Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-12-19


measure of Democratic reform asunderstood
by the majority of the party. Senator
Voorhees, is not polite, but he is at least
candid in the expression of his opinions.
He believes that to the victors belong the
spoils, and he has the profound contempt
of the veteran politician for the new ideas
of reform and bipartisan off ;ial service.
Senator Sherman made speech on the
same day which forms an agreeable con-
trast to that of Mr.. voorhees,. Senator
Sherman has been at the head OF depart
ment, and therefore he knows from per-
sonal experience the vices and defects of
the spoils system. And thus speaking from
personal experience he declared that he
favored three charges in the civil service
First, the taking away of the power to
"select employees by favoritisn, and the
"passage of law that admission to the
"service should be secured by competitive
examinations open to all. Second, the
prohibition of removals except for cause
"Third, the prohibition of political assess.
"ments, without interfering with the right
"of officials to contribute voluntarily for
Legitimate political purposes. And it is
apparent that these three changes would
result in complete and lasting reform,
not merely of the civil service, but of
existing political methods. Senator Sher-
man is of opinion that removals with
"out cause would be very rarely made if
"the pressure Of Senators and Representa-.
" tive for appointments in the executive
departments was stopped" There can
be no doubt that this is true. So long as
Senators and Representatives retain the
power Of compelling appointments, they
themselves will be unable to resist the
pressure put upon them from without, nor
can they be expected to refrain from MAX
ing the utmost use of the great power
which the patronage puts in their hands.
OF course also the evil of making appoint
ments without cause is quite as great as
that OF making removals without cause.
While the departments are allowed to be a
species of political bank upon which Sen.
ators and Representatives can draw for
funds wherewith to prosecute their per-
sonal schemes of ambition, it is unreason.
able to expect that this bank will net be
made use of.
The only way to abolish the abuses OF
the civil service is to take away the pat
ronsge from Congress completely. And it is
not enough to establish competitive exam.
nations if that power is allowed to exist,
for in this case the examinations will be
evaded or made a mere farce OF, and the
spoils system will flourish under the shell.
ter OF sham reform. But if the Senators
and Representatives are absolutely prohib.
tied from making any recommendations for
employment, and if at the same time ex.
aminations are established, and if then re.
moyal without cause be put an end to, the
| problem will be solved. Nor is there any
other or less radical way to solve it. Con
gress must be compelled to keep its hands
off the departments, and the only way tt
do that is to abolish patronage altogether
Then every man who spends time or money
in assisting candidates for Congress will
know that he cannot bs paid in offices
and every candidate will at once be re
lieved from the intolerable embarrassment
of pledges and promises not one-third o
| which ever are or can be redeemed. O
course it is very hard thing for any Con
gress to bring itself to such work O
thorough-going reform but perhaps tn
Republicans in the present Congress are il
q better position as regards this matter
than ever before. For many of them ar
abou. to retire from public life, at least 10
a time, and therefore they have no person
interests to keep them from doing right.
Meantime it is apparent that the Ameri
can people will insist upon as radical
reform as Senator Sherman has outlined
and that if the present Congress fails t
introduce it, ard the Democrats next yea
cannot bring themselves to it, the Demo
cratic party will be repudiased in 1884
Thia certainty is seen clearly enough b,
the more intelligent and unsolfish anon,
the Democrats, and therefore they deplor
aud deprecate such foolish snd dangerou
speeches as that made by voorhees, las
Saturday. Bat it has always been tn
bane Of the Democratic party that it
better elements cannot control it. AL
they can do is to point cut the way i
shonid go but will not, and in doing tbi
they only emphasize the contrast betwee,
its precept and practice. Purifying tn,
service By turning out every Rspublica,
and putting in Democrats, is the ceutrs
and favorite idea of the average Demo
cratic politician, and it is very greatly I,
be doubted whether the hunger for spoil
viii not, when the time comes, upset an.
overwhelm every other consideration.
AS to the present motives of the Repub
licana in urging reform, they cut 20 fiyur
in the case. It is doubtless true that th,
November elections have had yer,
quickening effect upon these reform in
pulses, but when the country comes t.
balance the merits and demerits of the tw,
parties, it will assuredly accord praise t,
the organization which made a serious
effort to introduce these changes, and i
will as certainly blsms the organization
which appears to be doing its best TO pre-
vent the reforms demanded. The Denc
Gratis in fact cannot afford TO follow Senate,
voorhees, in this matter, and because o.
their own frailty they cannot afford I,
appear to be opposed to Republican efforts
al reform, seeing that II they themsslye,
had the Government altogether in thei
hands they would in all probability prov,
incapable of effecting any changes bu
those which the Indiana Senator ha.
recommended. It is hard trial for them