The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-05-30
Latter Day "Reformers.'


"Reform'' in the public service is much
perverted and abused, as well as misused
term. The Democrats used it to turn out
all the Republicans. i'll the Southern! States,
especially. and put in their nlaess The most !
obnoxious partizaus they could l. They
paid party services with party patronage,
and Called 1t "etvil service reform, u e
Civil Service Commission WAS created for
thealleged purpose of institutlng reform
in The Conduct public business. TT
is not apparent that any noticeable reform
has been accomplished under its auspices.
!T.ie' theory of'oui government is that,Fthe
people are capable of sell government,
whether one party Or the other IS i'll control
of the aduinisLralipp. Before the rlyll
service "a invention Was ~ even seriously
thought nf The 4,ibllc business WAS con-
Quoted as efficiently and economically as
1t was possible Tor the ramftird and com
piicated affe.lIs IF the government 40
be administ cred. Under it the per ctniage
of losses diminished annually, until 1T was
reduced Gown lu,iracLlnns inathe thous
ands of dollars collected. The books"
were AWAY s found III order except here
and There A. deiect or, lLregnlarily. com
mon in private and public accounts. Each
wear discovered improvements in methods.
systems and the details of adjustments.
uutil the whole' business had reached as
near bel lection as it Was possible, 10 al
nf.
chosen because OF Their common sense and
genera lgooI charaet ct and not 50 much be-
cause they were up in school books and
could pass an examination in matters
which have very lutte. practical applica-
tion in the duties to be performed. They
applied their common sense 10 their work
and rapidly grew intoi usefulness. and III
some instanc-s become lrnust indlspensa-
BILE. C0mpei ept assistants were alwatsln
service, whether of. one party or the. other.
without the inteIyell ion -of civil service
commiss rating the capacity
of The people for self government, AS well
as the details of departmental work. '.s'
Reform - To he effective and assist in
the successful Conduit uf inftiie all ais y
the party in power. should rracu to The
political syupathl-s Of The gents en-
ploy ed 10 effect reform They should be
level in The principles and the policies,
of the party under which they serve, and
feel an interest not DULY in the .ot tia dis
charge of the duties -it+etifaAttft,~ III
the success of tue administration. This
idea YVES first advanced by MIR. Madison. we
think it was. Who WROTE TO a. friend
in Rhode Island, that 10 achieve sue
cess in his administration. those in &C
cord with it in sentiment and in sympa-
thy With the policy 10y which 1t was gov
erned should he entrusted with oil :ia J
confidence, as an essential means. for So.
curjpp efficient service and hearty c0-Oprr-
,tion. This sentiment or idea, WAS vul-
garizeti.hp a~fr-esry Mrcv at a'latef day.
by declaring that to the 'vicio. b Icing tft
spOis, and this home " expression Has
been seiz-d upon,hy frining theorists ana
snblimated "reformers" To wage crusade
against The policy of thu party in power
selecting those in sympathy with 1t to Car
1y lhS F'iiCicN:
mo administration can be sueee ssfnl
which is not conducted Ivy the friends ct
the party represented l,y it. Aud no party
can ever retain the confidence OF ihe PEG
pie which distrusts their capacity, or seeks
to establish class distinct ions and perpet-
uats castles in official positions. It's mol
in sympathy with the genius of our insii-
tuiions. nor predicate upon the Idea
which lays at The foundation of our po
litical system Where The * ing newt
dies,'' it may do, for there is no account
ing to the people, hut. where every foui
years the sovereigns pass upon the con-
duct of their servants. it is meet and prop
er that the people should be recognized in
the bestowment of fayors, and the virtue
and the capacity of those who constitute
the successful party should share in the
responsibility and emolument of the adj
ministratien they have invited to power.
The people are Just beginning to under
stand and appreciate the holer. than-thon
political pharisees. who are constantly
prating about "civil service reform, - and
the necessity for the integrity of the gov
ernmept and the efficiency eff The public
service that an exclusive official class be
created, irOn-clad and steel bonnd from
the reach of public sentiment and the ver
dict of the baIl0t-hox--a class for whom
government is instituted and administra
tions inaugurated. The conviction is
spreading that this is not the democracy
of our institutiOns-that it is not the le-
pnblicanism of our political system: aEd
that it Is direct reflection upon the IN
herent honesty and capacity of those who
constitute the government. And rs this
conviction intensifies, as it is doing daily,
it will lie dangerous. aye, disastrous for
parties TO trifle with it. 1t requires,
indeed, no prophet to foretell the fate Of
the political organization which adopts
this undemocratic pretense AS cardinal
tenet of its creed. 1t will be swept from
power with force and impe tnosity that
w,ll leave nothing but wreck and ruin to
tell of Its existence. and teach less on
that will he a warning To all l. tier day
''refOrmeis." who .arroga'e higher
m0ra'e and keener sense of PATRIOTS M
than III, greet mass of the people. "Re-
form, t. he genuine and lasting, m, st be
grounded in the conscious right which is
inherent with the people and which admits
and sustains the cardinal idea upon which
our government is founded. Sham res
form'' will not do in this practical ge.
The tin sel and flash of the modern article
will not wear. 1t will not bear the scrutiny
of the robust common sense which has
made this country and is moulding its
destiny, and which builds up and tears
down plrties. 1t must rest and have its
roots in the approval of the people, and
when JUS SUI linefi aud nonrished it will
grow and bless the country with a gov
eminent ''of the people, by the pecl lie and
for t re people.
Chas. j =. Hall. of Chic ago. died, leaving |
an estate of $3 900 900, which he LEFT to
his cousin, amanuensis- aid business man
ager, Miss Helen Culver. lie left M ither
wife, Chi dren nor parents. There were
other relatives. but they were cut if. and
thew were about to institute suit to break