Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-07
a CIVIL SERVICE REFORM oPPoR
TUNITY.

That the public sentiment has under
gone a most encouraging change in regard
to the reform of the civil service, in the
past two yeara, is patent TO the most casual
observer. What was but a forIorn hope
when the Civil Service Reform Association
was organized, is now legion, and saving
aud excepting the machine politicians and
bosses, may be said TO embrace q ma
jority Of all the people. The reform
has taken shape in a Congressional
act and the appointment OF com.
mission, and both the great parties
are pledged to its support, Even the po-
litical hacks have given in unwilling ad-
herence to the new system, but are secretly
its enemies, and will do, as they are doing,
all they dare to bring the experiment into
disrepute Here in Sacramento to-day
there presents an opportunity for the test
of sincerity in this matter on the part of
the Washington authorities. There is
reason to believe public expectation will
be realized and the principles of the
reform applied. This Journal would
not be trde to its constant course in
this matter were it to fail to declare that
the vacancy in the office of Postmaster of
Sacramento should be filed by the appoint
ment of John a. Lewis. For about twenty
two years he has been an attache
of H., aaI Gov Aka las
years chief Assistant Postmaster, and dur
ing the greater portion of that time the
real Postmaster. In short, the subordinate
has, at mesger salary, been the working
hand of the officials at the higher. The
late incumbent prominent and respected
citizen, now deceased, himself recognized
advocate for tbs promotion of his assistant,
in whose favor he was about TO gesign, and
whose knowledge and experience have been
relied upon for over twenty years, and
whose activity, honesty, fidelity and I'M
questioned ability earned for him long
since the right to promotion. What does
civil service reform mean and promise?
1t means the application to the Govern
msnt service of the came rules that obtain
IN weil-regulated private business. It
promises death to the plumber system; it
guarantees the effective performance Of
public work. The "spoils' practice, on the
other hand, means paralysis for honest
ambition in the civil service, for it places
the subordinate forever at the nercy of
caprice. L holds out no incentive to the
subordinate to make career it means
that he ia forever to remain drudge; it
means that he is to be the slave of polit-
seal chance and official within. The ten.
dency of this country is all toward making
the Government service national service,
for the people have arrived st last at
realization Of the truth that the "spoils
system gives no promise for the reform of
abuses, affords no guarantee of effectiveness
OF service; considers never that good be-
havior hss any relation TO tenure in Office,
and adds nothing whatever, like the pros
pect and hope of promotion, to the strength
of Government service. The people know
now that the "spoils advocates regard
the civil service as medium for drafts
upon the public purse in reward for
support given Congressman. What
business man is there in the community
but recognizes the fact that the removal of
trusted, long-seryiDg, competent servants
in the various governmental departments
is an injury to the public service? What
man is there but knows that the removal