Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21
THE DIPLOMATS TENURE
Forty Years Ago Richard Rush Urged Civil
Service Reform.
He FOresaw the PeriIs That Reset the
Government i'm the Qundrennial
Rush for the Offices,

Long before effort was made to secure
by legislation any sort of foothold for the
idea of civil service reform there were
those who foresaw. it's need and foretold
the evils of the spoils system. Prominent
in this apprehension of disaster to our
government through the insidious inf1u-
ence OF office seeking was Richard Rush
OF pennsylvania, whose views are distinct
~ set forth in an old letter published be-
low Mr.. Rush was the son of DR.. Benja-
min Rush of Philadelphia, one of the
slgners Of the Declaration of Independence
He was. like his father, statesman, and
had served in Congress, in the cabinet and
in the diplomatic service as minister to
Great Britain and to France. Probably
there was no more experienced man 10
politics and the methods of government
administration in his time than he was
Mr.. Rush was in his seventy-third year
and living near Philadelphia when he re-
celved, in 1853, letter from Mr.. Trescot of
the wing party favoring reform in the
diplomatic service. He made this letter
the occasion for the expression of the fol-
lowing views:
Il should go against all turnings out of
our foreign ministers consuls, except
Tor downright misbehavior or incapacjty
and could give, as I almost dare to per
suade myself, sufficient and solid reasons
for adopting that course, or rather COM
merry. The opposite course is intrinsically
unwise. 1t has done mischief, will con-
tinue to do it, and finally produce results
entangling and disgraceful to u.s. But our
public have got so Thoroughly wrong.
headed about the necessity of each new
PRESIDENT choosing his own foreign min
listers that an elementary discussion would
be required to bring back right thoughts
If even that could ever in the least he
hoped Tor. You wings are as bad as We
democrats. each side growing worse with
time In this battle for the SPOTS as the
four years come round; so that the suh-
Ject would be ticklish and staggering.
though not unmanageable If resoluteIy
taken up. Washington even thought that
there was. no need of choosing the heads
OF departments on party grounds He nut
Jefferson at the head OF one and Hamilton
or another, when parties were more dis
t1nctiy marked on principle than now, or
nave ever been since his day. jackson ad-
vised Mr.. Munroe to call to his administra-
ton two republicans or democrats and
two federalists. the latter name still exc
listing in his time. Washington's practice
ana Jackson's theory were right, under
the true theory Of our government The
very idea of a cabinet is out of place with
u.s. and the notion that it should be a unit
still more SO. This is for constitutional
moharcnes. where ministers. not the mon
arch, are responsible. but it has no legal
or constitutional existence here.
The very term cabinet is of party COIN
age The republicans of '9S complained of
Columns
Philadelphia Aurora might show If search
ed.
The utmost with us is that the Presf-
dent may. il he choose. require the opinion
In writing Of any one of his officers, but
all are to do their duty under his direction
Yet we have arrived at a code of uni
versal partisan prescription, which each
party seems equally to approve and prac-
tice under supposed necessity that every
new President is morally and wisely, If not
POLITICALLY, bound to employ as officers from
A to q. abroad and at home, those only
who hold to his opinions. This now es
tabifshed practice Of universal change
every four years. and the terrible contests
and corruptions to which it will give birth
In our presidential elections, the ratio in
creasing geemetrica1ly. as offices and emol-
uments grow more numerous and tempting
under the prodigious growth of our coun
try, must end In breaking the government
to pieces. So It Is that the choice cf the
chief magistrate has ever been the great
test OF popular government Thus much
have been melted to say In thinking of
MI Trescots vain hope Of bringing about
permanent appointments In our Diplomatic
Atlanta's Chief Of Polace De.A
Arthur B. Connolly. for sixteen years
chief Of police at Atlanta. Ga, died at his
home In that city at O'Clock vo.t.r.