National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-02
Concerning Policies.

Concerning Policies.
There is much talk in the press about
policies. Every head of a Department is
invested by enterprising journalism with
"a policy" whether he will or not. 1t
was President Grant who said he had
no policy TO enforce against the will
of the people" This was intended to
give assurance of some repose after the
stormy experiences of the johnson
policy" Policies have often proved to
be most impolitc What is a policy? Is
IL plan which must be determined on
theoretically and then applied practically,
no matter what breakage may occur ?
Such We understand to be the generally
accepted meaning of the word. Any
plan which does more than aim at a goal
and which is not capable of being
adapted to the circumstances that may
arise while it is being carried out is
s1nseless folly.
The true policy with reference to APP
Iointments to Office is to secure good and
true and capable men, and to have them
understand that they need not neglect
public duties to pursue Influence" for
their retention in place so long us they
behave well.
They ought to be made to feel that they
need not spend half their time in abusing
their party in order to save themselves
from removal to make room for blatant
place-hunters blowing the horn of civil
service reform. Never was the civil service
so dcmoralized as it was under President
al, -
employees were kept in constant doubt
whether on any given day "the machine"
or reform" was uppermost. The effort
to be partisan and non-partisan at the
proper times to suit the reform "bosses"
was an awful strain on men who could
not afford TO be turned out. There is no
fixed plan by which mans integrity,
capacity, adaptability, experience, afia-
bility, patience, and endurance can be
measured. The appointing power will
pursue the best policy by exercising the
ordinary rules under which men select |
partners, agents, clerks, and laborers, to
wit: some information of the character
and antecedemts Of the applicant derived |
through the testimony Of honorable men. |
Then we have lately had u "foreign
policy" What was it but series of |
theatrical effects? The United States |
we were told, must assert n guardianship |
over the poor little eve lambs known us !
the republics Of this Western Iemis-
phere. We were TO revive the manifest |
destiny" NJ nsense of the ante-war
period. With cur switch in hand we |
were to march up and down among the |
other American nations and cuff one and !
caress the other, rs a pedagogue does the
brats who cuugel their brains to escape
the cudgeling Of their persons. Mexico
was to be told by us how much of the
territory left 10 her by our war of con-
quest Of 1876 should be sliced off and
given to IA southern neighbor, Chill was
to be stopped ir IN despoiling Peru un-
less she would divide with Monsieur
Landreau. England was notified that the
Clayton-BuIwer treaty was in our way, in
terms so harsh that had she agreed with
our dashing Premier she could not have
said so without sacrificing her sclfre-
spect. And these antics were called
a policy. The only true policy of
q nation, as of an individual, is
10 attend to its own business, regard
the rights of others, jealousy defend its
own, be polite, obliging, and persuasive,
and make it the interest of others to buy
OF us and sell to us on the most favorable
terms. It's an unwse policy to claim to
be " the boss Of tine lanyard" or to get
reputation for staggering and clustering,
and drawing weapons on weak neighbors
70 compel them TO deal with other neigh
bors as we choose, for any purpose, to
dictate Our foreign policy of last sum
mer is no more. Its father mourns over
its untimely end. Uncle Samuel no
longer poses as the Bowery boy, with
trowsers in his boots, hat cooked to the
southeast, and cigar uptuncd, lie has +,
lost nothing in dignity or strength by
the change.
Then we hear of the Indian policy of
our new Secretary Of the Interior. Now, {
Secretary Teller is the last man to have
IL iayorite policy TO which facts must
bend. lie is of the West, Western. lie
has experience enough TO know that each
situation that arises must be dealt with.
He will use his past experience, his Z
knowledge Of the Indian character, and
his knowledge Of the Indian agent.
There will be no favored set of citizens
TO whom he viii delegate authority. lie
will have orderly, honest, and sensible
subordinates, Of no particular height, age
complexion, or religion. lie can be
trusted to elevate the character of the
Indian service, which is much needed.
He will endeayor to promote morality
and religion among the Indian tribes,
without allowing the Government to be
gwindled by wolves in Sleeps clothing,
who falsely profess religion because they