Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-30
ed n the detail and routine bust

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ments at Washington may be materially re-
duced with benefit to the country at large,
10 the facility of public business. and save
money to the Treasury. In the appoint
meDts the States to be represented IN pro-
portion to their respective population deter
mined by the last census enumeration.
Having purified the reservoir OF national
administration at the headquarters, the
capital, the streams flowing from 1t through
the various channels Of the civil service will
he cleaner and more heathful, Dro1tdsd they
too be kept IN good order.
To this end much of efficiency and purity
will be gained bv a return to the original
custom OF eonfining the appointments to
Federal offices in the States to the States and
communities, respectively, in which their
duties are to be performed. Such course
will be a salutary Influence in preventing
concentration of power, dangerous to lib
erty In the hands of ambitious men, who
may aim to construct an empire on the
ruins of public liberty. History furnishes
many instances of these attempts-the sue
ceesful bane of republics-and such must
inevitably be our record in the near future
II the antidote be not promptly admins
tered. Another advantage flowing from the
limitation to the States of selections for
official trust In them will be a better class
OF appointees put forward for nomination,
as their characters are fully known to their
fellow citizens among whom they have been
born, grown up or lived Familiarity; they
being, moreover, representatives. OF their
political affiliations at their own homes.
All Federal offices In the States should be
held for life or during good behavior; good
behavior implying comp stency as well as
good conduct. Against this proposition It
may be urged that nv views would create
privileged class. To which answer not at all,
as privileged classes mean certain persons
who hold special civil or political privileges,
not open universally to all the citizens of a
country. Penthouse. demsgogues will I'M
doubleday howl for ''rota'ion in Office"
which interpreted means comfortable pro
vision for party services, on the basis of an
INSCRIPTIONS, tainted system Of profession
al political chicanery, by which men
too law to work or utterly worthless may
have a living and official consequence at the
cost OF the people-the evil that civil service
reform is seeking to eradicate. The tenure
of office in the army, navy, marine corps,
revenue marine, coast survey (by usage),
creates no privileged classes, and have
proved the value of official qualification,
experience and good behavior. This is an
indlsputsble fact. Then why not on pre-
cisely the same principles organize our civil
serviceg Why should we not have compe-
tent. honorable and honest Collectors, Post
masters, Msrshals and civil officers gen.
orally, as the officers are In our military and
naval servicesS The reform admits Of no
half way measures. We must destroy the
root or we shall continue to have poisonous
trees springing up as deadly to cur political
system as the Upas to animal life. Cunning
politicians will oppose such fundamental
changes as | have proposed by blowing up
a cloud of plausible difficulties, of no real
opposition however, to obscure the question,
and under which they may evsde the thor
Ough publications needed to effect reforma-
ton. But unless we carry them out the
reins of government, National and State,
must inevitably fall 10 time into the hands
OF unskilled or uDprincipled leaders Gas we
have already largely witnessed) whose end
is their own selfish promotion by the prac-
ticsi destruction of the distinctive principles
of liberty, civil and political equality, and
freedom, on which our form Of government
is constructed. Thirty-fVe years of expe-
rience in, and observation of our political
system, warrants my assertion that civil SER
vice reform can only he achieved by making
the subordinate ciail public servants Independent
Of political partnership OF the diplomatic
and consular services 1 have said nothing, as
the advantages Of steam and of electricity
must soon work important alterations in
their present construction, but whether
altered or continued as now, theY should be
subjected to rules of examination for ad-
mittance, and should pass by promotion to
the successive grades of representation, as
International usage may establish.
AT first view these suggestions may
appear to be restrictive of the pow
ers and privileges that should al
tach to the political party administering
the n 4tionsl Government, and impractical
BILE. But impartial consideration of them
will demonstrate, think, that emanating
as they do from the Fundamental law OF our
political existence-"that the Federal offices
are creations for the benefit of the people,
and that Federal officers are the servants of
the whole people, and not of political fac
tions"-theY will be found to give stability,
and, in course, perpetui' y to the Democratic |
Republican form OF government we have
adopted
Il has been urged against our Constitu- |
zion that ''it was made for angels and not !
for men," How far this charge is mistaken
is shown by the record OF the United States |
since the Constitution went in'o operation |
ninety three years ago, on the 4th of March, |
1889 1t has successfully withstood every
trial to which government can be subjected, |
whether of internal dis ensions or of foreign |
wars; and has triumphantly survived a civ | |
war of unex8mpled magnitude and rancor, |
from which she came forth "bearing the |
marks Of cruel wounds, but with the |
principle of life still strong within her" |
1t has, with unexampled energy and rapid |
tJg 0CNOlOPCu NdSb III G4btub anu |
resources. II has placed the United States |
of meriea in the lead with her mother Great |
Britain in agriculture, manufactures, min
ing commerce and trade. Aud it made them |
the co-equals of all nations In civilization,
cultivation, science, art and literature. The |
history OF the United States since March 4, |
1883, Is uneXampled In the annals of the |
world. There is no other country of ancient |
or modern record that holds even second |
or a third place in growth or development |
to our Republic. And all Of this we owe,
to that wonderful instrument, our COustitu- |
ton, the bulwark of freedom, of civil and |
political equality, and of eternal hostility to |
tyranny, whether throned in ''purple and fine |
linen" or disguised by the infamous mask |
OF Communism. Our Constitution was to the |
world a new magma charta OF individual |
rights and liberties, but m supderstood by the |
contracted prejudices OF feudal and manon- |
al restraints; and thence deemed imprac l. |
cable for men. But the small seed sown on |
the 4,h Of July, 1776, has fourished and be-
come a great tree. in whose branches we |
rest securely and offer a welcome asylum to |
the politically oppressed of ell nations |
proving conclusively that the Constitution is |
not above the capacities of human nature. |
but elevates them to the equal enjoyment of |
the inalienable rights with which God and |
society has endowed mankind. Is it not, |
then, of the greatest consequence to our
selves, and 10 the world at large, to preserve |
in its justice, purity and vigor the Constitu-
ton and the form of government organized |
by 1t, that have already achieved so much Of |
what is great and good, and which will ag-
grandzs and ennoble us still more in the |
future Surely it is and therefore we are
authorized TO resort to sound remedies, even |
though severe, which tend to accomplish a |
thorough cure, and which are universally |
approved and praeticed by the wisdom Of |
mankind In the management OF sffairs, in
dividuel and corporate.
Baving presented our suggestions, there
remain only for us to point out the means
by which they may be carried out effect
lively. This can be done only by Congress-
They must have the force of law to give |
them vitality, and Congress alone can legis-
late on the subject. Nocivil service reform
can be durably effected by mere regulations
which may be changed, or dispensed with
altogether, by those having authority for
the time over the matters they apply to.
Here we strike the rock that blocks the de-
sired Improvement. The trade in Federal
offices, to members of Congress of both
houses, has become too powerful an ele-
ment in political calculation to be readily |
given up by them; as they are asprants for
the Presidency, with scarcely an exception,
and need this important factor of political
influence to further their personal aspira-
tions for office and power. Therefore,
blinded by their ambition to rise above the
common herd, they foster e national
evil by which they may elevate themselves.
They may not be, perhaps, Intentionally
wanting In patriotism, but the game is q
oraat ono end in the "a Uernacs ~ a.. -.