The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-03-01
THE CITTL-SERYTCE COMMLs-
SION.

Chicago Inter Ocean: In appointing
the three commissioners under the civil
service act President Arthur has given
assurance that he intends tbatthe expert
ment Inauguraled by that act shall have
u fair trial. No prescIence can forcaste its
practical operation. aud no doubt many
of its friends have grave doubts as 10 its
feasibility. Unforeseen difficulties and
perils will develop themselves in the
actual workings of any new scheme
| Notwithstanding the fact that the bill
passed the senate 10y large majority
aud the house without any opposition,
II is Mcil.knowH that its friends in either
house axere far from numerous.
Had congress been polled. jury fashion,
IL would have been found that very
many who voted for ii did
So under protest, either dis
trusting ita utility or being unfriend-
~ la IT'S spirit. The measure has for Its
object the overthrow Of the congression-
al spoils system, or at least q modifica-
tion of it. The people At large are not
at all confident that the object aimed at
will be- accomplished, but they very
generally sympathize with the object il
self, and sincerely hope thai the dawn
of new day is really breaking. OF one
thing the public may rest assured,
whether success or failure await the re-
salt, the test will be an absolutely fair
one.
The chairman of tue commission, Mr.
Eaton, is credited with being the real |
father Of the Pendleton hill. He Is II
native Of Vermont, graduate of the
university OF that state, and n member
OF the bar of New York City. He WAS
not widely known until he came 10 the |
front in the early stages Of the reform |
which culminated in the conviction of |
Tweed. 1t will be remembered thai the |
judges in that city, especially Barnard |
and Cardosa, became notorious for cor
rupt subserviency Ia the Tweed ring.
Justice was bought and sold with utter |
shamelessness. Receivers were appoint
ed, injunclIons issued, and the like, with
little regard To law or equity. There
never was u more scandalous bench.
Tie first step toward the overthrow of
the Tamnany ring of that period, some
fifteen years ago, was in the direction
of judicial reform, and DOTman b.
EaIon took the lead. To put
quieius upon him anu intimidate
others he was assaulted and brutally
dubbed. 1t was years before he re-
covered sufficiently To resume his place
as worker. In the meanwhile the
Tammany ring had been broken up.
Much of his time during convalescence
was spent in England, where he became
familiar with the British civil service,
and when he returned To this country
he Joined heartily in the movement for
the adoption of the policy of competi-
tive examinations for the public service.
He may not be great man and may be
theoretical, but lie has never
used the cry of civil service reform as
the cloak of hypocrisy. lie has stood
alOof from factiOnal poll.
tics in New York. and his sincerity can
not lie doubted.
Mr.. Eaton's associates on the commits
sion have neither of them been known
ls relormers. The Republican, Dr. ,
Gregory, is n practical educator of the
higher order and "A writer upon educa-
.ional topics; the Democrat, Judge
rhoman, is IL young man of some local
pFnmince in Ohio az n politician and
urist Senator Pendleton, the special ,
champion of the bill in congress, ST.
ccted him. Hia youth is certainly in
his favor. 1t is 10 Ike hoped that he is
not n Bourbon of the more propounced
sort, that he has so far outgrown the
Iacksonian Democracy as To have
some sympathy with the reform
to which lie is now tn sustain
such important official relations. DIR.
Gregory has lived for several years in
Illinois and been one of our more prOmi-
nent citizens without either Sinking
any duty or hecoming mixed up with
any lactional contest The public may
expect that he will address
himself To his new duties with the same
zeal, ability and practical good sense
which enabled HIM To so organize and
conduct in its early years the Illinois
Industrial UnivsrsiIy as to make it the
foremost institution Of the kind
in the country. The system GER
tainly starts out under peculiarly favor
able auspices, and ITS intrinsic merits
are sure of fair trial