The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-01-17
CIVIL sERYICE REFORM.
Senator Williams of Kentucky Blunt
Way Of Dealing With it.

ten or fifteen years about civil service
reform, but we have had no reform.
Much has been written and spoken on
the subject, but there has been no prog
ress in anything except progress in
abuse Of power, until the evil has be
come positively scandalous, and the peo-
pie have at last risen up in revolt against
1t, and they have come like an army |
with banners to take THAR government |
out of the hands of the unworthy SER
wants who have debauched and disgraced
it until it has become a bywOrd and a
reproach among the nations.
! have seen since have been in the
Senate no proposition that seemed to me
to be practical at all except the one made
by my colleague the other day. That
proposition is good 50 far as it goes. 1t
strikes upon the main roots of this abuse.
1t proposes TO punish by fine and impris-
onment all public officials, be they great
or little, who shall permit or encourage
the payment of or receive any money
or property for electioneering purposes.
But what do we see on the other side?
We see this antagonized by the Repub-
lican party, who are now particularly
Jealous for the reform Of the abuses
which they themselves have introduced.
They have hitched on to it for the pur-
pose Of dragging it down by joining to-
gether subjects which have no connec-
ton whatever in the public service.
1t does seem 70 me that our whole
system is antagonistic to anything like
the establishment Of permanent Offices
in this country, or making distinct
class Of oiiiceh0lders, for that would in
yolve the necessity Of having a civil pen
sion list as well as one for the soldiers
disabled in the army.
Why, Mr.. President, the difference be
tween a monarchy and republic is sim
! ply this, that in monarchy all the
Offices are fixed and permanent; in a
republic they are held. at the will and
pleasure Of the people. In monarchies
the kings and nobility are all hereditary,
the Church is established, and the Offices
are held permanently by favored class,
who are paid for their services as long
as they are able to render duty, and
when they cannot they are pensioned
Every oflicehoder in monarchy is q
pensioncr. In republic the offices are
held at the will and pleasure Of the PEG
pie, who are the source Of all power
They can remove and they can appoint
and the only security the people have
in republic for fidelity in the discharge
of public duty is the amenability of theil
servants to them.
Rotation in Office, change, is an abso
lutte necessity. Our whole system alb
hors perpetuity, Rotation and change
the frequent examination of the ser
wants accounts, and the frequent re
moyal of the servant himself, is an essen
tial element to secure perpetuity O
free institutions. Is it not SO? Are tn,
people for making offices permanent, 70
establishing caste of ofliceholders il
this country and shutting everybody
else out? Have they not right t
change the officers? Why, sir, il
monarchies and military government
title and rank are everything, but in re
publics, Offices and public employment
are the badges of honor and distinc
ton, The high places in the Govern
ment are reserved by the people as &
special reward of merit for the most dis
tinguished ability and the most eminent
public services, and the small Offices are
of equal Importance to the smaller men
A little Gonsulship or clerkship is quite
rs important to man who holds il as
Il seat in the Cabinet or foreign mis-
sion is TO the great man.
There has been great deal Of nonsen
steal talk about this bill. tell you, Mr.
President, the bill before us amounts tC
nothing. Ii lis all fox fire and no more
1t can do no good, and may he produe
tive of great harm, Why, sir, the only
reform, the surest way to reform thai
we can possible have, is tol put decent,
honest men into the places Of the Gov
eminent, and let them bring the Govern
ment itself back to the precepts and
practices Of its earlier and better days
These are my views. Our civil service
would not be a bad one if it was honest
ly and fairly administered. 1t is not OF
the patronage, of the power of the Pres
ident that the people complain; it is 81
the abuses of both. 1t is not that the
President appoints his friends to posi-
tons, but il is that assessments have
been made for the purpose of raisin.
a corruption fund to debauch the peopl,
at the polls. II is that the patronag,
has been farmed out to great bosses il
the States, to be used in their own inter
est, or for their party in controlling tn,
elections in their States. 1t is agains
bossism that the people have revoltcd
There can be no doubt about it.
Suppose you put it to your constituents
Mr.. President. l should like to see tn,
Democratic member of Congress, if W,
had the power, who would vote for bill
the effect of which would be, when tn
Democrats come in in 1886, toprevent tn
turning out of any man now in office 0
these old fellows that have been ther
these long years. Suppose he wen
home and told his constituents that, il
order to keep them out Of temptation
and for the purpose Of better civil ad
ministration, he had voted to make thes
offices all permanent, voted against turn
ing anybody out or putting anybody in
how many votes do YOU think he woul,
get in his DISTRICT He would be hoote,
out in month. He would not get
vote. The people think, and SO do
that whatever party is in power has tn
right to put its friends in. think tina
the people believe that, and it is right
and the idea of passing a law to stop i