Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-03
Clean sween Needed.

A careful and trustworthy Washington
correspondent writes that ''sOme Of those
now controlling the machinery of the
government are just beginning to realize
that a rigid system Of reform is needed IN
the management OF public affairs. Inc
new year will therefore be ushered III Dy
good resolutions in abundance, promises
of strict economy, and a cry OF general
reform throughout the public service.
In the Treasury Department the rules
and regulations recently adopted will be
more rigidlv enforced. An immediate
dismissal will follow the emplOye who vio-
lates in the slightest degree any ofthe COM
mandments so cOnspicuOusly displayed
ON large sheets Of cardboard in the yarl-
Gus rooms and Railways. Secretary LIN
coin has also caught the reform fever.
He proposes to put in force throughout
the War Department a set of rules and
regulations which will make the lot Of a
War Department clerk worse than that Of
the policemen in THE Pirates of Pen
zance." The Interior, Navy and Post
Office Departments, however, will be con-
Quoted as heretofore, which is likely TO
prove satisfactory TO the employees, If not
so beneficial to the government"
This programme, if it were not the con-
sequence of the drubbing the "grand old
party received in November, might be
cheering. and, if sincerely executed, might
encourage the people to believe that the
problem of civil service reform, as set by
those who are wont to pirate of it, might
II In I'm
troll the departments. No mention is made
Of the State Department, presumably be-
cause the elegant retinue that fit grace
fully around the more elegant Freling-
huysen are individually above criti-
cism. Yet, it may be fairly suspected,
that the custodians of State secrets
and the functiOnaries that assist our So
called Premier to draw his comfortable
salary would probably be more efficient
if their number were curtailed and their
leisure somewhat abbreviated. Mr.. Fol-
ger has good reason to be impressed with
the necessity of reform, and his colleagues
could well concur with him in set
ting about the work. But reform at the
hands of Mr.. Arthur's councillors, i'm any
other than Pickwickian sense, would be
exceedingly unexpected.
For that practical politician. Mr.. Viii
liam f. Chandler, to pose as martinez
and make matters unpleasant for the
''boys' would be impossible. That the
Interior Department, and particularly the
Indian Bureau, will stand vast amount
of improvement was demonstrated by the
eminent Mr. SchurZ: but for Mr.. Teller to
attempt to excel his able predecessor would
be bO0tless, and, like a sensible man, he
manifests no disposition to make the eff
fort.
Mr.. Frank HattOn is young man who,
apparently, doesn't scare much, and, bar
ring some possible hidden cOunterparts to
recent performances of Messrs. Brady IL
Co., the prOteges of the venerable Mr..
Howe probably are not the worse tor the
leisure they manage to secure. At any
rate, Mr.. HattOn, who appears to be the
virtual chief of the department, is not
likely to speedily essay the role of re-
former, save in the direction of getting rid
Of Democratic POstmasters.
The pirate of the Republicans about re-
form is supremacy ridiculous. They are
perfectly willing to make the path
to official favor arduous for future
applicants, but the placemen in
office, whose conduct has shocked the
Schurzes and Curtises and the whole band
of minor civil service reform apostles,
are to keep ON drawing their salaries as if
they were models of prObity, efficiency
and excellence generally. The only step
the ''grand old party can take in the way
of reform is to 90 out of bust
ness. That it refuses to do, and it rests
with the people to take the course adj
vised by blunt old CerrO GOrdO Will
liams: 'Elect an honest Democrat Presi-
dent, turn on the hose, give him a good
hickory broom and let him sweep out the
dirt" The only remedy is a ''clean
sweep"