National Republican., 1882-12-15

Mr.. Brown admitted that q better system OF
administration than we have had for many
years past ought to be inangurated, but he did
not believe that this bill would remedy the
evil. On the contrary, he believed, if passed,
IL would prove to be sham and would greatly
disappoint the popular expectation. He
had heard the British civil service COM
mended and held up as a model for us, but he
did not so regard it. In country where the
executive and the higher branch of the legis-
lature have Il hereditary right to office, It
was natural and consistent to have n civil
service with u life tenure; but such system
would be wholly inconsistent with the prin-
cples of our government, and, if it were
adopted, would tend to create distinct and
powerful class, supported out of the taxes of
the people--a sort of praetorian guard, who
might come in time TO control the destinies of
the Nation.
Mr. Hawley said that the right Of the ex-
ecutive to remove was left untouched by the
bill, and he did not understand how the
"prmtorian guard " could do much harm so
long as the President had right to take the
GUARD " by the ear and lead him out at any
time. Laughter
Mr.. Brown. Then what is the use of this
bill2 If it does not touch the power of re-
moval it is the sheerest humbug. If the peo-
pie demand civil-service reform what decep-
tion we practise upon them when we offer
them this measure providing no protection
for incumbents against removal without cause.
Again, in its pretense of filling the offices by
competitive examinations the bill was a
cheat, because it provided for filling only
offices of the lowest grade in this way. In
the higher offices in the departments there
were, he believed a large number of officials
who were unfit intellectually and morally for
their places. They were not to be disturbed,
but whenever one of the lowest clerkships
became vacant then competition might come
10, of do IN nra tho biUbnr Oralpg
of office to competitive examination, lest too
many democrats should come in; and there
fore this bill provided that these higher
vacancies should be competed for only by the
persons now in Office in the departments, re-
spectively-thatis, by republicans. Now, said
Mr.: Brown, propose to do q little plain talking
to democrats. The republicans have had the
offices for the last twenty-five years con-
secutively. Latterly an avalanche has swept
over the country, carrying with it the strong
| est condemnation of the practices OF that
party. 1t is true that it was in an off year,
but prudent republicans see that unless the
democrats are guilty of some great fault on
some important question there can be but
! little doubt that the next president of this
republic will be democrat. My fellow
democrats how do you goin into that campaign
| Suppose you put in nomination the gentleman
from Ohio Mr. Pendletonl, or the gentleman
from Delaware [Mr. Bayardl, or any of the
other distinguished gentlemen who have been
named for the place, and go before the demo
handicapped, inasmuch as all the higher offices
are already disposed of. Disposed of how?'
the people will ask, and you will answer that
the republican party has had the Office:
for twenty-five years. and, seeing the
probability of change of admins
tration, has hedged and passed upor
us q civil-service bill that democrats have
bpln to cnf hot 1pfOoprnts bp
into the higher offices even if we do sue
ceed in carrying the election. If there is {
vacancy in any of the clerkships of the lowe1
grade democrats can compete, but for any o.
the higher vacancies that may occur the re
publicans already in Office are to compete will
each other, and there is no chance for demo
crat. What effect do you think that announce
ment will have on the spirits and energy witt
which the democrats will go into the mex
campaign? You must remember that in
| free republican government like this mel
fight for office as well as for principle, and i
you deal with the democrats of the country IL
that way you must not expect them to entel
the campaign with spirit or energy. But, i
is replied, that the democratic candidate vii
not be likely to meet so strong an opposition
from the republicans in Office if we pass thi
bill. / have no faith in their arguments
Those men are mostly strong, Jealous repub
lcans, and they believe that their part.
has sort of divine right to con
troll the offices of this country. | see nj
reason why democrat should vot
for this bill at this time, certainly not with
out an amendment to destroy the aristocracy
of republican otlice-holders that the bill pro
poses to establish. Why should any democra
vote for a bill which, while protesting to fill
the offices by competitive examination, pre-
vents competition by democrats for any of tn
Offices except the lowest on the list? Our re
| ,Nul1inop Friends In bn pnitp unoni imOu
now for the passage of civil-service reform
bill, but why has it taken them SO long t.
reach that point? They have been twenty
two years in power, and, deducting six year
for the war and the period of early recon
struction, they have had sixteen years Q
peace during which they have been free t
deal with this question. The humbuggery G
this business is shown by the way they hav
treated this question in the past. Some year
ago, when Gen. Grant was president, YER
good civil-service law was passed, providin
all necessary machinery for the work. !
commission was appointed under that lay
which did the best it could, but in shoI
time the thing became so much of mocker
that congress absolutely refused to appropri
ate. the salaries of the commissioners. Yo
will have to change the nature of our govern
ment before you will be able to carry out i
practice these fine-spun theories about civ
service reform. The doctrine that " to tn
T victors belong the spoils," may be coarse, Q
, the gentleman from Massachusetts says, but
is the one which has been practiced from tn
beginning of the government, and it will
practiced until the funeral knell of the goN
ernment is heard. Some reforms may be mad
of course, but, in the main, new eXecutiv
coming in backed by party which has Ion
been deprived of power, will find way to Civ
, his followers the benefit of the Offices or
; large proportion of them.
8 ,l,nNI INaN 1,INt,V
j measure prevent a democratic president when.E
comes in, from rewarding his followers?
Mr.. Brown. He will not be restrained from doin
) SO, and that shows the fraud and humougging
this measure. In practice it cannot amount
, anything.
Mr.. George. Then 1t is not fair to excite IL
prejudice of the democratic party against this hi
by arguing that its effect will be to prevent
democratic president from appointing demoera
tootfice.
Mr.. Brown Iargued that part of the proposiuo
on the theory of the advocates of the BILL If the
can carry out their policy that will be its efiec
t but say that you cannot do it, and therefore
enacting this bill you are worse than idle.
Mr.. George. II is the statute and not the theol
of its advocates tnnt is of force in this country.
Mr.. Brown. In fact, 1t is the practice of tho
0 who execute the statute that is in force in tn
, country.
4 Mr.. Brown here read some extracts fro
the letters of President Jefferson, whose do
f trine in regard to removals from office W
T. often, he said, misrepresented, and In
' special emphasis upon Jcfersons words in I
{ gard to certain otliceholders who opposed hi
= actively: "Seell them; mark them be su
i of your ground, and leave the rest to me
= This, he said, would be the practice of al
: president elected by party out of powC
n Leaving the partisan view Of the matter, NJ
S Brown argued that the pending bill was u
IL IL