Huntsville gazette., 1885-12-12

Cdtc6
should be taxable at schedule rates, and the
fee therefor returned to the Treasury BY
restoring the revenue to the public use tne
consular service would be self-supportlng,
even with a liberal increase OF the present
low salaries. In further prevention OF ABUSES
q system OF consular Inspection should oe
instituted The appointment OF limited
number of secretaries of legation at large, to
be assigned to duty wherever necessary,
and in particular for temporary service at
missions which for any cause may De WITH
out head, should also be authorized.
| MILITARY AND NAVAL LEGATION ATTACHES.
flavor also, an appropriation for the de-
tail of officers of the regular service as mill
tary or naval attaches az legations. Some
| foreign governments do not recognize he
| union OF consular with diplomatic func-
tions Italy and Venezuela will only re-
ceive the appointee in one of his two ca
pacities. but this does not prevent the
requirement. of bond and submission to
| the responsibilities of an officer whose du-
ties he can not discharge. The superadded
| title ofConsul General should be abandoned
at all missions.
| EXTRA JUDICIAL COURTS IN ORIENTAL CoUN-
TRIES.
| deem it expedient that well. devised
measure for the reorganization OF the extra
juaicial courts in Oriental countries snould
replace the present system, Whlch iaDors
| under the disadvantage OF combining 1uoi
| cial aud executive functions in the sa me OF
| flee.
REsULEs OF THE WORLDS INDUSTRIAL EXPO
| sITION.
The Worlds Industrial Exposition, held at
| New Orleans last W inter with the assistance g
| of the Federal Government attracted large
number of foreign exhibits and proved OF
| great value in spreading among tne con,
| course of visitors from Mexico and Central
| and South America wider knowledge of the
| various manufactures and productions or
| this country and their availability in ex-
| change for the productions OF those regions
| DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOR OF NATIVE ARTS rs.
Past Congresses have had under consider
| alton the advisaoility of abollshing the dls- :
EJrp do nv a ta favor
| of the works of American artists. Ihe OIL
um of policy which subjects to his h rate
of duty Che paintings OF foreign artists and
| exempts the productions OF American ar
| fists residing abroad, aud who receive graf
! uitously advantages and instruction. Is VS.
tied upon our citizens engaged in art cultnr
| in Europe aud has caused them, with prac :.
tical unanimity, to favor the aoout1on or
such an ungracious distinction, and in their
interest, and for other obvious reasons, ]
strongly recommend 1t.
| CIVIL SERVICE REFORM-NO RELAXATION OF
IT'S PRINCIPLES TO BE EXPECTED.
The report of the Civil Service Commits
sion. which will be submitted contains an
account of the manner in which the ciyli
service law has been executed during the
past year, and much valuable information
on this important subject.
Lam inclined to think that there is no 8 en-
timent more general in the minds OF the
people of our country than a con yict on
of the correctness of the principle up on
|
form Is based In it's present conditi on
the law regulates only part OF the su bor-
dinate public position thron 5hout the coun-
| try. 1t applies the test OF fitness to appli-
cants for these places by means ola compel
tive examination and gives large dis
cretion to the Commissioners as to the char
acter of the exam nation and many other
matters connected with its execution. Thus
the rules and regulations adopte by the
Commission have much to do with the prac'
tical usefulness OF the statute and with the
| results of its application
THE PEOPLE
may we'll trust the commission to exec ute
the law with perfect fairness and with as
little irritation as possible, but OF course no
| relaxation of the principle which underlies
it and no weakening OF the safeguards Whlch
surround it can be expected. Experience in
its ad nnistration Will probably suggest
amendment of the methods of it's ex ecution,
but venture to hope that we shall never
| again be remitted to the system which dis
tributes public positions purely as rewar ds
| for partisan service
Doubts may well be entertained whet er
our Government could survive the strain OF
| continuance OF this system which upon
every change of administration, inspires
an immense army OF claimants for office to
lay Siegr to the patronage of the Govern
ment, engroSsing the time OF pup lic olhcers
with importunties spreading abroad the
conta gion OF their disappointment and flii
ing the air with the tumult OF their discon-
tent. The allurements of an immense nu m
ber of Offices and places exhibited to the
| voters of the land, aud the promise of their
bestowal in recognition Of partzan activity
| debauch the suffrage and rob political ac
ton Of its thoughtful and deliberative char :
acter.
THE EVIL
would increase with the multiplication OF
offices consequent upon our extension and
| the mania for Office holding growing from
4 its Indulgence would pervade our popula-
| ton so generally that patriotic purpose, the
support of principle, the desire for the pub
| lie good and solicitude for the Nations well
fare would be nearly banished from the ac-
tivity OF our party contests and cause them
to degenerate into igHoble, selfish and dis
| graceful struggles for the possession OF office
and public places.
Civil service reform enforced by law, came
not too soon to check the progress of demor-
| aiiZatiOn. One of its effects, not enough re-
garded, is the freedom it brings to the polit-
tical action of those conservative and sober
men who IN fear of the confusion and risl
attending arbitrary and sudden change
in ali the public offices, with change OF party
rule, cast their ballots against such a ha nge
Parties seem to be necessary, and will con
that there are legitimate advantages
not disconnected with Office mold
ing, which follow party supremacy
WHILE PARrIsANsHIP CONTINUES BITTER
and pronounced and supplies 80 much OF
motive to sentiment and action, 1t is not
fair to hold public officials in charge of i'm
portant trusts responsible for the best re
suits in the perfor nance of their duties, and
| yet insist that tlay shall rely, in confidential
and important places, upon the work OF
those not only opposed to them in political
afiliati0n, but so stepped in partisan injus-
tice and rancor that they have no loyalty to
| their chiefs and no desire for their success
Civil service reform does not exact this, nor
does it require that those in subordinatc po
sitions who fail in yielding their best service
or who are incompetent should be retained
merely because they are in place.
|. The whining of such a clerk disc harged
for indolen e of incompetency, who, though
he gained h g place by the worst possib le
| operation of the spois system, suddenly
discovers that he Is entitled to protectio q
under the sanction of civil service reform
| represents an idea no less absurd than the
clanor OF the applicant who claims the
vacant position as his compen satiOn
for the most questionable party work
The civil service law does not prevent the
discharge of the indolent or Incompetent
clerk. bat it does prevent supplying his place
with the unfit party worker. Thus in both
the phases is seen benefits is the public serv
ice. And the people who desire good gov
ernment, having secured this statute, will n OF
relinqush in benefits without protest nor
are they unmindful of the fact that its full
advantages can only be gained through the
complete good faith of those having its ex-
ecution in charge, and this they will insist
upon
recommend that the salaries OF the Civil
Service Commissioners be increased to a
sum more nearly commensurate to their i'm
rlfDy ko n