The daily gazette., 1881-12-16
GrantsC0urse Denounced.
From the Phil. Eve. Telegraph Rep.
WHEN THE PEOPLE DEMAND 1T.

WHEN THE PEOPLE DEMAND 1T.
Senator Hill, of Georgian the course
Of his spee ch delivered on Tuesday DUR
ing the civil service reform discussion,
ssid:-"JDtil the people who compose .
parry take up the cry In earnest" he
r. ga ded all civil service reform iegisla-
Ii ~ a. nonsense. Senator Hill Is right;
Tho c,y aust be taken up by the people,
ref irm legislation that Congress can
possibly consumnate will bave 10 real
value whatever. There Is evidence
sufficient to support Setator Hills belief
in the single fact that one Of the princi-
pal measures OF Grants administration
was just such legislation as that pro-
posed by = ma OF Pendletpn. The Presi-
dent then appointed Civil Service
Commission, OF number Of tha most
distinguish d political refoimeis In ho
country; they were wise, earnest, sin
cere, patriotic meb, and they had long
been identified with tho refo: In which
they were chosel to accomplish. The
mouey needed to carry our their work
Congress freely voted, and there was
nothing lacking 10 make theCommission
successful in Its work excepting alone
the honest sympathy and assistance OF
the President aud Senators. And that
being lscklug all the other elements Of
succsts were powerless to accomplish
any good, and no good was accom-
plished. The distinguished members of
tue Commission, recognizing that the
President, who had appointed them, and
the Congress that had voted them money
tC execute their plans, daily disregar-
ded their official existence, one by one
resigned, and the whole matter fell to
tie grornd, failure disgracefui to the
country, aud particularly disgraceful to
those who, having ere ated 1t, aud who
were most potent iu its defeaT.
1t is possible. though not at all
probable, that Grant had real and
honest wish to secure better civil
service and to lift it above a system of
mere spoils seeking, but the tempta-
tions which beset him to set aside the
Commission and to follow in the old
path of his predecessors, and even to
outrun them a. 1t, were too many and
great for him to overcome. He had
needy, hungry relatives, old boon
companions and crouIes, and giyers of
lbo w Plofldo III anu lCWdlus anu
that he could not do If Commission
we're to stard between him and his
desire to do it. Therefore he ignored
the Commission, and with all the leg
islation upon the books necessary to
the publication and elevation of the
civil service he made it more corrupt
and degraded tn n it had ever been.
He did not make qualification the test
of appointment, but disqualification
he appointed no man simply because
he was fit, but constantly appointed
relatives, cronies, or gift-bearers con.
spicuous only for their unfitness. II
left to himself he might have done
otherwise; but he was daily aud hour
ly surrounded by Senators and Rspre-
sentatives whose very political exis-
tence depended upon the civil service
being made their servant not they the
servant of it. These men only urged
Grant in the way that his inclinations
led him. His pi omises of civil service
reform and his convictions were disre-
garded under the great temptations
with which he was beset, and from
beng the Fl lend of Curtis and Eaton,
whom he appointed upon the Commits
sion, he became their inyeterate enemy
and violent traducer.
From a c;vil-service reformer he be
came Its most persistent and powerful
opponent, and the very legislation q
which be had caused to be placed upon
the statute books he ignored as eon.
temptuonsly as IL he were In no way re-
sponsible for it, or in no manner sub
ject to the operations of law. That pre-.
cedent should convince Senator Pend le-
ton that legislation will be made nate
to the accomplishment Of civil service
reform until the people themselves de-
mand 1t. The service is the most pow
erful political element In existence In
the country. The machinery Of the par
~ Is controlled entirely by the Office
holders. They are the delegates to the
conventions, National, State aud Muni-
cipal, and they make the nominations.
The President of the United States ei
ther always desires to be his own snc-
cessor OF to name lin. He begins his
first term determined to secure a second
one. 1t is not the election he fears, but
the nomination How shall he secure
II Is what ba wants to know ami at once
Honorable Senator'S and Representatives
crowd about him to tell him that to gain
his object he has only to appoint this
prominent machine loader to one post
huu THAI less pt0nlnent one TO anOtDer.
Following their advice the Federal Of
does are filled with political workers
who are bound to him by the strongest
OF all political ties, that of self-interest,
and II he has only satisfied Senators and
Representatives in appointing. their
men, 1t will be extraordinary indeed II
he 10 not secnre the nomination for the
coveted second term.
---------> s>------------
A Suggestion worth Adoption.
| At New Orie ms, on the 9Th day of No