Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-22

We have received q copy Of the re-
part Of Postmaster General James, and
it is an exceedingly interesting docu-
ment 1t gives full and complete in
formation regarding the workings OF the
department, and makes many valuable
suggestions looking to the improvement
Of the mail service, all Of which viii, We
trust, receive proper consideration from
the approaching Congress. We have not
the space to elaborate upon these sug-
gestiOns at present, but will probably
do so at some time in the near future.
There are some matters connected with
the report, however, which are worthy Of
special comment, and it stamps the Post
master General as a man Of fine execu-
tive capacity and marked ability, and
also as a wise and conservative states
man, able and ready 70 rise above party
and partisan success when the public
welfare demands it Of him. He asserts
positively that so long as he is in control,
the Post Office Department will heartily
co operate with the Department of JUS
tice in correcting frauds and abuses
wherever found, and, in this cOnnec-
ton, he makes allusiOn to the re-
cent investigation into the star route
swindles. He says on this subject
that ''no one who has not been directly
concerned in the matter can fully sppre
ciate the magnitude of the undertaking
the mass Of record evidence examined,
the difficulties of a personal investiga-
ton in sparsely settled territories, and
the results attained by the patient and
intelligent labor of the inspectors Of the
department. And he is convinced,
from the facts already ascertain
ed, that existing statutes leave the
way open to great abuse, and there
is already abundant ground for asking a
Judicial investigation of the transactions
Of the past four years.
Nor is this by any means the only
meritOriOus suggestion made by the Post
master General He includes in his re-
port = short discussion on the well
worn subject of 'eivil service reform"
but he discusses it in practical manner,
which gives decided evidence that he,
unlike so many others who have touched
upon the subject, means what he says.
he states that careful observation has
confirmed his conviction that if the
public business were conducted on bust
ness principles great public benefit would
result. and some method, he says, must
he provided for relief from the over
whelming pressure for appointments to
clerkships and other subordinate posi-
tons, and from the equally heavy
pressure, so frequently brought to bear,
to secure the removal Of capable and ex
perienced assistants to make room for
incompetent and useless political and
personal fsvorites. He contends, most
wisely, that ''the public service is a pub
lie trust, to which every citizen may
properly aspire. and the public interest
demands that admission to it shall not
depend upon personal favor, because
such favor cannot well be impartial, and
because a system Of appointment by
mere influence may be readily perverted
to the promotion of private interests and
personal ambition. Appointment by in
iuence naturally results in making the
tenure of Office depend. not upon fidelity
and efficiency in the discharge of official
duty, but upon the assiduOus cultivation
of the favor Of a patron. Such tenure
is incompatible with the self-respect Of
the incumbent, and the service must ne
cessarily suffer from the decline Of its
mOrdle"
These suggestions and views of the
Postmas' er General will meet with the
unqualified commentator and approval
of every right thinking man and patriot
in the land, and therefore when he re-
cOmmends that the first step to-
wards remedying the evils Of which
be complains should be ga meth
cd Of minor appointment, which
should be independent Of personal
or partisan influence" his recommends
ton is worthy of the highest respect.
The extension Of this method, he con-
tends, is earnestly to be desired, both to
correct the evils already existing and to
remove still graVer evils threatened.
We cannot better conclude these brief
comments on what is certainly one of the
most admirable documents which has
emsnated from = government bureau
since the war than by quoting its fiaal
paragraph, as follows:
''The public is best served by honest.
experienced and competent officers, and
changes, therefore, should be made care
fully, and only for reasons affecting
official conduct My views upon this
subject are the result of prolonged
official experience, and am persuaded
that the practical application of these
principles would promote public morali-
ty, increase the economy and efficiency
of the public service, and assuage the
fury of party spirit, against which
Washington warned the country as its
chief peril"