The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-11-04
Honest Civil service Reform.

Civil Service Reform at the present
time consists in leaving undisturb-
ed all the place holders of his par
ty. This is a very convenient the
DRY for the party that was voted
down and out in the elections, for
it would enable it's adherents to re-
tain in the name of reform what
they gained, and for twenty-five
years s%tubbornly held, in the name
of spoils. But as reform means to
change from bad to good, to amend
or correct, it is obvious that it is
not Civil Service Reform to per-
petuate the wholly one-sided parti-
san character of the public service.
1t was to correct and to prevent
such a prostitution of the Civil
Service that the reform was insti-
tuted. The movement and the law
which it has created would there
fore fail of their purpose if they
did nothing except to maintain
the old state of things.
To the politicians and to many
voters on the Democratic side Hon
est civil service reform, at this juno
ture, consists in turning all Repub-
licans out and putting Democrats in
their places. But as the proclaimed
purpose of reform and the express
provisions of the law are to depar-
tisanize the subordinate Civil Ser
vice, and to take these offices out
of politics, it manifestly cannot be
"honest reform" simply to substi-
tute partisans of one stripe for par
tisans of another. The long sus-
tanned injustice of prescribing
Democrats can neither be denied
nor defended; but if, in order to
get a fair start, the service were to
be made wholly Democratic now, it
would inevitably follow that when
the Republicans should regain
power they would correct the ba-
sis" by making it solidly Republi-
can. And whatever may be said in
favor of this principle of conduct
ing the Government, it certainlyis
not consistent with either the let
ter or the spirit of the law which
the President and his subordinates
are sworn faithfully to observe and
execute.
True Civil Service Reform is a
much larger thing than they ina
inc who confne their attention to
the petty details of the present law.
The reform which our Government,
our craftsmanship and our politics
alike require would begin at the
root rather than with the off shoots
and branches of an evil system. 1t
would relieve the President of the
greater part of his enormous pat
ronage, and recognizing that this is
a government Of laws and not OF
men, would vest all except the con-
stitutional appointments in Off
Gals whose actions should be reg
ulated by statutes and by the sound
principles ofbusiness like admins
tration rather than by personal ca
price or partisan influence. But
the present question being largely
as to the enforcement of the exist
hing law, there can be no honest
doubt as to the duty of those charg-
ed with it's execution. AS the law
was designed to promote efficiency
and economy in the service a well
as to correct its partisan basis, it
is clear that every incompetent,
dishonest, Sinking or su%perfuous
official and employee should be
turned out as fast. as discovered,
and their places filled, whenever an
appointment is necessary in strict
conformity with the law.
This would be "Honest Civil Ser
vice Reform" as far as the present
system will permit it to be carried.
To dismiss competent and faithful
men simply to make places for
men of different politics would not
ha