New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-18

bearing, cOncelted Official class IN UtIhhahy
and other European countries, where the ten
IRE of civil. places is life one, has no desire
to see the system copied here. hereditary
aristocracv is bad enough, but an aristocracy
Of petty officials is much more lntolerapie' pe
conse in the transaction of the public business
it has daily opportunities to annoy the people.
We have no titles or decorations IN the UnlIeu
States, and official rank is the only personal
distinction the citizen can aspire 10. Make tilis
rank permanent, and those obtaining II Wouiu
soon puff themselves up with PRIDE, ana treat
the public IA if they were its masters. In Ter
many an official with a gold band around his
can, though he may get but thaler day.
feels authorized to browbeat the most respect
able person in plain clothes.
If our republican traditions and customs
should preserve us from an insocnt bureau
cracy and an arrogant, domineering oillcln
class undcr n system of life tenure for civil
Offices, il is quite certain that the people VIII
never set up such a system. Ihey VIII ho,
vote that nine out of ten among them shali
never hold an Office in order that the teh'n
man may enjoy the honOrs and perquiSl'es Vi
Mace IA long as he lives. Perhaps they take q
low view of the matter but we must admit
that it is very natural view. Inc average
citizen does not think much of office holding
as n business, and is disposed to ridicule those
who dcpend on il for living; but he likes 10
think that he has as good right "a any oouy
To place in case he should want 10 Apply i"i
one. He will never shut himself out ny o'i
ricrs of his own contriving. In making piails
of government in country ruled 10y unlVcrSai
suffrage it is folly to try to go peyohu 'n'
average wishes and common sense OF inc hihhS'S'
IL the ncrmanent- tenure theorists want 10 H'c
how their project fits itself To the popular wiz
LET them 90 10 any country village and ask the
farmers. mechanics and merchants how thcy
would like To have the postmaster commissioned
for life and removable only on proof that he was
stealing the stamps. The only vote such
proposition would get would probably I've that
nf tho nostmostrr himself Nor would the no.
tion that the Offices ought To bc divorced from
politics get much more cncouiaSoh'n.' ~,
Iitical strife j. the diversion and intellectual
stimuant of the masses ot the American poo
nile. They carry party divisions down 10 town
shin contests for constahcs ana Ju>'l'cS vi
the peace because they ENJOY party argument
and marty warfare. They will not hc brought
To believe that while they are contcndng every
spring for township or municipal Offices ana
every fall for State and County Offices the
Federal offices should bc unaffected hy We
tories on the broader field of National politics.
Their idea. and it is not bad one. Is that the
party controlling the Federal Government
should be represented in the offices throughout
the country. They want To see a pcT'ohihca-
ton of the power Of that party IN the post
master of their own town.
So long a. everybody votes everybody VIII
be free to- aspire Ia office. II IL Idle l"
talk of oflicc-sccking ~ something disrcput-
able which people who don't want official en-
plovment are entitled To sheer at. There are
nearly a hundred thousand Federal offices.
They will always be objects of ambition.
man has a. good "A right to apply for one OF
them IA to ask for place to Work
in a factory or store. The Government
will never have n chance tO hunt for men who
are willing 10 take office. Ii Will always be
besicgcd 10y applicants. Somebody must
hear these applicants and their friends and
read their letters, petitions and Endorsements.
The Constitution has put the bulk of this
onerous task upon the President, and he
cannot escape it, There ia one thing he can
do. however, with the help of Congress, to
tighten his burden and allay the chronic
irritation of ollicc-scekng and that Is to
establish the principle Of fixed term OF
years for all places great and small. This II
what President Garfield proposes. Half the
pressure upon him and upon his Cabinet adj
visers would be removed if it were known
that when an office was once filled 10y new
appointment no change could he made in 1t
during definite term of years except upon
clearly proved charges Of incompctcDcy or dis
honesty in the holder. let the rcformcrs take
hold and help establish this excellent and
feasible principle, and they will do the
country a real service Their scheme of n
life tenure for Federal Offices il impncticabc,
and they have not yet shown that it is dcsr
able.