Year: 1870

/


blame?"


Repeated Changing Of Government Clerk


and les Bad Effect.


1t is intimated that the pernicious custom,


which has grown up since Lincoln's time, O


changing clerks at the dictation of every Con-


gresham or politician of influence in the re-
publican party, costs the general government
millions year, besides imposing an unfair
amount of labor upon the experienced officials,
who find themselves compelled by the ext
gencies OF the service to do the work of the
green hands who are constantly coming and
going and confusing the public business. Before
the time OF Lincoln the lines of demarkation
separating the three branches of the govern
sment, to wit, the legislative, executive and
Judicial, were clearly drawn and fully under
stood. The legislative was left in undisputed
! possession of It's branch, and the executive
was undisturbed in the control and distribution
OF the public patronage. The President was
conceded the right to appoint whom he pleased
without consultation with Senator Tom, Con-
gresham Dick, or Governor Harry But now
every Senator, Congressman, Governor and
big State politician claims certain proportion
ate share OF the spols, so that if one State gets
feathers weight more than its quota there is
danger of an nternecine party war. Senator'S,
congressman, Governors and big politicians
claim this distribution, not as matter of
courtesy, but as an incontestable right, and
they exact the last pound of flesh with true
Shylock greed and with more than Shylock
success. They get their share, and the conse-
quence is that the public service has come to
be at the mercy of an unascertained number
OF politicians. If yesterdays pet does not
suit all the whims of Mr.. Politician to-day he
is summarily discharged from whatever posi-
ton he may ill and new and greener
appointee succeeds.


Under such civil service system how can
the public interests be properly cared for?
No sooner are men made acquainted with the
duties OF their Offices than they are dismissed
the service. AS matter of course the public
service Is entrusted mainly to an army of
greenhorns. Only few Of the chief clerks,
who are Indispensable for the purpose of
keeping the machinery properly oiled and
working, are constantly kept in office, and
frequently clerks Of this class are rooted out
to make room for some political fugleman or
nincompoop, who, through ignorance of the
duties deyolviny upon the place he is sent to
fill, becomes dead weight and detriment to
the public business.


To Illustrate the effect of this system on
some branches of the service we will take for
example the customs service, under which
there exist many Offices requiring the
most intricate knowledge of old laws,
customs and forms of procedure, call
ing for the greatest experience and the
most constant and unremitting study and
attention Four or five months ago the head
OF the Customs Bureau, finding confused
state of things prevailing in the warehouse
department, sent an eaborately prepared
series OF instructions and regulations to the
principal Custom Houses of the country, for
the guidance Of both Collectors and their sub
ordinates. The instructions and regulations
proved too much for the greenhorns in office,
and Washington official. thoroughly versed,
had to be despatched to New York, Boston and
Philadelphia to eniighten the thick headed
subordinates. This preceptor remained several
days posting all the clerks, leaving behind him
moreover written instructions for their guidance.
He returned to Washington, but soon after
Irregularities were noticed again, and re-
peated warnings and expostulations by mail
failed TO effect any Improvement. The official
was obliged to visit New York, Boston an d
Philadelphia again, and at each of the
Custom Houses in those cities he was sur
prised to find all the clerks in the warehouse
department changed. Not single one to
whom he had impaired information
remained in Office All were new clerks, who
had no more knowledge of the duties required
of them than greenhorn has of the Greek
grammar. They had been installed in place
of the men Of experience by Senator's, Con-
gressmen and big politicians


| Any rejecting person can see how loose
| public system like this offers premium for
fraud and plunder. There is no incentive for
working presented. The clerks are taught by
the fate Of their predecessors that knowledge
and experience are of no account, and that all
they have to consider is how long they may
preserve the good will of their patrons by po-
litical usefulness and how much they can steal
in the short time they are likely to remain in
| Office


Fall Prospects for NIusic and the Drama.


The fall prospects for music and the drama
are highly encouraging, to judge by the bril-
liant nrnrramma of the onenin0 spasnn which