Year: 1871

[9peech of tie Hon. Carl Schasrz IN the


United States Senate january, 81 III


The Senate having under consideration
the bill to relieve members of Congress
from importantly and to preserve the in
dependence of the different departments
of the government


Mr.. Schurz said: Mr.. President,
sympathize most heartily with the Sena-
tor from Illinois (Mr. Trumbull) as to the
object he means to accomplish by this
bill. At the same time I must confess
that there was one objection brought
forward against it that struck me as for
cibIe. 1t was this that if we absolutely
prohibit members of Congress from CIV
ing advice to the President with regard
to appointments to Office, then the
President will be deprived of that source
of information which, as long as the pc
sent loose system of filling offices csntin-
ues, can be better depended OF than any
other; while, on the other hand, if an
amendment be adopted like that offered
by the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Nor
ril), which makes it possible for the
President to put himself, at option, in
eonhfhnication with Congressman, asking
for their advice, then it would be consid-
cred rule of courtesy that he should do
so IN all cases where member of Con-
gress agrees politically with the admins
tration an omission would be considered
an unfriendlY act, and the present prac-
tlce would not be materially changed. II
Is evident, therefore, that if we desire to
effect change in the direction pointed
out by the Senator from Illinois, we must
put another source of information from
which the appointing power can obtain
the necessary advice in the place of that
which we take away and this circum-
stance, it seems to me, opens the whole
question of civil service reform. We
have been listening to some very inter
esting speeches on that subject, some ex-
patiating upon the excellence Of the meth
cd in which at present the departments
at Washington are conducted, some ar
guing that great many of the evils exis-
ting cannot be cured by reform. Sir, in
my opinion, the question whether the de-
partments at Washington are managed
well or badly is, in proportion to the
whole problem, an Insignificant question
after all. Neither does the question
whether our civil service is as efficient as
it ought to be cover the whole ground
The most important point to my mind is,
how we can remove that element of de-
moralization which the now prevailing
mode of distributing Office has introduced
into the body polite. A long familiarity
wish existing abuses is apt to blunt the
keenness of our perception and the nicely
of our moral appreciation. We are look
ing with exceeding leniscy at abuse:
which, from our early days, we have beer
accustomed to see every day and in which
the force of circumstances made US par.
ticipate; and in order to Judge of theil
true bearing it is sometimes necessary
that, so to say, we should transport
ourselves out Of ourselves, so as to obtain
a perfectly independent, impartial, anG
objective view of this. Let me suppose
that you, Mr.. President, although being
born in this country, had left it wher
still young. You had studied the theory
of our government; you had become i'm
bued with its principles, your mind haC
become saturated with the teachings o
the fathers of this republic, but you haC
not become familiar with the workings O
our political machinery in detail Ther
you had gone to study the theories anC
observed the practice of other govern.
ments in different parts of the world
Imagine then you had come back to thil
country about the 4tk Of March of the
year after Presidential election which
had resulted in a change of party control
You would at once hasten to the capita
of your country. You would bring with
you an exalted idea of the greatness o
this republic, of its tremendous extent, O
its gigantic resources, Of the multifarioui
interests which are involved in its politi
cal life, of the great history and noble
qualities ofits people, of its great mission
in the history of the world. You come
here to Washington to witness the specta.
Gle of the Inauguration. You see the
President standing in front of the Capt..
tol, and before him an immense multitude
and you behold that grand and simple
scene in which the President lays before
the people of the United States those
principles and views of policy which are
to guide him in the administration o.
public affairs-a scene grand, simple, and
in imposing harmony with the nature oi
our institutions. So far your mind re-
ceives impressions corresponding with
the convictions you had previously FORM
ed. But you spend some time at Wash
ington, after having viewed this interest
ing and grand spectacle. Presently it
strikes you that upon the avenues and in
the hotels and at all public places you
meet a motley throng with anxious eyes
nervous movements, curious expression
of couutenance. Gradually you learn to