The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-04
Civil Service Reform.

The proposition at Harrisburg to
classify certain employees of the COM
monwealth under civil service rules
suggests a few reflections upon a topic
of growing interest. There have been
few subjects not directly grounded in
morals which exhibit the striking in
crease in popular acceptance that char
acterizes the agitation for civil service
reform. Thirty years ago, the preacher
of the doctrine OF merit qualification
for public office would have received
a scant welcome in every large city in
the nation; while in the smaller towns
and villages the advent of such an
evangel Of good government was al
most an unknown circumstance. To-
day the leading men in our large cities
ties-those who truly lead in the arts,
the liberal trades and the learned pro-
fesslons-are enthusiastic civil service
reformers, while of those who cOunte-
nance the Jacksonian doctrine at all,
only one class of persons openly advo-
cate it, and this the class to whom the
mass of taxpayers owe the least; that
is to say, the men who make public
office-getting permanent and more or
less continuous profession.
The Jacksonan system rests upon
trulsm which has been Systematically
misinterpreted. ITO the victors." it de-
clares, belong the spoils." To the vic
tors, yes; but. pray. who are the vic
tors? Are they the handful of self-as-
sertive men in every community who.
by reason of their studious attention to
the details of caucus manipulation or
vote-polling, approach gradually to the
front in the necessary organizations Of
party sentiment; or are they not, more
properly, the great masses OF the peo-
pie, In whose behalf--at least theoretic-
ally-the battles Of politics are planned
and ended? If answer be made that
the true victors are rightly the pollti-
clans, then 1t follows that the masses
OF the people are to be excused for TAX
ing comparatively little interest in the
mere scrambles for personal perquisites
by Statesmen" In search of jobs into
which this answer, by sure course of
logic. transforms the now high-sound-
ing national and state contests between
the political parties. Whatever tho
nominal issue at stake in n given ap-
peal to the electorate, If the real issue
be nothing more important to the aver
| age American citizen than the deter
mination of the question (trivial to him)
| whether party worker John Doe, the
Republican, or party worker Richard
Roe, the Democrat. shall get the reve-
nues from berth in the postoflicc. the
| custom house or the federal depart
ment. can this citizen be justly blamed
for not taking the time from his busi-
ness or his pleasure to go to the polls to
vote?
Upon the other hand, II II be replied
that the people are the victors who,
even under Andrew Jackson's theory,
may fairly claim the spoils of battle
then it remains to ask of our long
triumphant spoismen why they do not
proceed to turn over the booty? If. In
a government by and for the people. the
people are the real benehciaries. why
are they treated to the constantly recur.
ring spectacle OF competent and expe-
rienced men. among their public ser.
wants, suddenly replaced by incom-
petent and inexperienced men--not sim.
ply in the high places OF responsible
leadership. but down through all the
minor ranks to the lowest subordinates