Year: 1877

1


asks. What will lie do?


The opening signs are auspicious. Within
week Mr.. Hayes has written to friend IN
Congress words which, if he sticks to them.
will make his administration memorable
one for good in the country's history. he
wrote. II shall stand by the ideas outlined
in my letter of last summer. he sums
up his conclusions in these words:-


with civil service organized upon
system which will secure purity. experience.
efficiency and economy a strict regard for
the public welfare solely in appointments,
and the speedy, thorough and unsparing
prosecution and punishment OF oil public
officers who betray official trusts; with
| sound currency with education unsec-
| tartan and free to all with simplicity and
irugality in public and private affairs. and
a fraternal spirit of harmony pervadins the
people of all sections and classes, we may
reasonably hope that tho second century OF
our existence rs a nation will. by the bless
ing of God, be prominent AS an era Of good
feeling and n period Of progress, prosperity
and happiness"


The greater part Of his letter was taken up
with discussion of the vital question of
civil service reform. and in giving this the
first Importance and the largest share of his
thoughts Mr.. Hayes showed real apprehen-
sion Of the needs Of the country. 1t re-
quired probably, the bitter and dangerous
political struggle through which we have
just happily passed to convince the country
that we must have n reform, and thorough
reform, OF the civil service abuses if we
desire to preserve the peace and the free
institutions of the country. Even if we
could safely pass through another period
like the last six months the business inter-
ests of the country would not tolerate it.
The burden is uncomfortable. 1t is i'm
possible for nation to pass once in
four years through crisis, prostrating
all industry, shaking all securities,
stopping all business, and to know before
hand that this crisis must come, with nil its
enormous and unnecessary losses. No in
telligent people would expose themselves
knowingly to such periodical disaster;
they would far sooner change the form of
their government, and nothing is more
certain than that, if the country cannot
obtain reform Of the civil service abuses
in any other way, public sentiment
favorable to change in our institutions
will grow very rapidly. But that would
also be a great disaster.


| We hope, therefore, that Mr.. Hayes will
''stand' by his letter" in this matter un-
finchingly. He will meet with bitter oppo-
sition from the baser kind of politicians,
but he will have the people behind him. He
can rally to his support not only the better
elements of his own party, but the best and
wisest of the opposition will zealously aid
him. Senator Gordon, of Georgia, is one of
the most intelligent and earnest advocates
of civil service reform in Congress, and he
and other democrats will, we believe, join
zealously in any effort which Mr.. Hayes and
his republican supporters may make toward
the solution of this question. Both parties,
by their platforms, are committed to it the
nation almost unanimously demands it. But
we warn the new President that he will need
an immovable purpose to resist the organ
lied efforts of the politicians if he means to
succeed.


|
feel little apprehension. The remedy
there, at least for the most glaring abuses,
is so easily applied and SO generally de-
manded that we have no fears for the future
of Louisiana and South Carolina But a
thorough reform of the federal civil service
in the Southern States is one of the greatest
needs of that section The venerable ex-
| Or1o rs .svIo
when, last fall, he urged that Mr. Hayes if
elected, should put Southern men in
Southern Offices" No one can read the let
ter OF acceptance without seeing in it pur-
pose to do just this, and to redeem the
federal civil service in the Southern
States from the hands Of men who have no
root in the soil OF that region, no interests
in common with the people, but are mere
placemen, who have too long made Office
their sole livelihood and abused their places
for political purposes and intrigues. We
hope not to see under the administration of
President Hayes the scandalous spectacle of
q man like Packard at the same time United
States Marshal and chairman of political
State committee.


In his treatment of the currency question
much will depend upon the new Presidents
selection of Secretary of the Treasury. II
he calls to that important Office man igno-
rant of the question, or Of undecided opin-


ons or who looks upon the Office and its
patronage as n stepping stone to the Presi-
dency, he will find such m appointment an
obstacle hardly surmountnble in tn way OF
currency reform. We hope, therefore, he
will select for this post man who will sac
rifce political ambition to the service OF the
country, and who will have both knowledge
and will enough to devise and to carry out
plans for the early resumption of specie pay