The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-07-02

SENATOR BAYARp delivered a magnificent
Grafton at the centennial celebration of the birth of
Daniel Webster at Dartmouth College, Wednesday
The debasement Of the Civil Service has rarely
ceiyed more cogent and appropriate rebuke. The
Senator said:
system has grown Up. gradually, yet almost I'M
point OF growth and power that enables to overthrow
the main objects for which Constitution and laws
were established, and free elections by independent
popular choice for limited term of representative
men, and seeks to substitute system which enables
vested with Oncial power to that
power stepping stone for Its own perpetuatiun
and Advancement regardless ot all changes IN the
ditOn Of popular sentlment. This Is commonly
known as the "Spclls System, - and finds Its basis
upon the dogma that the Offices of government aren
stituted for the emolument and advantage Of the Of
ncia, and not for the public use and benefit. with
the growth of tho country and development of It's re-
sources the expansion of the Official corps has natur
ally followed, until to-day the Civil Service roll Of
the Federal Government contains oTer l0O 600 names
and directly and Indirectly connected with and de-
pendent upon them and the execution Of their powers
1t may be safely estimated there are i've times MS
many more. Under n system which dlsregards the
fact that public service is the great end Of ONCE hold
Ing, AMI which substitutes tile personal Interests Of
the incumbent for that of the public, indiydualnter
esls have organized under the name and forms Of po
ltChl parties, and compact and drilled machine has
been brought into existence, which, under
the rules Of party discipline has become a
''power behind the throne greater than the
throne itself, - and unknown to Constitution
any law, Is actually more powerful In controlling our
fined by law itself. The Impressive ndmsnltOns OF
Washington, repeated and renewed by Webster, fail
upon unheedng ears; for what the character and
| lives Of such men as Washington and Webster but
standing rebuke to the class OF elevated to
troll by the system OF official spoils2 These dangers
are, fortunately beginning to attract public atten
tiOn, and well calculated to excite public alarm
In less degree they existed In Mr. Webster day,
aud In 1882 he called public attention TO them IN
speech before the convention at Worcester. Said Ar
| Webster In February, 1885: at Is necessary to
bring back public officers to the conviction that they
tn thR Inn n m a
| or to any one man The Army Is tho army of the
country; the Navy Ia the navy Of the country;
| neither Uf them IL either the mere instrument
| Of the Administration for the time being, Of
him who is at the head OF II. The post ONCE, the
| land ofice, the custom-house, are, In like man
ner institutions Of the country established for the
good Of the people, and II may well alarm the lovers
Of free institutions, when All the Offices In these
era departments are spoken OF In high places as be-
Ing "spOils Of victory to be enjoyed by those who
successful IN contest, In which they profess this
graspng of the spois to have been the object Of their
| efforts. -
The evil IL deeply seated and dcult " extirpatlon
Its fatal consequences do not believe are oyerestI-
mated Overslatcd and Speeding not without praC-
ucal knowledge ot the eiect upon tue whole frame
work Of our Government In all of Its three great de-
partments aver my belief that unless an end shall
soon he put To the system by which at every election
ths Offices of the country are, TO use the words OF
| Webster, ''clalmed by the right Of party con-
quest, - and have that claim allowed, we VIII lose
even form Of government Of which, long before,
the substance VIII have disappeared. craftsmanship
Is impossible with men whose only thought and Occu-
| patton IL oflcal brokage. and who administer the
powers Of oicial patronage not by the measure Of the
| applicants character, ability fitness TO perform
the duties Of the place, but by his servlty and
| sCrupuOus devotion To the objects Of the political
conspiracy into which he has been admitted. 4" Never
forget - wrote Macaulay 10 his constituents when
leaving for india that the worst and most degrad-
Ing species of corruption Is the corruption which Op
| crates not by hopes but by fears.'' And In
Oce, under the spOils system, the trembling posses.
sor Is Induced to commit any act OF unmany seryiy
IN the fear that he VIII be dismissed. And for the
| same he does not disclose abuses going on
| around him, when TO do would subject MN to tn-
slant dismissal for tho good OF the party" The
operations Of such exciting hopes and fears upon
unprlnclpled and morbid mind has had lately fear
ml Illustration at which the nation s shudleTs: bu
who shall say that the utter decentralization and do
sTuction Of the better nature Of men by politics un
der the spOis system aid not hnd natural outcome n
| the murder-under a confusion Of hope and revenge
| concerning onCe-uf a blameess aud patriotic Pres
| dentY