Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-08-03

tilitleS broke out aud veto messages tol-
lowed each other like the discharge Of a
Gatling gun. In the cases OF President
johnson and Grant. the civil service was
used unsparingly to benefit the weak
and break down the strong among
The public offices furnished ammuni-
ton for the fray, and decentralization
was spread far and wide. The course
pursued was very much in harmony
with the precedents Of George I'LL, and
the personal quarrels OF that monarch
with the most eminent men Of his day.
Civil service reform is the crying prob.
lem OF the day, and the evils that beset
it would be diminished by any step
which would insure to the executive q
majority in the legislature, or to the
legislature the control of the executive.
In the United States the pergersion of
party has, as every one knows,
reached the dimensions of a
plague, all Offices being held for short
terms, and, being offered as prizes for
party success at the polls, with the re.
suit that politics has ceased to be name
for the aggregate of public affairs, and
denotes simply speculation as to the
probable resuitssAis the next State or
Federal election. When a man is stalk
ing politics" he is not discussing any
question affecting the public welfare;
he is discussing the chances for office OF
certain persons. A politician" is not
q legislator or jurist, or an econo-
mist or financier; he is simply a man
who is skiiful in carrying elections
or who has the means OF for
telling how elections will 90. In
fact, parties are completely divorced
from measures OF all kinds. No party,
when it comes into power is expected
to embody in legislation any OF the ideas
embodied in its platform. The platform
is simply manifesto Intended to help
in carrying the election, but to which
no one thinks of referring to alter the
election is over. Parties, except at very
great crisis, occupy themselves simply
with office. getting. Office holding for
short terms makes every ofiice-holder,
from President down, periorce proies.
sional electioneeriDg agent, and the fact
his place will be vacant at a certain date
creates great army OF competitors for
it. who seek it also through electioneer-
ing.
This same knowledge that he has not
long to serve, makes everybody includ-
ing the office holder himself, indifferent
to the manner in which he discharges
his duties and weakens the sense Of re-
sponsibility. 1t prevents for like reas-
ons, the presence in our Legislatures
OF the only men who are competent for
Legislative work and deprives the public
business OF the benefit OF the experience
OF the most experienced men OF the
nation. The passion for short terms is
a tradition OF the period when the main
business OF legislative assemblies
was to fight the Crown and
resist its exactions, and when
constituents were in constant fear OF
their members selling out or joining
the court party; but it is absurd now
when the sole duty of the Legislature IS
to see that public affairs are properly
administered and supply machinery
therefor. The idea that government is
business, has lost much OF any hold it
ever had on thu popular mind in the
United States. To restore it to its proper
place among political ideas may seem
long and difficult task, but it is the one
to which American reformers must now
address themselves.
Auutlier advantage claimed for the
plan, | have indicated above, is that
it would bring the whole framework OF
Government more within the range and
influence of public opinion. At
present the people seldom or never
rule effectively with reference
to particular measure, but only with
reference to SUN total and aver
aye OF all the measures for which
an administration or party can
be held responsible. Instances
might be enumerated where the people
have voted against measures after they
were passed, and when opposition to
them had ceased to be effective. The
repeal Of the Missouri compromise and
the so-caled "Back Pay Grab" were
cases OF this kind. Neither the annexa-
ton of Texas or the purchase OF Alaska
could have been accomplished by popu'
lar vote, or under any system where the
judgment of the people could have
been brought to bear upon
them IN good time. Now
it be desirable to make the Government
more amena5le to public opinion than
it is, and to give the people chance to
act upon particular measures while
they are pending, instead OF passing
Judgment upon them in lump after
they have been adopted or rejected at
Washington, some one body OF the three
must be selected to receive the impact
or popular force; and it would naturally
be the one which most often returns To
the people to give an account OF itself,
and to which the suffrages OF the COM
munity to.wt: the House OF Represen-
tatives. And TO enable the impact to
reach the Executive as well as the Leg
islative-as frequently and as powerful
ly-a responsible Cabinet, having seats
in the House, initiating the principal
measures OF legislation, answering pub.
liclv for all executive acts, and standing
or falling according to their ability to
get their measures and policy approved
by the II ouse, would seem TO be well
adapted to that end. j. r. b.
CAPITAL CHIPS.