Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-03
(Philadelphia Press }
Mr.. Blaine and Reform.
The REPUBLICAN LEADERS REAL ATTITUDE
TOWARD THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Editor of the Press:
SIR; The attitude of Mr.. Blaine in relation
to the reform of the Civil Service seems to be
strangely misunderstood. The Springfield
Republican. leading organ of the ''lnde
pendents," in noticing his letter of acceptance,
remarked that, although 1t was very long. the
only news ii contained was the announcement
of his interest in Civil Service Reform, and
/ observe that friendly writer in the Boston
Journal is content to say that there is nothing
in Mr.. Blaine's record to show that he has
been more of place hunter than his fellow
members of Congress. The first of these
writer's perhaps not quite unintentionally,
does Mr.. Blaine gross injustice, and the other
falls very far short of doing him justice. Mr..
Blaine. not being little man, has never
found it necessary to seek public favor by
posing as a Civil Service RefOrmer or as a
purist of any kind but the fact is that his
record in relation to the Civil Service is not
only much better than that of the average
member of Congress, but is, to say the least,
quite as good as that of any man now in pub
lie life. l dare not ask space to prove this in
detail, but. with your permission, will call
attention to one transaction which may serve
asia test case, and which will probably be
''news" to the truly good gentlemen whose
|
took place on this earth more than ten years
ago and has been ever since matter of pub
lie official record. The positions Mr.. Blaine
has filled have not been such as TO give him
control of much patronage" but while he
was yet Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives he had the appointing power to certain
extent and | propose to show how he used it.
Prior to the 3rd of March. 1878, the de-
bates in Congress were reported and printed
under contract with the proprietors of the
Congressional Globe; but on that day a reso-
luton was passed sending the printing to the
| Public Printer and making the reporters
officers of the House. On January, 15.lS74,
the House adopted the following rule
The appointment and removal of the obfci-
al reporters Of the House shall be rested in
the Speaker
There were five reporters of debates and
two of committee proceedings, seven in all.
Mr.. Blaine was the Speaker, and this rule
! (Which must not be COMPOUNDED with the mod
flied one adopted some years later, gave him
absolute. unconditional control of seven val
liable offices worth $4,000 year each. How
did he use this power? Let the record ans
wer. When Mr.. Blaine, as Speaker. came to act
under the new rule he made the following
announcement, which appears on page 6Sl of
the Congress ional Record, Forty third Con
gress. first session
''On the Sd of March last (1S13l the
House adopted resolution, that the report of
the House proceedings and debates shall be
furnished by the present corps of the Globe
reporters, who shall hereafter, until other
wise ordered, be officers of the House under
the direction of the Speaker The rule Just
adopted vests in the chair the appointment
and removal of these reporters. Whenever
there is anv point of doubt to what the
rule may be supposed to be, 1t is the duty of
the Chair to give his own construction of it
The Chair, therefore, ann uncrs that he will
appoint the existing reporters, and ciW con-
S,der that the power of remorat as only rested
IN HIM for cause. lchlch he 1ciU hare entered
upon the Journal When the appointment
of reporters is announced it will be for
this Congress and for subsequent Con-
crosses, until action remoptng them,
for cause, shall be taken by the then
Speaker. The reporters as now appointed
are to continue in that office until removed
for cause"
The case then stood thus: Mr.. Blaine
was at the height of his popularity ana power
as a Speaker; the House, as | have shown,
had given him unrestricted control over these
seven very desirable offices; as an old
journalist he had wide acquaintance with
men who might reasonably be thought
qualified to fill the positions; he had also, of
course, friends and supporters in the House
who would have been glad to suggest, and
probably did suggest candidates; and finally
there was at that time no influential public
opinion c favor of Civil Service Reform
On the other hand, old reporters had been
inherited by the House from the Congressional
Globe, majority of them had democratic
sympathies, and no one of them had any
political or personal claim whatever upon the
Speaker. Nevertheless, Mr.. Blaine, putting
aside all these considerations, and regarding
only the good of the service, reappointed
without exception. the old officers whose
efficiency had been proved. And not
only this, but as the above extract
from the Congressional Record shows
he voluntarily and deliberately went
outside the language of the rule and constru-
ed it so as TO limit has oWn peper of remoral;
thus anticipating and going beyond the pro-
visions of the Civil Service act, passed eight
years later, and giving direct practical recog-
milton and effect to the two fundamental
principals of Reform;Q) Appointment on
the sole ground of fitness. and (2) Security
of tenure-removal only for cause-a real
cause which could be entered upon the Jour.
nal Of the House.
If any Indignantly pure person, who wears
his little reform" virtue upon his sleeve,
and talks sagely about MIR. Blaine's meth
DDS (taking care not to specify them, can
show, either on his own part or on the part
of any of his fellow, an instance of practical
devotion to the principles of Civil Service
Reform as unconstrained, as cleancut and as
well authenticated as this, | trust that The
Press will give him an opportunity to tell the
world the news d.