The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-29
Civ,l-service Reform.


AS was stated yesterday in our telc-
graphic columns, the Senate on Wcdnes-
day, by vote approaching unanimi'y,
There being onlyiivc negative votes. passed
biIl intended TO effect desirable reforms
in the civil service OF the United States
Government. or course the bill viii be
amended In the House OF Representatives
and returned TO the Senate; and We shall
not DC surprised II 1t Is thrown backwards
.md forwards between the two bodies, ike
4, sbuttlcccck. and fails TO become law.
The Democrats csnnot he very anxious TO
PASS a law, as Governor BHowN would say,
10 exclude all Democrats from Office ! ana
the Republicans never manifested any de-
sire for civil-scrvicc reform unit! they had
bocn varucd by the people in November
last that the next President Of tie United
states was to be Democrat.
Certainly reform in the civil service Is 4
dcsidora;um. The present state OF The SER
vice is deplorahle. Men arc rewarded with
tho peoples Offices Tor services rendered to
syarty. incompetent persons are appointed
jnsie,1 o. competent ones; and appointed,
not In The interests OF the country, but to
,,essc congressman and other influential
persons. Icn paid by The Government,
nomnally 10 perform important duties. are
allowed to be absent from their posts Tor
weeks at q time. electioneUing for the sue
sc-s OF the candidates OF the party whose
continuance in power is indispensable 10
their continuance in office. One senator
sid recently indicate that there were
seventeen hundred unnecessary appcn'ees
now on the rolls OF the Treasury Depart
,oet;i--aN OF them in Washington, we
think. But i. is useless 10 go into details
On Ills subject. since everybody knows
fha: Tie civil service is in condition which
H. well calculated TO discredit republican
government in the eyes OF the people OF The
world.
The practical question remains. Is it
within the power OF Congress to iraiacahy
law which will remove these evils! 1,
docs not appear to lis that the bill Just
pssscd by the Senate, or auy other bill, can
have The desired effect, so long as the Fed
crnl Constitution remains rs 1t Is. 1.-The
.soyers sought TO lie conferred by this
hin'; arc, in The words used by Mr.. CALL,
of Florida, but used irtcrroga.ively by
him, "entircly anIagonistic and des;ruc-
i've o' that portion Of the Constitution .
mich vests in the Executive department
OF the Government the sole control
a. It's Offices. II it is true, aS Mr..
Cail says, that every executive place
l. an Office in the sense Of the
Constitution and confided by the Con-
stifuiiap to the care OF The Executive,
then lis not in the power OF Congress to
take AWAY from The President the right to
sppoin. whom he will to Office, nor the
right 10 remove whom he will from Office,
exc.pt of course that Congress has the
constitutional power to vest the appoint
lncnt OF certain inferior Offices in the
courts or the heads Of departments. But
The moment Congress vests the appoint
ment OF these inferior offices in the courts
or the heads OF departments, these courts
and heads Of departments will possess as
10 these inferior offices the same power
which the President possesses rs to the
-oller Offices; and so il would appear that
there is an absolute necessity that the Con-
Sfiiulon shall be amended in order TO ena-
Die Congress TO pass such Law as the
country needs and demands.
We arc apprehensive that ii tic bill DC
pa-sad by both houses OF Congress, the
now law, like the one which was passed
whilst General GEAsT was President oil TIC
United States, wiz soon lapse into oisusc
nobody even trying to enforce it.