The Portland daily press., 1881-07-28
Senator Dawes on the Civil Ser
vice.

formers SO long as they are ''out"-have
been filled with assumptions that the Civil
Service has been injuriously used by Con-
gressnen for their own personal and politi-
cal gain. The theory has been that the Civ
il Service is full of ward politicians, kept
there as hired strikers for members of Con-
gress, and that only political reasons were
considered in their appointment. Senator
Dawes letter, the indisputable fairness of
which gives IL sreat feree, -raraals- -tlas-Gen-
gresham as he really is, the agent of his
constituents. When man qualified for Of
flee finds himself out of work. if his
thoughts turn to government employ every
body encourages him and joins with him in
imporruning his member of Congress to get
him place. 1t is not the ward politician
who is the most persistent applicant or the
most successful. The Departments at Wash
ington are not filed with ward politicians.
They are filled with men who have the en-
dorsement and support of the business and
professional men all over the country. If
the visits of members of Congress to the
Departments ere analysed, those visits
which had origin in their own desire would
not probably average one in thousand. The
pressure comes from the constituents. This
country is different from others. Our peo-
pie are self-reliant, well-educated and capa-
ble For every Office there are twenty men
as well fitted as the incumbent. Most gov
ernment offices pay men more than they can
earn elsewhere. Wat wonder then that
there is a rush for office?
Men get Office in various ways, some by
intrigue, some by favor, some by fawning
and some by merit, very much as men get
everything else in this world. Only those
appointed by ex-President Hayes and ex-
Secretary Schurz got their places solely on
account of their virtues. But even those
otherwise appointed may not be wholly rep
rebate. Let any man look over the list of
public employees in his own vicinity, and he
will be surprised to see how few are ward
politicians. Merchants who have failed,
clerks who have grown tired, soldiers to
whom the country owes something, men
who have not made politics business, are
very numerous. What competitive exami-
nations would do for Us can hardly be
told to-day. Much has been said for
them as Cuisines way of doing
things, but the reader must not
hastily conclude that, because the Boston
Herald regards competitive examination as
the only true business method, that admira-
bic establishment selects its great force of
employees by aid of examination papers, 1t
is much to be feared that this system would
not protect Senator Dawes from the pres
sure he so truly describes and deprecates,
| We have two branches of the public service
already which are, according to the Re-
formers, free from political taint, the Army
AMI the Navy. Does anybody suppose that
| the military and naval service of the coun-
| try goes on without interference from civil
| ians, from men of influence, from able edi-
| tors and reformatory clergymen? Alas, a
| great many things in this world go by favor.
One of the most fervent reported eulogies
| on then-President Hayes was delivered by a
| distinguished divine the Sunday after his
| nephew had been arbitrarily restored to the
| Navy after having been cashiered for dis
| honesty seven or eight years before. We
| venture to say that Senator Dawes has had
| as much to do in attending to the letters,
recommendations and demands of his con-
stituents and friends in regard to officers of
| the military and naval service as of the civil
service, in proportion to the number of Off
cials in the respective services. Lieuten-
ants want to be Captains and A. @. M. or
G. S.-Captains want staff appointments
naval officers want navy yards or command
or inspectorships; in a word men want to
| get ahead, and will importune those who
can help.
One of the greatest discouragements to
any honest discussion of Reform is to be
| found in the action of Reformers. So much
Of the talk made has ulterior purposes, Sc
much is only dextrous use of popular SYM
! pathy for personal aggrandizement, that il
is mere instinct to suspect any very loud.
| mouthed denouncer of congressional infu-
ence as man who wants to strengthen his
own hackers by weakening those whom he
| cannot coax or control. By the Constitu
ton the President must himself appoint
| OF course he must do this by advice He
may take his advice from whom he pleases
from members of Congress or from citizens
and strangers generally. He is liable to be
deceived by either. Either may recommend
bad men but if the private citizen recon-
mend bad man there is no penalty, while
if member Of Congress commits like
offence he must lose just so much in the
esteem and support of his constituency
While the law of appointment remains as i
| is q wise President will be likely to consul
those who are responsible to the people ant
a wise congressman will be likely to obtrud,
himself as little IS his constituents will per
nit.
Our esteemed contemporary the Adver
tiser in commenting on Il suggestion that
our civil service, even as now established, il
not utterly given over to wickedness wen
in much agitation about whiskey Rings
Star service and other supposed break
downs. Ii the Star service should ever un
dergo legal scrutiny it will be time enough
to put that into the average. AS for thu
rest, isolated and sporadic crimes Dc
not argue universal corruption. 1t is the
general result which is to be looked to ant
the general result from Civil Service is tha
no business in this country, in proportion tt
its magnitude, is SO well conducted as tn,
business of the United States Government
| No institution can be named-Bank, Rail
road, Telegraph, Insurance or what not
that does not lose a larger percentage b.
fraud, theft and defalcation. And when We
consider that no government can find exact
equivalent for the self interest of the MAJ
who is looking after his own property, the
result is even remarkable.
| The Macon fGa ! Telacranb fDan, \ cow