New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-23
THE CIVIL SERVICE.

OF ,fHE LATE ADMINISTRATIONS CHAkACIEh-
IsIlc STORY OF ABRAHAM. LINCOLN.
lrnoN A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEl
w,ss,SGroS March 21-The new Attorney
General is supposed to represent in the Cabinet the
ideas of that wing of the Republican party which
sssls 10 divorce the bulk OF the Civil Service from
nol,tics and put it upon business basis. Ibis
might be called the radical Cjvn Service REFORM
wing. and shall probably not be lar out OF tne
xvav If | date Mr. MacVeaghs connection with
hack to the time when IL first began To make a SUR
In National politics. He has ever since Deeh a very
consistent and sturdy champion OF ITS two ieanihg
nrinciples the divorce of the appointing power from
Congressional dictation, and permanent tenure
during good behavior for all subordinate office
holders He would have the popular VIII III National
elections act only upn Offices which have to do
with shaping the public policy OF the country; all
others being beyond the reach of political influences
aud not subject change with the shifting currents
of political power. l think no is the only
membar of the Cabinet who favors the
permauent tenure idea, at least the only one VINO
thinks il practicable, People here IN washington
are saving that his views will be modified before he
has been long at the head of Government Depart
ment but they do not know how strong are MS con-
yictions OF how much thought and study lie mas
given TO the subject. With every possible induce
ment of relationship personal surroundings ana
political opportunity to identify himself III fesnsy
wanna affairs with Tho machine system, he has heid
his ground unflincbingly, and he Will not Dc
likely to change 1t now that he mas
an opportunity to advocate his views at the CaDne'
table and apply them to at least one branch OF the
Government.
MR. MACSEAGH AND his OFFICE.
The Department of Justice, over which Mr..
Macyeagh presides, occupies an unshapely rod
sandstone building with ugly French roof erected
nv the Freedmen's Savings Bank and bought BY the
Government after the downfall OF that reckless In
stitution out of commseration for its swlndied de-
positors. 1t is poorly adapted to public business
and there is nothing at all dIRniied or imposing
about it, inside or out. The arehiteot
has managed, however, to lit up stately
room for the Attorney General. Its walls
clear UP to the lofty ceiling, are covered with tue
portraits of Mr.. MacYeagh's predecessors from the
foundation of the Government. There Is pro-
diaious number of them. The Office, If am not
mistaken, has had more occupants than any other
in the Cabinet; perhaps because many OF the great
LAWYERS who have filled it have left it, after brief
experience disappointed at its small political lul-
portance and its meagre salary. Ones attention
cannot long wander to the dead or vanished Attor'
neys-General the wall from the actual Attorney
General, whose big desk and easy chair occupy
the centre of the apartment, and whose
stenogrspher Is taking notes from dictation at
table behind him. One sees why, nervous man'
with a thin incisive cOuntenance. smOoth-shaVen
save for mustache, pair oil exceed
iDgly keen eyes. and an expression Oh
alert critical intelligence. fou would PICK
this man out in crowd as a lawyer OF the |
best type The dul.est observer OF faces would ma
here the power of quick and far-reachlng analysis
memory steadiness of judgment, a love of contro- |
al noyx of statement and |
ment, which characterize a great advocate Wis
itor soon discovers that the new Attorney-General
il one of those rare men who do more than one |
thing at time. He carries bis end OF |
a conversation and reads his mornings |
mailat once without losing anything that his WIS |
tor SAYS and he aud then interrupts him to dc
tate a telegram to his clerk. The purpose of my |
call this morning only to offer my congratula-
tons but remembering interesting conversation
on the cars last winter in which Mr.. MacVeagh SET
forth his Civil Service theories very clearly and Wig
orously could not forbear asking if there was any
difference in the way the matter looked from wal
nut-st. law-ofice in Philadelphia and from the De-
parrment of Justice in Washington.
mot the slightest" he replied, laying down his
pile of open Letters ON his knees; " have not
changed my views one jot or little"
CIVIL SERVICE PROBLEMS.
IL Will DC interesting 10 See now lHcoO views hO 1"
with the policy of the Administration. Perhaps
they will act as a valuable cOunterbalance to other
views of the od-faslioned sort which are held by
certain other members of the Cabinet. In any case,
the decision will turu upon the pivot Of the
Presidents own Judgment. General Garhelds
mind seems 10 be clearly made up on
all the main questions as TO what Is
wise ana practicable the direction of Civil Service
teform have spoken 10 former letters OF his plan
of fixing the tenure of all offices by law. and pro-
hiblting removals during the time commissions run
except for incompetency or dishonesty He holds
epaciously to his purpose OF not making changes IN
places now having fixed tenure during the terms
nf the incumbents and has said to more than one
Congressman that he wants their belp to extend and
perfect the beginnings of the system which now
exists. instead of their entreaties to disregard
H. He wishes Congress to make it unlaw,
Tul for the President himself to remove
competent and faithful man daring the term for
which he holds commission. The Southern Repub-
Gcans believe he Will make some exceptions to his
tule in their States in cases where Democrats are
holding Federal offices. and using them to aid the
intolerance and fraud which seek 10 suppress the
Republican vote. 10 such cases, however, it would
cot be at all difficult to fairly find grounds for
moval in the action of the officials themselves
Where Republican campaign documents and tickets
sent through the mails destroyed in the post Of
ices by Democratic postmasters, as they were last
tall in more than State the necessity for change
would seem to be plain enough Congressman Van
Horne, of Missouri VINO carried the Kansas City
District at the late election in the face Of Demo
cratic majority, tells that he met with the
difficulty that the Republican candidates in Missis
tppi and Alabama encountered. The country post
masters nearly all Democrats and he discovered
by little experience that nothing of a political
character could safely be trusted in the mails He
had to employ messeDgersto traverse his district aud
ieliver documents. letters aud tickets.
TWO ADMINISTRATIONS COMPARED.
Mr.. Hayes and Mr. Evarts took bold OF the other
End Of the Civil Service problem nom that which
General Garfield regards the more important.