Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-29
A REFORM AssAILED.

a y.
While in one sense suggested by the
English system, still the civil service re-
form was the natural result of the uncon-
scionabIe trade and barter in Office and
official position that grew with amazing
speed after the outbreak of the war. The
need for corrective was early felt, but
there was Inability to apply it until the
public thought returned from its engage
ment in the fnternicine struggle that de-
moralized the public conscience so greatly.
With the close of the war civil service was
one Of the early steps taken by reformeTs
to correct a great evil. For series of
years it was on trial in the form Of debate
only; for a shorter period it has had linn
tied trial in the field Of experiment.
Whoever has examined into its workings
is convinced that, limited as it is by the
| remaining prejudices of the vicious period
referred to- when there was so much of
| imposition on the Government, and so
much of sponging and profting upon it,
| it has worked out great results. Yet in
| the face of the record, and the testimony
fof the past behind it to justify it, We wit
ness bold and persistent efforts made to
secure the abandonment of the scheme.
We cannot believe that they will meet
with success. The national heart demands
the law and its broadening. 1t has not
forgotten that patriotic devotion to our
organized system results from economical
and wise administrations, rather than dis
tribution of rewards for political service.
That corruption should fatten during a
state of war is not surprising such has
been the experience of all nations so in
volved. At such time values are unset
tied, the public thought is Withdrawn
from national economies, public conscience
is subordinated to public necessity which
the vicious make the means for preying
upon Government. To abandon civil serv-
ice methods is to go back to a state some
what similar to that of war, so far as Off
cial holdings are concerned. That we
should now return after even so short a
step in the right direction to the old
methods of parceling out the governmental
store among the strongest and boldest, re-
gardless of ability, and as if moved only
by necessity, is unthinkable There is a
set and determined effort to overthrow the
reform, and it has its genesis and motive
in the Democratic organization. It's chief
assailant is the recognized leader of that
party in the House. Some of the press
have been brought over to outspoken dec
laration in favor of the shibboleth of the
spoilsmen, " the old flag and an appropria-
ton" modified only by the changes rung
upon it in the form of the cry, The old
flag and fodder boxes for the Victorious
The friends of civil service reform are nei-
ther dismayed nor fearful. Their system
has resulted in all that was claimed for it
so far as tried. The effort is being dill
gently made to show that it is failure,
but this is only possible by distortion of
the claims originally advanced for it. The
public mind should be kept clear as to the
true purposes of the reform. They were to
make the filling Of certain subordinate po-
sitions dependent upon tested ability alone
as necessary to governmental economy. 1t
has not and never had any reference to
filling official places expressive of the de-
clared political policy of the people. It
claims retention in clerical station of pro-
ven capacity, in order that the public
servitor may be made independent Of the
political boss. So long as he is dependent
for place upon the latter he does not and
cannot serve the people, and cannot there
fore administer his office with an eye sin
gle to the good of the Government. This
is the length and breadth of civil service
reform, SO far as applied in this country.