The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-07-27
Civil Service Reform.

DAMARISCOTTA, Me-, July 24th, 1882.
! EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN JOURNAL:
have recently noticed in the journal many re-
| Elections upon the purposes and efforts of those
persons who are seeking to reform the civil
| service. In your issue of July Goth, you say
"lndeed, no one seems to think it necessary to
| make serious reply to these visionary theorists
whose arguments lack the essential basis of
facts, whose conclusions are erroneous, and
whose assumptions are unfounded." In so far
| as you intended the above to apply to the large
and incre asing body of men known as Civil
| Service RefOrmers, believe it to be incorrect
| and it is with no small concern that | see IN in
1uential newspaper week after week depreciat-
| ing movement organized by honest men in
| the interest of much needed reform.
| Recognizing the great need of reform in the
civil service President Grant declared in his
message of December, 1870: The present
system does not secure the best men, and often
not even fit men for the public places. The
| elevation and publication of civil service of the
government will be hailed with approval by the
| whole people of the United States.'
| Gen. Garfield stated in 1877, that $40 reform
this service is one of the highest and most i'm
| perative duties of craftsmanship" In his in
augural address President Garfield said: The
civil service can never be placed on a satsfac-
! tory basis until regulated by law" And legs-
| lation was urged by him for the good of the
service itself, for the protection Of those who
| are interested with the appointing power:
the public business caused by the nordinatr
pressure for place. and for the protection Of in
| cumbents against intrigue and wrong.
| George William Curtis has stated before a
| committee of the United States Senate that
| 1.-The system which is practiced in this country
to-day, if not to be defined as ariStocratc is alb
! solute(y oigarchic."
These men whose opinions are given above,
| have in times past pretty thoroughly represent
ed the different phases of Republican politics,
and on the question of civil service reform they
| speak the sentiments of thousands of thinking
men OF various party affiliations.
| The purposes of civil service reformer> are
| outlined in the constitution of the New York
Association, of which George William Curtis
| Is Presidents and in the constitution of the Ma
| tlonal Association, with which am connected,
| are IA follows:
| The object of the Association Shall be 10 Is
tablish system of appointment, promotion and
removal in the civil service, founded upon the
principle that public office is public trust, adj
mission to which should depend upon proved
| fitness. 10 this end the Association will demand
| that appointments to subordinate executive Of
| fees, with such exceptions as may be cNpcdi-
| en, not inconsistent with the principles already
mentioned, shall be made from person, ~ hose
| fitness has been aSccrancd by competitive tN-
amnationS open to all applicants properly quail
| itied and that removals shall be made for legi-
| innate cause ON Y, such As dishonesty. nc@Ii-
gencc, or inctfclency, but not for political opin-
| ION or refusal to render party service: and the
Association will advocate all other appropriate
measures for securing integrity Intelligence
efficiency, good order, and good discipline in the
| Civil Service"
| What is there in this declaration that any man
| IN favor Of good government Will not subscribe
| to: Respectfully. ARTHUR G. : JACKSON.
The reply elsewhere made to the Portland
Advertiser will apply in part to this letter.
| We are not ignorant of what has been said on
| this subject by indiyidua or embodied in par
| ty platforms, and may mention here that the
| national Republican, platform Of lS-2 expressly
| guarded against the creating Of i life tenure of
| office, which is the leading lc. Of many civil
service reformers. Competitive examinations
| may be very we'll in theory but in practice they
| have not been altogether successful. Them i
| ii not rather inconsistent to allow the l,spon, j.
| bic head OF a bureau or department to escape
| an examination to which his Suborlinatrs must
! submit: That there are men who are sincere
| i'll their advocacy of civil service reform. and
| that reform i'll some directions MAY be both
| practicable and desirable the Journal is ready
| to admit, and at no time has it said ANYTHING to
| the contrary. But when the Democratic, party
| upon whose banner was inscribed. "To the
| Nctors belong the Npoils " takes to nllsuIrrad-
ing As civil service reform party; when play
| ed out politicians. whose clamor> for office ;t> Il
| reward for alleged party service have been ig-
nored, raise the same cry; when the employees
| of the Government are unlu>tIy assaulted and
| statements are made by sO-caed rrformrl.>
| which are utterly devoid of truth the journal
will not hesitate t" expose both the false pre-
| fences and false statements inyolyet ana ii is
at Il loss to see why the sincere advocates of
civil service reform should feel aggrieNcd 1t its
doing 50. Editor Journal.