The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-06
Of Office and public place.

Law, came none too soon to check.
the progress OF Generalization. One
Of its effects, not enough regarded,
is the freedom it brings to the politi-
cal action of those conservative and
sober men, who, in fear of the confu.
sion and risk attending an arbitrary
and sudden change in all the public
offices with a change Of party rule,
cast their ballots against such Al
change. Parties seem to be neces-
sary, and will long continue to exist;
nor can it be now denied that there
are legitimate advantages, not dis
connected with ofiee-holding, which
follow party supremacy. While par
tisanship continues bitter and pro-
nounced and supplies SO much Of mo-
tive to sentiment and action, it is
not fair to hold public officials in
charge of important trusts response
bic for the best results in the per.
formance of their duties and yet in
sist that they shall rely, in confden-
tial and important places, upon the
work Of those not only opposed to
them in political afiliation, but so
stepped in partisan prejudice and
rancor that they have no loyalty to-
their chiefs and no desire for their
success.
Civil service reform does not ex-
act'this, nordoes it rcquirethat those
in subordinate positions who fail in
yielding their best service, or who
are incompetent, should be retained
simply because they are in place.
The whining of clerk discharged
for insolence or lncompetency, who,
though he gained his place by the
worst possible operation Of the spoils
system, suddenly discovers that he
is entitled to protection under the
sanction Of civil service reform, pre-
sents an idea no less absurd than,
the clamor of the applicant who
claims the vacant position as his
compensation for the most question
able party work. The civil service
; law does not prevent the discharge Of
the indolent or incompetent clerk,
but it does prevent supplying his
place with tie unfit party worker.
Thus, in both these phases, is seen
the benefit to the public service, and
the people who desire good govern
ment having secured this statute,
will not reHnqaish its benefits with
out protest. Nor are they unmind.
ful Of the fact that its full advan.
tages can only be gained through the
complete good faith Of those having
its execution in charge. and this they
will insist upon.
l recommend that the salaries cf
the civil service commissioners be
increased to a sum more nearly CON-
mensurate to their important duties.
THE CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY.
1t is a source Of considerable, and |
not unnatural, discomfort that no ad-
equate provision has yet been made
for accommodating the principal Ii.
brary for the government. Of the
vast collection of books and pamph-
lets gathered st the capitol, number
ing some 3,700,000, exclusives of man
uscripts, maps and the products of
the graphic arts, also OF great. vol
ume and value, only about three hun
dred thousand volumes, or less than
half the collection are provided with
shelf room. The others which are
increasing at the rate Of from twenty
five to thirty thousand volumes
year, are not only inaccessible to
the public, but are subject to serious
damage and deterioration from other
causes in their present situation. A
Of the fact that the IL
brary of the capitol has twice been
destroyed or damaged by fire, its
daily increasing value and its impor-
tance as place of deposit of books
under the law relating to copyright,
make manifest the necessity of
prompt action to insure its proper
accommodation and protection.
DISTRICT OF CoLCMBTA.
Ny attention has been called to a
controversy which has arisen from
the condition of the law relating to
railroad facilities in the city of Wash
ington, which has involved The Com
missioners of the District in much
annoyance and trouble. l hope this
difficulty will be promptly settled by
appropriate legislation. The Com
missioners represent that enough of
the revenues of the District are now
on deposit in the Treasury of the
United States to repay the sum ad-
yanced BY the government for sewer
Improvements under the act of June
80, 1884. They desire now an ad.