Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-12-13
Che freemau.
MONTPELIER. VT.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. Is, 1882.


i'll very lmpractlcable scheme. They
wanted the service placed on permanent
business basis rather than partisan basis
of any kind. But few republicans who
were in active political life took hearty
interest in the matter and there were
fewer democrats than republicans who
looked favora5ly on the enterprise.
good many fine things were said in
platforms about the matter but when it
came TO putting the thing in practice
there were bitches of various sorts. Tie
honest truth was that patronage in hand
or hoped for in the immediate future
made the Washington atmosphere an
unhealthy one for this sort of thing. But
the idea mads more progress among folks
who staid at home than it did among
Legislators and others in political life.
There were things that folks did not Ike
about the plans proposed it is true. the
objections to d permanent official life that
might create distinct class of public
servants, and TO methods of selection
whereby bookish men might be preferred
to men of really better qualifications:
1t is idle to say that among thinking
people these objections do not still have
weight and that the way to do IL i, yet
thoroughly clear of all difficulties. But
the general conviction is iha. the object
in some way must be reached-that bust
ness qualifications and not party service
or favor shall be the reason of getting and
holding public employment. And like
Other movements in right direction this
conviction gets from year TO year more
power to get itself carried out. The anti.
slavery movement was helped by its
friends and helped by its foes and so this
one in favor of civil service reform has
gone forward not more by the arguments
oil It's friends than by the folly of its oppo-
nonl>. This last year Jay Hubbell of
Michigan helped it on u great deal by his
voluntary contribution" circulars to GOV.
eminent officers. The Contributions were
voluntary in various degrees; in some
cases entirely so, in others Just about as
much so as Mr. Hubbell's own contribution
III the performance to the advancement in
popularity of civil service reform.
1t is of no use to talk about these matters
with the idea that partisan service is Il new
thing brought into being by republican
administrations or by the democratic
administrations that Immediately preceded
the war. The federalisls had the govern
ment for the first twelve years AMI when
Jefferson became president in 1901 both
military and civil officers were by great
preponderence federal in politics Jeffer
son is reported to have said of these men
"but few die and none resign" and though
remoraIs were not as frequent then as in
later administrations appointments under
him and his immediate successors went
good deal by party favor.
This held quietly true till the more bold
and open announcement in Jackson's time
Of the principle that "to the victors belong
the spoils;" and for the last fifty years
this doctrine has held pretty full sway
in regard to minor Offices us well as the
greater administrative ones, in the latter
of which common consent is given 10 the
doctrine that they should be held by those
in accord with the party in power. When
the wings were in power their men, as Il
rule, got the clerkshps and postmaster
ships as we'll MS the sccretaryships, In
Folks, in Pierce's and in Buchanan's
time it was Il very cold day for demo
cratic applicant when he did not get in
and his political opponent get out. Be-
ginning with 1861 the administration of
the government has been in republican
hands, and certificate that one was "a
sound, reliable Democrat" has been com.
paratively worthless TO what it was
before.
Many republican leaders have had too
much faith in patronage and in the effoo,
that control of the offices would give in
elections and have held buck from any
hearty support of new system. Events
have occurred thai have Jared these
notions dreadfully. And those republicans
and democrats who have really believed
in the new way are taking advantage of
the time and trying to get legislation
based on the Pendleton bill through
congress this winter, And now comes up
IL very curious veriicalion of Il very old
saying
The Devil got sick, the Devil a monk would be;
The Devil got WELL the devil monk was he"
When certain set of republican leaders
were in power and certain they would So
remain they laughed and scoffed at men
like Mr., Curtis out of Congress and a few
like Mr.. Willard in congress As imprlcLi-
cables theorists and mlrplot5 generally,
d-tarbcrs of comfortable dotng' But
now THAI the republican fl'urr T., 81 NJ.
wat unctr tain some Of these II en- are
getting very monkish, though the grln
with which they do it is very perr,ptib C.
tDf II Il civil SClVlCc tClOIm ulGdSuIG WI II
UJmpetillve examinations and Il fixed ten
urc of Office should rass this winter it
would rather DIT fleet from its direct
course large train Of democratic Il HI 30
holders cxpectant who now hope to arrive
March 4. 1885 at tho pl .co they want to
get to- Thus the real or supposed sickne s
of the republican party helps toward tho
passage of such a bill.
On the other hand there has boon a good
deal of unguarded praise of civil service
rsform in democratic platforms and say
ings for some years. And sud l'n!y the
democratic party is become remarkably
robust and feels that it is getting @ ter
and better and it suddenly occurs to many
ofits chosen leaders that this little business
reform that has been praised By them or
their friends when the Independent vote
was wanted about election time is now
imminent and if it should become reality
it would keep out hundreds and thousands
of democrats from serving their country
in clsc of democratic success in 1884.
And straightway they are worried by th5
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