. Al y