The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-01-20
Some Mistakes of Re. ormers

correspondents Jlldu Ill Juc NOlc NClC
secret the civil service law would be re-
pealed by decided vote of both parties
in congress. Probably this statement
is not far from the actual truth. The
reformers are evidently mistaken in
assuming that public sentiment, the
country over, is overwhelmingly in
favor of civil service reform. If the
subject in all its bearings was thor
oughly understood by the country, and
it was made the sole national issue, re-
CARELESS of party lines, it might be
found that civil service reform, as it is
advocated by the professional reform
ers, has no very strong hold upon the
people. The issue has been persist
emily forced upon both parties by able
and aggressive reformers, and neither
party feels that it can afford to discard
it, because it might thereby lose the
support of the Independent faction
which is supposed to hold the balance
of political power in several of the close
states.
The reformers are mistaken in as
Stunning that the whole opposition to
civil service reform comes from the adj
herents to the so-called spoils system.
A good deal of the distrust of civil serv-
ice reform comes from people who do
not believe that the British civil service
system, which many of the reformers
would have adopted in this country, is
consonant with the correct idea of re-
publican government. Nevertheless,
the reform as it has already been
established by law may be accepted by
the people as a finality, unless the re-
formers, not content with what they
have already secured, shall demand an
extension of the system to other than
minor offices, and civil pension list.
AS matter of fact, there never was
one-quarter of the necessity for reform
in our civil service that the reformers
pretended there was. Whatever of
corruption existed in the public service
was mainly among the higher classes
of officials who are untouched by the
present civil service law. There were
some not over-grievous abuses in the
matters of making appointments as re-
wards for partisan service, sometimes
with too little regard for fitness, the re-
moval of faithful and competent Off
Gals for political reasons, and the COM
pulsory assessment of federal office
holders for campaign purposes; but
these abuses were largely remedied be-
fore the democratic party came into
power, and in the main without the
intervention of law.
The people are not yet fully satisfied
that the public service will be improved
by the life-tenure system for appointive
positions. They prefer changes among
their officials occasionally, except in
some few positions where technical
knowledge is necessary to efficientserv-
ice. On the principle that "public office
is public trust" and that the duties
should be performed on a non-partisan
basis, no reasons can be given why the
elective officers, from the president
down, should not be made as secure in
tenure for life as the appointive officers,
and, like the latter, forbidden to exer.
else any active influence in behalf OF
one party more than another. That
civil service reform is not more gener-
ally popular with the masses of people
is also due to the unreasonable de,
mands and Objectionable methods OF
its professed champions. "The great
est obstacle" says Gail Hamilton, etc
civil service reform is the civil service
reformers." Too many of them try tC
get personal popularity or notoriety by
an assumption of superior wisdom ant
virtue, and use their principles az
means to gain their end They are
not satisfied with what they have al
ready gained through legislation, but
before their reform has become firml,
intrenched in popular favor, they grow
more exacting in their demands for it
extension to all branches of the publi
service. This is one of their graves
mistakes. Their disposition to accom-
plish their purposes by coercion rattle
than by persuasion, their disparage
ment of party loyalty, their disregard
of regular party usages, their contemp
for practical political leadership ant
the rule of majorities-these method
do not tend to hasten that state of POP
ular feeling which will eventually re
suit in the acceptance of their reforr
theories. They have erred in renounC
ing pretty much all party utilization
and obligations, for the success of an
reform depends upon the consent of tn
majority, and they have provoked por
ular derision by their curious and il
consistent political ramblings. The
now realize that they have game
nothing substantial for their reform b
putting the democratic party in power
that they have obtained only a bypc
..,:4;ool and ipoffootivn cupport fro,