New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-14
spirit of wanton aggression and reckless ad-
CIVIL sERyICE REFORM OBSTACLES.

| CIVIL SERVICE REFORM OBSTACLES.
| The Civil Service Reformers will need to look
very sharply after their Democratic associates,
| about these days. Circumstances have made
many of the Republican politicians shade
more Jealous than they used to be. But be-
fore the relormer can fairly congratulate him.
self there appear omens of Democratic defec-
ton. Senator Brown, of Georgia, for instance,
seems to have the sympathy of many backslld-
ers, when he publicly declares that he Is not
quite sure whether reform is necessary" until
| 10000 or 100000 Republicans have been
eliminated to make room for the patriots who
| hope to elect the next President.
This is really painful. Devoted reformers
| have, of course placed their main reliance upon
Democratic politicians and editors. For did
not those editors most Indignantly expose and
| dcnonnce all the inquities of an unreiormcd
| Civil Service year after year Did not those
| politicians pass the most piOus resolutions
| about the absolute necessity of rising above
party and purging the Civil Service of abuses
| And then the Democratic Congressman, how
| fierce they were to get sOmsthing done sud-
| denly, pIioI to last November 1t was a cold
| day for reforrners when Democratic Congress
men did not offer an average of one and three
| eighths Civil Service Reform bills per hour,
| and ask leave to print five aud one-half clo-
a1eDt and convincing speeches. If the whole
| business has not been reformed five times
already, since President Lincoln was elected, 1t
is not because the Democrats have been lack
lug in anxiety on the subject. And after all
this, to hear a Democratic Senator seriously
propose, as a condition precedent to any reform
whatever, to turn out $4,000 or more faithful
servants of the country, who know perfectly
well how to draw their salaries, must be shock
ing to every reforming heart.
But this Is a world of cOmpensatiOns. The
sincere refOrmer has the satisfaction of know
ing IA little more about the Democratic party,
since November z, than some reformers seemed
TO have learned by quarter of II century OF
experience before that interesting date. Then,
too, there are Republican. recruits. Men who
came to SCOT have stayed to pray-for the pass
age of a bill without delay. Quite the most
touching and beautiful Case Of PentecOStal con-
version ever witnessed in modern times is the
change of heart since November 7 in the per-
sons appointed by President Arthur. 1t is
hardly necessary to say that nearly all of these
gentlemen. being taken from the 5000 OF
of darkened minds on the subjec; of Civil Ser
vice Reform, when they we're appointed aud
previously. Nor was there manifest among
them any general turning from sin after their
appointment, until certain election returns we're
published last month. Then these gentlemen,
with amazing and glorious unanimity, suddenly
perceived the beauties OF the great Reform at
which they had scoffed. 1t was borne in upon
them that any Republican party that could
elect a President III 1884 would not be an
Arthur party, and that the prospect tor the
election OF any Republican was not very bril-
liant. Instantly they embraced the doctrine
That the only true way to reform the public
service is 10 secure officials in their places, and
protect them from removal many of their
predecessors had been removed, IOr partisan or
personal reasons. Now, t is delightful to see
the zeal of these new CONVERTS IN preaching the
blessed truth that those who are IN ought not
to he put out.
The reformer who conceves that the world
can be remade by act of Congress, as he gazcs
at StalwaIt conversion, may forget Democratic
detection and cherish hope. He may have
doubted whether any Congress composed of
human beings, IN the present unregenerate
state of our &c ard of Con ress, could be eX-
pected to vote that the men who are IN Office
should stay there, except at IL time when the
majority of members apprehend the election OF
Il hostile President. In such an emergency as
we now observe, members on both sides may
see several things i'll new light. But the re-
former has difcu ties even now. Whatever
Congress can enact the next Congress can re-
peal, and a future Congress might have a Pres
ident after its own heart. Nor should the
peculiarly acephalUus condition of the present
majority be forgotten. Here are two-thirds of
the members sitting with their heads III the
waste basket How can a majority DO eX
pected to vote that the men who are In office
shall stay in Virtue might reach that lofty
pitch if ever Democratic Congress should
see all the offices filled by Democratic Pres-
dent whose sands of life had nearly run out.
But this Congress is morally weakened by the
fact that the Democrats, its most yOciferouS
retormers, have sight bat not taste OF iatness.
With all the Offices filed by Republicans, their
virtue is positively asphyxiated. An up
springlng of reform seed in Congress like this
makes one think of the seeds that tell upon
SONY places, which forthwith sprang up
because they had no deepness of earth" IT
this Congress is not stony place for Civil
Service Reform, it would be hard to find one