Year: 1872

have = provision in the law that IN
towns Witha population Of less than
ten thousand, if there is but one editor.
in the town, the Office Of postmaster
shall be given to him. 1t there.
is more than one then the vote Of
the people, irrespective Of party,
shall decide between them aud tho
successful candidate shall hold the
Office for at least twelve years.


Thus an iuducement would be given
for the establishment Of newspapers in
small towns, and a resulting benefit be
afforded the people. Thus the great
mass Of the editorial fraternity would
bs rendered independent Of the chang
es OF administration and they would
thus, with their power and ability, and
knowledge Of events, become powerful
defenders Of popular rights, and serve
to keep political parties in the path Of
duty. It was said of old times, "it is
hard for an empty sack to stand up
right" and it is hard for a mau with
his bread and butter at stake to attack
the misdeeds Of those who feed him.
He sees arguments tor dishonesty in
the very eyes of his children.


And who has better claim upon the
community than the. editor whose pa
per is the teacher of the people the
link which connects it with the events
Of the busy world, as we'll as its expo.
nent before that world ?


have another reason for this sug-
gestion.


Tho politicians do not want any such
reform OF the civil service as I have in .
dicated. Othello's occupation would
be gone. 1t would be political suicide
for them. They will never accomplish
it until driven forward by an irresist-
ible impulse from the people. They
will make all kinds of excus es and re-
sort to all manner of delays. They
will shout for it before the people and
ignore it in Congress.


You, gentlemen, the editors of the
country, must drive them forward.
When they cannot buy you they fear
YOU more than anything else in this
world or the next. You have, and they
know it, the power to bloat mans rep
utation to lordly proportlons, and then
with a word you can puncture it until
the collapsed skin hangs round the
bones like garment. God help some
of these worlds great men when you
grow honest enough to let out your in.
ternal reflections.


Now I want to make you, gentlemen,
a party to this reform, by giving you a
share in the resulting advantages.
am convinced, so high is my opinion Of
you, that if you can save the liberties
of the people, reform its civil service,
and bless all mankind, without at the
same time Withdrawing your own snouts
from the trough, you will chcorfully do
so!


But it is said Will not such a re.
form create an aristocracy Of office hold
ers?


Do We fear an aristocracy Of servants
And are not ofice-holders the servants
Of the people?


Look at the officers Of the army and
navy and the coast survey. They hold
their Offices for lite, subject to removal
for dishonesty or malfeasance. Do you
heav Of frauds, rssoallity, defalcations,
among the regular officers in these de.
partments, although many of them
handle millions annually? :? They have
every human iuducement to be hon.
est, and none whatever to be dishon.
est.


Suppose our officers in the army and
navy were removed every four years
and new batch appointed'by the pol
iticians as reward for political ser.
vice Our army and navy would soon
become the laughing stock of the world
Instead Of remaining at their front.
ier posts or on their ships, they would
be rushing wildly o7er the country
taking part in political meetings, b :
ing up politicians, packing cauouses, and
dancing attendance to Representa-.
tives and Senators. And knowing
that in four years they would be
very likely to be kicked out, whether
honest or dishonest, they would steal
the roofs off the forts and the masts
ont Of the ships and present to the
world picture Of rascality and de.
moralization unheard of before in the
civilized world, and as grotesque as il
would be terrible.


And yet what reason can he given 70,
changing the postmasters, the customhouse &C
officers, the land officers, tho internal reve'
nue. officers, and the department clerks ir
Washington every four years that does no.
apply with equal force to tho officers o.
the army and navy and the coast survey
What have politics to do with the disoharg'
Of purely ministerial duties Capacit,
for the business assigned them is the sol
requisite. If they do not perform 1t the,
should be removed; if they do they have tb


same right as any other citizens to thei
political convictions.


General Washington in one Of his letters
says:


my friend-1 receive with cordial vel
come to my house and to my heart; bu
with his good qualities he is not man Of
business. His opponent with all his poll
tics so hostile to me is man of Business
My private feelings have nothing to do Will