Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-21
should Not be Made a Political Ma
chine.

should Not be Made Political Ma
chine
The present form OF District government has
now been on trial for four years. since July list,
lss and the general verdict is undoubtedly in its
favor. Despite some anomalies ami defects In the
system, and some fault-finding, occasionally just
against individual officials, the growth of opinion
has been steadily In its favor The feeling Is that
under this form OF government. District financial
affairs have been managed honestly, ana that
Washington, in Its charge Is rapidly becoming the
best paved and shaded the most orderly and
the handsomeSt and pleasanJest city in the
country. The growing confidence in the District
government has been shown by the good words
spoken In It's behalf In Congress, and by the con-
stanty increasing mljoritie5 given in that body
Tor District appropriations And Thoughts MAORI
ty-perhaps twO-thirds-Of the District officials
anc employees have been republicans, yet The gov
eminent has been run so little upon a partisan
gauge that IL has had the support and confidence of
ali parties In Congress- very import mt cOnSd-
Grafton in view of the close division OF parties in
both houses. In fact this non-partisan character
OF the District Government which has earned for
1t this general regard was distinctly guaranteed
on the occasion OF the passage the bill providing
for the cemmissionership form OF government.
Both houS s OF Congress, IL will be remem-
bered, were democratic, AMI objection
was made by the democrats to the provision CIV
Ing the appointment OF the Commissioners to the
President (Hayes) that he would make 1t partisan
board. Mr.. Garfield, on the floor of the House,
made the pledge that Ii the appointing power was
leftwita the President. the board OF Commissioners
should not be composed upon a party basis;
and President Hayes redeemed that
pledge in his appointments and
by fnstructing the Commissioners to avoid
anything like partiSlnShp In their course. This
Is as IL should be. The District OF Columbia is the
ward OF the nation. over which Congress (and not
any parity his exclusive control. II needs the
good will Of all parties, and it would be fatal to its
interests il its government should be made mere
machine In the interests OF one party and therefore
earn the hostility OF the other. This is fact that
needs serious consideration now that the air is
fun of reports OF a movement to reconstruct the
District government and all Its departments upon
straigHf-Out party footing This may be fun for
the political strikers who have nothing at stake
but the prospective spOil5, but will be death
to the interests OF the District people. Sup
pose the District government were converted
into political machine working in the inter-
est OF Malone in Virginia, or some
other political boss somewhere else, how long
would it be before Congress would withdraw its
backingof District finances and abrogate the agree
ment secured from it with so much labor to Shout
der one-half OF the District expenses? The tax
paying citizens and all interested in the prosperity
OF the city should give this matter Immediate con-
sldeTatiOn. The project is one threatening danger
70 them
The recent session OF Congress made provision
Tor the appointment OF something over 500 addi-
tional clerks in the various departments in this
city, most OF them for the adjudication and settle
ment OF pension claims. Many or the new appoint
mentS are OF permanent character, and ali OF
them VIII get several years lease Of official life as
Ii viii take at least that time to settle up the
pension claims In1eed the pension bureau will
be fixture in the government for a generation at
least The increase OF population brought here by
this large number OF new appointments viii be OF
material beneft to the city. 1t Is estimated that
the increase In the number OF CLERKS mlny Of them
bringing families here, will add 100000 TO the
general business or Washington, and that the effect
viii De felt very soon in real estate and in all
branches OF refill trade. These new appointments
caused very many promotions, and, as general
rule, in all the departments promotions were made
On merit In the State department the work of
every clerk Is carefully observed, and the recent
promotions were mainly determined by the records
mace. In the Treasury, while there is no pre-
tense OF regular civil service rules, and very little
examining done, past efficiency has mainly gov.
erned the promotions Ia the War department
promotions were based upon an examination of
the records and qualifications OF clerks In the
Patent ONCE promotions were made from the
lists OF merit made cut on the competitive
examinations held while Mr.. Schurz was Secretary
OF the Interior. In the Post OfIce department fit
ness and record formed the basis of nearly all the
promotions. Examinations were held ana only
those who stood the test were in line for elevation
TO higher grades. Thus it VIII be seen that those
who have been labOring for some years past to
Improve the civil service have not worked IN vain.
The people OF the country generally viii be glad
TO know that Admiral Nicholson has written to a
friend here denying the stories sent from Alex
andria touching his alleged ridiculous conduct
during the late bombardment OF that city, 1t
seemed hardly credible that any person in the
United States service could make such an ass of
himself as Admiral Nicholson was made out to be
by the reports referred 10. and a denial of them
seemed 10 be due to that gentleman himself as
well as to the people represented by him.
These statements having been denied, the 1ucs-
ton naturally arises: how much are the other
reports coming through the same sources in regard
&c events and affairs at Alexandria worth? All
the news coming from that quarter comes through
British channels and IS cOored TO advance British
interests. as THE STAR has heretofore pointed out
II the conduct OF the American feet has been mis-
represented, 1t Is therefore not unreasonable to
suppose that other Misrepresentation OF even
more moment have been made. 1t Is safe TO con-
cluie, any way, that the true history OF current
events In Egypt cannot be written until the
Egyptian side Of the case has been fully pre-
scented.
Mr.. Clarence Cook, who thinks nothing In art
can be good unless It has the stamp OF his ap-
prevail. Is now turning his attention to the archt
lecture or the country He says 1t is wholly bad
and he alleges, furthermore, that when we had
builders instead OF architects our archftacture
was FAR better than ii IS now. In other words I'm
his opinion, the more man knows about his bust
ness the less he is qualified TO carry It on II is
pretty clear that nothing viii ever be right In this
world until Mr.. Cook is placed in general charge
q ~ fafr
notion is that great mistake was made in not
getting him for consulting engineer at the beytn
ming OF things
Gen. Wolseley has advanced the English CAM
pagn In Egypt with all the expedition expected OF
him, and though his occupancy of the Suez canal,
closing il TO commerce and the world, may entail
more serious consequences than pecuniary liabiI-