The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-01-24
Written for The Spirit OF Democracy }
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Effect of Its Reformation on Office.
Seekers.
WASHINGTON Cry, dan, II, 1889.


zesIou, pArtisans that their apprehen-
sions are almost, If not quite. ground
less. This narrow view Of the suhjecl
shuts out OF present consideration any
to show that TO reform the
civil service is right, and thai to do
what is right can iujure no party that is
not itself wrong. Nor would it be quite
in order here to urge the force of Mr..
PENDLEroN's admirable aphorism "The
business Of fifty millions Of people must
be transacted by business men on bus
ness principles."
inviting as such field NAV be- we are
now tethered to the question, how will
the reformation OF the civil service ef-
feet the trading politician and profess
sionsl offc seeker. For, he il kept we'll
in mind, the reform sought is solely the
eradication Of the more fagrant abuses
of the present system. The very essence
of the reform is to improve the facilities
of worthy, competent men for obtaining
appointments. and 10 rendA- il more dif.
bcult for un~orthy men to obtain them ::
TO give the faithful and efficient some Sc.
curitv for reasonable tenure Of Office.
and to weed out the unfaithful and inef-
ficient. In other words. the interest Of
the people who pay for the service is to
be treated as paramount to the selfa
interest OF the otfice-seeker or Of the
appointing power.
II would doubtless he un Just to these
anti-reformers TO assume that thev de
sire the abuses to remain for the purpose
of employing them when the power shall
return to the Democrats that they want
the Offices to come into the hands OF the
Democratic party as assets with which u
pay Liabilities for the dirty work done
for political wire-pullers and bosses. o
course such an assumption would be un-
just, therefore they must be taken at
what they publicly say: tina, the eatab-
lishment, while the Republicans are in
power, OF thorough reform in. the
methods of appointing otficsrs would
leave an un1ue proportion Of Republi
cans in Office. -.
IL this were admitted it might be an
swered with COOL deal Of force that il
done while the Dem ,crats we're in % wer
it would leave an undue proportion ol
Democrats in office Therefore, if the
objection be sound, reform alton coult
never be established; ami therefore ht
politicians would continue through al
future ages to yell for civil service re-
form in their platforms and stun;
speeches, and would continue to how
against it everywhere else. Not one o
these anti-rerormers would be satisfied
with his party platform if the reform
plank we're left out OF it. He think, it
holy thing in hsrrsngus, but an afro
cious thing in statute. A good man,
good people, on the contrary, are grow
ing weary of these monotonous promi
ses put in platforms, to be monotonousl'
disregarded when the campaign is ended
and are growing eager for what Old BILL
ALLEN called "accomplshe facts"
But the force of the objection referred
to is not to be admitted except as feeb
in the beginning, and Of short duration
No system Of reform now pending p-n.
poses to interfere with the few hundre5
Offices which have t, do with party prin
ciples or administr alive policy. E,c'
party is to be left as free as now to pro
mote its own measures by Legitimate
means. 1t is the ninety and zine thou
sand minor off ;es that are to be with
drawn from the market as comm )dilie
with which TO pay rogues for roguery
President HAYES might with compare
tive impu nifty appoint score of Louisi
ana cul prits to minor places, but h
would not have dared to offer one O
them a place in his Clbinat. 1t is thes,
minor places these places too often O.
fered as rewards Tor rascalty-that there
is crying need to have pacal on {
more honorable basis.
But, persist the a,ti-reformers, event
minor Offices only are effected, too man,
of these wohld be left with Republican
incumbents when the Democrats com
into power.
Ah! When the Democrats come into
power! But when will they come into
power if the patronage of q hundre,
thousand offices continues to be employ
| against them?
| Prostitution Of patronage beat the
Democrats in 1876.
Prostitution of patronage beat thu
Democrats in 1880.
Prostitution of patronage beat th'
Democrats In the late election in Vr
ginis.
i In 1884 what3 Will leaving the pat
ronage to be prostituted contribute to
Democratic victory in that contest
May it not, after all, be with the Demo.
Gratis merely q question as to whether
tthey will have part of these Offices OF
none of them This is worth thinking
twice about.
Now let US suppose that the reform is
effected, and that the Democrats succeed
to power. The major officers Will be
filled by true and tried Democrats; the
minor offices will be filed by faithful
and efficient men; the country will be
prospering gloriously, and The only thing
to mar our happiness will be that too
many Republicans will be serving the
Government.
But how many Republicans in Office
are "too manv." IT any one maintains