St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-27
WHAT CIVIL SERTICE REFORM
MEANS -

We publish this morning communication
from an Albert Lea correspondent criticising
what is evidently mistaken construction OF
the GLOBES attitude in relation to civil SER
| vice reform. The GLOBE has all the time
in dorsed President CLEvELAND's "broad-
guage views, ~ and will continue to do so. The
point we endeavored to make in relation to
the New York postoffice was that Mr.. PEAR
SONS term had expired and there was no
reason why the president should be confined
to Mr.. PEARSON alone in making selection
for that important Office. Even though Mr..
PEARSON had made model officer it doesn't
necessarily follow that he is the only gentle
man in New York who is capable of making
good officer. Mr.. PEARSON is a Republican,
he has filled the subordinate positions in the
New York postoffice with Republicans, he per-
mitted his clerks to be assessed for campaign
purposes last fall, and while he belonged to
the ARTHUR faction of New York Republi-
cans, and perhaps did lend a little sympathy,
if not actual help, to the defeat of Mr.. BLAINE,
surely our correspondent could not urge that
in his favor for retention. Our po-
sition is that wherever there is a
vacancy in Office, and can be filed by a
Democrat whose character and qualifications
tit him for discharging the trust to the best
interests of the country and the credit of
his party. then it is the duty of Democratic
administration to put the Democrat into
office. We have never given countenance to
the doctrine that there should be a wholesale
change for the single purpose Of putin g
partisans into position, but we do say that
when an Office must be filled by partisan,
then it is natural and proper that the party in
power should select its own partisans in
preference to the partisans of the opposition.
There is nothing narrow gauge about this.
1t Is according to the eternal fitness Of
things.
The time will never come in this country
when we shall cease to have parties and par
tsans, unless we pass into an absolute des-
potism, when the will of one man is the law
OF kingdom. But as long as we preserve
the features of free government there will
arise conflicting notions relating to the policy
of government, and people will divide upon
them. These diverse ideas will be carried
into the politics of the country, and which
ever wins the appreciation of a majority of the
whole people must prevail as the policy
Of the government. That is the purpose and
intent OF democratic government and repub-
lican institutions, and upon no other theory
can free government be maintained. Then
it follows that the successful party which has
secured the sanction of the majority shall
impress its policy in the administration of
the government. To do this it is absolutely
essential that the friends of that policy, those
who are thoroughly imbued with confidence
in the correctness of the principle involved,
and not the enemies who distrust and reject
it, shall be selected as the agents by whom
the policy is to be enforced. 1t is true that
there are a number of Offices under the gov
eminent which are purely mechanical in their
operations, consisting of routine clerical
work, and have no political importance or
significance attached to them. Those who
fill these positions can exert no possible in
fluence in giving shape to the policy Of the
government. So, wisely enough, the civil
service law interposes to make merit the sole
qualification for filling these places. But
when it comes to the more numerous class,
the political offices, the civil service law does
not attempt to place any restriction upon the
appointing power, thus recognizing the sound
ness of the position we are taking that in
this class of offices the appointee should be
in political accord with those who administer
the government.
While, in the distribution of political
offices, the president should confer appoint
ments upon partisans of his own faith, he
should likewise be equally careful that none
but individuals of clean record, pure charac-
ter and special qualifications for the positions
| they are to occupy should be selected. That
is the utmost the country demands in the
way Of civil service reform. Our position is,
that under Democratic admin istration
Democrats should be put on guard, where
they are capable; but if an Office is vacant
and no Democrat with high qualifications
can be found to fill it, and Republican can,
then put in the Republican. Fitness and
character constitute the first consideration.
But everything else being even then prefer
ence should be given to the friends of the
administration. That is business