The daily critic., 1890-10-20

In the October number Of Tie
Century Mr. HENRy CB1r LoD8Edc
clares that the refusal of public man
TO deal with patronage Is mere shirk-
Ing Of duty. and that offices not in the
classified service will be empiel aud
filed by any President Of any patty
for personal or political motives. aud
that for SO doing he is not censurable
II Is not our purpose 10 attempt %
weaken the force Of an article, excel.
lent and scholarly 20 the whole, but
since Mr.. LoDuE has gone out Of his
way TO defend acts which be says
should be forbidden by law. protest
should be made on the ground VI
political morality What he here
says throws light on his well known
public course in dealing with patron.
age. aud in his advocacy Of such
measures as the Force bill IL Is
not unfair 10 him TO state that he
maintains that. until the "evil and de.
grading system of political patronage
in The distribution of public offices Is
rooted out jy ldr, public man shirks
his duty IN not pravtciur the methods
Of that system Because some men
commit "eyil and DEGRADING acts not
forbidden by law good men are In duty
bound 10 resort 90 the same methods
WI en- The bad meu arp likely % get 40
unfair advantage.
Df ,DWsc This argument involves tlu
Iup,tuatiou Of every evil Ut the sppils
sysum uriila lass shall ho ma snc.
oihcn,ly covering them .ll Ills post
lion linds gu analogy in ihat take 10y
an American historical writer. who
shares many of the public views Of Mr.
LonCE. that the QulEyrs were NJ fault
In their meek practice of Christian sub.
mission 20 the horrors Of Iulilu war.
fare. We leave the historical question
20 npologetic writers, but cannot pass iu
silence the doctrine that political acts
which should be forbidden by law can
ever b. justified In practice.
a colleague Of SIR LnpGE said re.
Gently that he thought other members
Of Congress were violating The spirit II
not the letter of the law 10 securing
certain appointments. and n that were
60 be would have 20 get his share also.
On The other hand, We believe that this
view is quite cy ysepti1ual aud that the
Eumber of pub.ig meu who act un the
same principles which inspired the
QuaktTs, and who refrain fr0Iu public
uels - Lich are iuuiusiaaIIy injurious 20
The uabEo service and Of harmful ex.
ample, Is much greater than is com
mouly supposed. Many members Of
Congress, and those. too, who have the
least trouble In their reelection. take
the least part 20 emplylDg and filling
OfliCes for personal Or political motives.
When public men trick their con.
sciences Nilh logical subtletIes, and de
clare that there are exceptions in the
application Of lhe moral law 10 politics
just as in dealings with Indians Il is
time 10 protest in the name Of the re-
from which they trayesty.
ENER-oS 8sked what we were 10
DO with pie If We did not eat t. Mr.
LoBGE must eat political pie as long as
there Is any.
The present Civil Service act has
oTaaled indirectly 20 a large extent
ulaB the uuclassiitd service The ef
huof taking ghiuy $50 thousand place,
Bu 10 The spoiIs. would naturally
ufIc Ibe scramble far the remain
fIeTl.Cts ON IBe fgTc,ri but The mora
,f'rt, ne uew Is -iemt lY ind,rectiun
passo -rtaf as 20 bring out the evils Of
urrII system 10 bali contrast aud d
ualeTs methods .rtmpII.e eZceP
foIrrH wiIh the gaI.e.-af au alligator
There as thu been a great dimiH
utiOH Of tLe use Cf patronage fol
selfish ends. This dimiuuu0n Is steadily
going CD. and 10 time would c0nsigl
lbe evils 10 BE- rsmedisd o. the limbo Of
WTougs not needed b. bl c0gniZauie bg
law. ItWss 0l the hrst importance iI
the outset 10 tesf The ugW system broadly
enough 90 demonstrate ifs merits Wilh
out TiskiDg iis failure bY attempting t1.
much. Ex Commissioner EDsEET1,
weIl said Ia .lhe laWI could only b.
made acceptable ana eifiCacious by
gradual process and development Of iu
utility, and by strictly ecJnomiel
methods. In other and older nation
where similar lass have come into force
their adoption las ouly been edeate.
after great lapse uf lime through eX
ptHeICe and patient deiiberaiiou An.
aremUt 10 expand II psr stlau in thL
country. SO as 20 make 20 pergais al
the Departments Of The GoyeTumeu
and 10 make large appropriations %
The purpose necessary wers calculate
to make II m0rg oii9us Il mol 20 defs-
iI entirely
AN NJ he executive service cannot
CIae BE- taken en- of pu.uies buJ 10 n
meantime thg evils II spells can
greatly reduced by lhe sound example
public mlu and ihg spread of str1u
moral senliUau- lhe triumph Of Hgi
being q question 1f majority
Mr LuleE IS Inaccurate iu speakiu
of ne cCuiusi0u oi patronage oflc
nuh those under he Civil Service lal
sEeaI 81 ne most impor4ur ID
luIt5u euial provisions 9f the .aE e
teuI i9 NE luiirr public service. azseI
hEt me IiEhtef NJ TIiyais ell za8
iIestam fr.Ia ne g0efciou 0f & ut.I
lHfes. md ne rlghi 81 such Cldeers
freedom from lhe coercion Of parties Al