The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-01
Civil Service Reform.
A Second Letter from Senator Dawes
How the President Might Be Relieved
Springfield Republican, July 20.

would like today, with your permis on, to
speak of point not covered by any bill, nor
much treated of by any reformer, but yet an
essential part of the work before us. That
point is the relief OF the President.
There have come to be, in the development
and growth Of this great nation, more than
hundred thousaud-nobody knows exactly how
many-federal office-holders, holding by ap-
pointment. The constitution has devolved up
on the President the appointment of them all,
except in the case of few "inferior" offices
which are by statute conferred on the courts
of law or the heads of departments.
This power must be exercised by the Presi-
dent until the constitution is changed, and
legislation can do little to relieve him. And
yet is this which is killing him, and unless
there be change either in the system itself or
its administration, the evil we cry out against
may be palliated but cannot be cured. No man
can consider intelligently, however impartial
and devoted he may be, the fitness of the in
cumbents of half these offices, the duties of
which are to be performed, in almost every in
stance outside of PERSONAL observation, and
sometimes at distances beyond the possibility
of personal knowledge. To this is added the
far more absorbing and consuming task OF set
tling the perplexing and ragged questions
which the many applicants for each Of these
offices constantly crowd upon him.
For months at the beginning of his admins
traton there is left to him no time for the tran
saction of any other business, or the study Of
any higher, grander craftsmanship than who
shall step out and who shall step in to the
places Of emolument and trust around him and
abroad over the land. And all through his
term this is the labor which never ceases this
is the exaction of strength and patience and
wisdom which never relaxes its hold, is never
satisfied, never tires or sleeps. sOrdinary health
and nerve are like to break down under it and
the most vigorous constitutions will wear out
by its attritions, or be shattered by its shocks.
However well done and bravely borne, such
work leaves the President of the United States
in sorry plight enough for the performance of
any other OF the manifold duties of his great
office, or for the study and solution of other
problems involved in the government of O
great nation. Thus are his best powers frit
tered away, and the grand opportunities for
the accomplishment of lasting good by the ap-
plication of broad and comprehensive states
manship to administration lost in the petty and
belittling details of official patronage. He who
is fit to be President of this great Republic is
fit for something higher and better than ali
this, and should be lifted out of it.
This work must be taken out of his hands
and turned over to others. How to do this and
at the same time retain his personal control and
responsibility for his whole administration in
the broadest sense, is difficult question to an
swer, and it is by no means certain that any
single remedy will cure the evil There can
be but one head, one man to determine the
policy and character of an administration, and
he must have the power to execute his own
will. Any change, either by amendment of
the constitution, enactments under it, or by
modification in carrying out the system as it
is, which impairs his authority or responsible
ty makes many presidents where there can be
but one, and is sure to wreck the ship. Let
US, while discussing what possible constitu-
tlonal amendment or law can accomplish these
end, and, without abating one jot of our zeal
in that direction, inquire whether something
of the evil may not be remedied by q change
in the mode of administering the system as it
is.
Every man who comes to the Presidency has
or ought to have q distinctive purpose to be ac-
complished, plan or policy OF his own to be
carried out, and methods of administration by
which these are to be secured. This, which
may be styled the character of his administra-
ton, is his to be maintained: by it he is to be
judged, and by it he must stand or fall. Let
1t remain his, and whatever change or modi6-
cation may be introduced, unity must never
for moment be lost sight of. One head, one
brain, one haad must be over all, shaping, di-
recting, controlling all, and responsible for
whatever is. He calls to his side q cabinet,
seven advisers, coadjutors, aids in carrying on
his work and carrying out his plan and pur-
pose-not seven other presidents, each with
plan anu purpose, ana policy OF his own. lie
is to work through them and if they have not
capacity and heart to work under him
they are out of place. They have their parts
assigned. Now, why does not the President
actually, as well as in theory, break up the
work of the administration into seven parts,
and, freeing himself of everything but control
hold each secretary personally responsible to
him for the performance of the work in the
part assigned him, making his tenure depend
upon result brought up to the standard
fixed by the President himself? Holding
each Secretary thus responsible for every
part of it to the minutest detail, the
President must delegate to him all the au-
thority pertaining to it, for the secretary must
be clothed with power to execute or be relieved
of responsibility for what is done. Let him Sc
lect his men and answer for their capacity, in
tegrity and efficiency Ii they fail he fails and
must give place to another, and their success
must be his success. 70 do this he must have
their selection and control their tenure of Of
flee, always of course, in this regard, in con-
formity with the avowed policy of the admin
istration itSel.-that is, its head. If the de-
partment SO assigned is too large, as some of
them are, for the direct personal control by its
head of all its parts and officials, let him sub
divide in the same way, and himself hold the
heads of these subdivisions responsible to him
for the work, and for those who do it in the