Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-06-07

the people la the truthfulness, con-
sistency and integrity of high public
officials. II has established rules and
examinations that practically debar men
Of experience and sense, while they adj
init lOcks Of political parrots who can
answerc questions which have only the
most remote relation to the position they
SEEK 10 has swallowed machine poll
tichns OF the worst tyue and removed
honest and tried officials, under be
pretense that they were offensive
partisans. IL has been honest i'm
pretensiOus but far more dishonest In
practice than the frank, representative
public service which does not work
behind o mask. 1t has been demon
strated that it can be used As a cloak for
iavoritsni. to shut ont those who deserve
recognition for services rendered the
party which elected the appointing
power aud. therefore, for services rem
dered the people. A screen for cOwardice
and talsehood in high official places is
not useful nor ornamental in govern
ment by the pople.
Fortunately, the Mugwump Civil
1'A NANf - NbA ~ AtlllEflON- ~ iAN AAlthb0
pretend Its harmfulness lies in the
ease with which II can be evaded by
iayoritsm, hypocrisy, and falsehOod. 1t
stimulates public lying, but its account
with the public shows that, besides badly
filling many public offices. it is a pre-
tcnce and shadow-a bugabOO to keep
back frank and honest ambitions at the
gate, and a hole IN the rear Of the tent
to let in iugglers and adventurers.
ANYTHING THAT KILLS INTEREST IN
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Is A MENACE.
My final objections to the Mugwump
Civil Service are that il is not in har-
mOny with our form OF government, and
that while il rewards citizen with one
hand its seeks with the other TO strip him
OF that active interest in public affairs
which is the privilege Of every Ameri-
can citizen and is at the same time the
surc~t shield Of republican institutions.
The safety Of the Republic lies in the
eternal vigilance Of the citizen. When
men so far forget their obligations to
our form Of government as to neglect
their political duties, the Republic Il
then In danger. Everything that stimu-
lates, political activity-all appeals to
patriotic spirit, the rewards OF office, the
pride Of the party in power in carrying
out the policies Of the people, even the
watchiul and sharp criticism Of the party
ont Of power, though 1t have no higher
motive than tho recovery OF public
patronage--all tend to make the people
appreclatiye OF their rights and duties
and watchful OF their public officers.
When the people elect President and
Congress they presume that they also
elect policies and men OF their political
faith 10 carry them out. They expect
that all the subOrdnates Of the Federal
service will be- put In full accord with
the new administration. The Govern
mcnt employee is not merely a book
keeper or a clerk. In almost every in
stance he or his superior officer repre-
sents some distinct feature OF govern
mental policy. His service is closely
connected with the briefs and opinions
that divide the great political parties.
For example, the Pension Bureau was
established to reward disabled and de-
serving veterans. Can it be seriously
cOntended that the highest service can be
obtained in that department from men
who are not In sympathy with the pur-
pose for which that bureau was createdy
The officers at every port OF entry are
charged with the appraisal OF imported
goods and the collection OF duties.
Should that delicate service be performed
under a Republican Administration by
men who believe that high tariff is un-
constitutional and Il fraud upon the
laboring man?
A like line OF reasoning may be APP
piled to almost every branch OF the Clvil
Service, and where 1t does not apply
there can be no satisfactory denial OF the
claim that the most efficient service can
not be obtained by an Administration
except through those who are earnestly
in accord with Its policy and spirit.
Every grave neglect Of duty, every dis
honesty Of subordinate, is telegraphed
from ocean to ocean, aud reflects upon
the party in power. 1t Is therefore the
duty OF an administration, TO itself and
to its party, TO be represented 80 far as
practicable in every office, not by pOlit-
ical opponents nor political eunuchs, but
by men who are on their good behavior
l"'io are actively in sympathy with the
Administration, jealous of its good name,
anxious TO make II popular and to per-
petuate its power and usefulness, and to
that end prompt, efficient, honest, and
obliging in the discharge OF Official
duties.