National Republican., 1882-12-28
THE M1LLrNN1uM SERVICE.
what We May Expect In the Oscar wilde
Future for the Departments.

what We May Expect In the Oscar wilde
Future for the Departments.
The passage of the civil service reform bill
by the senate yesterday after thorough discus
sion and ample amendment, warrants a
hopeful glimpse mt the future, though the
fate of the Blair amendment, with its Ed
munds' addition, will be regretted by those of
the transccndent kind. 1t is best to be thank
ful for what we can get--so far as the senate
can give it to us-but at least allowable TO
cherish hope for more. This bill may be
so amended IN the house as to exclude from
the departments those who use Intoxicating
drinks, as Mr. Blair would have it, and also
those guilty of any other immoral habit"
as Mr.. Edmunds suggested, in order to pre-
vent unfair discrimination. Should the
house fail to add these amendments,
then of course th9re is no other
hope but to wait for the demo-
Gratis to add them in the near future. 1t
was claimed, during the debate on the amend
ment, that these points were already covered
by the bill but when it comes to drinking in
toXicants and "any other immoral habits"
specification is absolutely necessary, and it
may be that it will be found impossible when
it comes to actual practice to enforce the bill
made perfect by the addition ofthese discarded
amendments. 1t will be necessary to establish
a smelling committee and moiety system
somewhat like that proposed by bill now be-
fore the house. Of course it could not reason
ably be expected that either of the three COM
missioners could afford, for the pitiful sum of
$500 year, to attend to the matter of
Spotting violators of the law governing de-
partment clerks. In this one matter of
finding out who had taken intoxicating drink
large salary would be required. 1t would
be an odorous as well as a dangerous duty.
D,,N ,a il.
ing for which we may not hope from the
measure now awaiting The action of the house.
The house is more persistent than the senate
in the work of amending bills, and this one
affords scope for amendment that will de-
light the reformers among the representatives
of the people, Some of them will not over
look the absence of these moral amendments.
With these we may look for service as much
better than any other " on the planet" as the
existing one is better than that in Alaska be-
fore the recent bombshell reformation. The
fact was developed in the discussion
yesterday that the poor drunkard and
the worse gambler had not friend
OH the floor of the senate. The amend
ment was lost on the theory that the drunk
ard aud the gambler is already excluded from
the departments, OF certainly will be by the
bill without the amendment. The represen-
tatives are supposed to be nearer the people,
and they are known to be nearer the con-
gressonal hotel, but this will not help the
drunkard and the gambler Theirs is a con-
stituency not represented with sufficient
ability to keep them in the civil service
They must go. In this sweet by-and-by,
we can seem to see, while standing ON this
beautiful shore of the Potomac, u procession
of the vicious as they leave Washington. But
few can stay when this time of civil service
purgation shall come. The drinkers can
not open barrooms without customers,
,,,I Al,n hntal l,.n5 11INln
for the heeting and transitory drunkards
who fail TO get office and celebrate their
failures. 1t may be that Hancock and some
of the real old settlers can hold on by moving
up nearer the capitol, but the drinking estab-
| lishments about the departments will give
| place to patches of sunfowers and lilies while
the banks that now flourish by discounting
the salaries of immoral clerks will become
banks of asphodel; Abner's garden will fall
with beery 5tagger, and in its place will
spring up a garden of liesperides, with milk
and honey and angels food for the Postotiice
and Interior department employees, While the
veterans of the War office will be reduced Tor
promoted) to revelry among the art in the
gallery across the way. The gamblers will
repair to Analostan island and eat each other,
with the tlavOring extract of an occasional
sojourning fool and those, with "other i'm
moral habits" will join the procession and
move to that South American country where
monument to Washington is but just begun
| [See yesterdays dispatches The happy
elect will gather in the departments with
sweet breaths and pockets full of money Sc
cure from the rapacious grabbers of per
cent, while he serves his country and per-
mits his party to go to the devil. Let us have
no parties. To be partisan should be
counted one of the unspecifed
4" immoral habits" in the Edmunds's
list. The ladies will not imperil their places
| Il, nj
them may need two or three; but they can
well afford them when saved from the above
mentioned rapaciOus assessment collection
| Then, of course, no senator or member ol
congress will ever be seen about the depart
ments. His influence will not be worth q
blank, anyhow; and so, of course, he need
expect no favors from anyone-cabinet officer
or cOpyist. When he wants information he
must send n page or secretary with such Ger
tificate of moral character as will admit hin
TO these untaintCd precincts without danger o
ombittering the creatures who dwell
in an atmosphere of sweetness ant
light, at remuncrative salary nnt
without personal or party embarrassments
millions to pay commissions but not "A cen
to save Virginia" shall be the standing rule
in the treasury elevator and the vicious
clerks can turn democrats and revel ON thu
other side of the river JackstraWs Will b'
elevated, and poker even with beans, sen
with other immOralities across the river, to
beans have Il money value and to win or los
them is to gamble. The reform should b
carried to the damn TO be made perfect. awe
Chicago Judges may hold that damn
is nothing but "violent adiec
tive" and neither profanity nor an i'm
moral habit" us in the telephone suit decided
yesterday, but transcendental commission
of three could never let damn slip past Al
examination. With this, the service woul'
he perfect. Itall now depends upon the hous
to restore these essential amendments, an,
while everybody is waiting the drunkard
, and the gamblers and those with "other i'm
moral habits" will have ample time TO So
themselves all nicely reformed and ready 10
the new dispensatiou, for Mr.. Blair will hay
all rules apply to those now in office.
Star Route Witness Fees.
Mr., Hill yesterday introduced in the sen
ate thy reuuCSD a hill granting to witnCsgC