CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

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placed on a satisfactory For the good of the ser

The civil service can never be basis until it is regulated by law. vice itself, for the protection of those who are intrusted with the appointing power against the waste of time and obstruction of the public business, caused by the inordinate pressure for place, and for the protection of incumbents against intrigue and wrong, I shall, at the proper time, ask Congress to fix the tenure of the minor offices of the several executive departments, and prescribe the grounds upon which removals shall be made during terms for which incumbents have been appointed.

This imperative need of the day is admirably stated in Mr. Conkling's ringing words to J. H. Griswold in 1871: "Every one knows that the fittest step toward remedy and reform is to nominate the best men in the Republican party, and elect them to the Legislature and to the executive offices of the State; and yet men stand talking about Federal patronage, and differences among leaders, and personal feelings between individuals, and the like. What have such things to do with the duty of this hour? What do the people care about them? What should they care? Of what public consequence are the personal aims and objects and mishaps of individuals?"

There can be no question, that the mind of the people is made up to brook no delay in this matter; and whatever recommendations the President shall see fit to make to Congress in his first annual message, will doubtless be speedily acted on. Two bills were introduced into the last Congress deal

ing with the subject of civil service reform. Neither of them was pronounced unconstitutional or impracticable; and yet neither was ever debated, because Congress supposed the people were not in earnest or ripe for this matter. The Ohio Democratic Convention has led the way with a tenure of office plank in its platform; and the President will soon, it is hoped, be relieved by law from filling the 100,000 offices at present in his gift. Nominations to all the smaller offices should be made by the heads of those departments, under whom the appointees will serve, reserving always to the President the right of veto upon any appointment. Tenure of office should be enforced during competency and good behavior. Such a law would relieve the President from personally assuming, as now, the payment of the entire debt of his election, and enable him to attend strictly to the direct duties of his office. It cannot be questioned, that the standard of statesmanship would thus be greatly raised.

If, however, the voice of the people is not heeded by their representatives, there is no occasion for despairing of the wished-for result. General Garfield once said: "Whatever the people can do without legislation, will be better done than by the the intervention of the State or nation." But the people, in consequence of the power, which our republican institutions have placed in their hands, can, if they will, influence legislation. In them,

CONKLING'S DEFEAT.

509

rather than in their representatives, exists the sovereign power. If the present political parties will continue a meaningless struggle over dead issues, or a disgraceful wrangle over the spoils of office, let the people, forming a new party, push to success the needed reform, purify our institutions, and add to the glory and permanency of the Republic. On July 1st, the relations of the factions became strained to the last degree; and they so continued, until the month was three weeks gone. Conkling was eventually retired from political life by the election of Eldridge G. Lapham as his successor. Warner Miller was elected to succeed Mr. Platt; and the long, disgraceful struggle came to an end, bringing discredit upon those, who had precipitated it.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

S

A TIME OF TRIAL.

ATURDAY, July 2d, was as fair a day as usually comes with an American summer.

Though the heat was somewhat severe in Washington, the sun, that gilded the head of Columbia on the dome of the Capitol, was not unkindly in its fervor. At the White House that morning the President was early astir. He had many matters, that needed attention, before he left the city on an early train. His son Jim, who is quite a young athlete, came into his father's room, and deftly turned a hand-spring across the bed.

"Don't

boy.

you wish

you could do that?" asked the

"Well, I think I can," replied the President; and, after a moment's consideration, he placed his hands on the bed, and turned almost as neatly as his son.

At Breakfast, the conversation turned on the approaching trip to New England, the President had planned to attend the Commencement-exercises of his Alma Mater, Williams College. There had been arranged, in connection with this visit, a somewhat extended trip through Vermont, New

THE SECOND OF JULY.

511

Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, in which he was to be accompanied by Mrs. Garfield and three of his children, several members of the Cabinet with their wives, and other particular friends. Those, who were in Washington, were to start for New York at 9.30 o'clock that morning. They were to be joined there by Mrs. Garfield and several others of the President's party, who had been sojourning at Long Branch, whither Mrs. Garfield had gone to recover from a severe atttack of typhoid fever. The President was looking forward to the trip with eagerness and delight. He was the picture of perfect health, and his conversation was unusually bright and cheerful. After breakfast, Secretary Blaine came to accompany the President to the depot. The carriage was driven rapidly along the magnificent avenue to the station of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, at Sixth and B Streets. The few pedestrians, who paid sufficient attention to the passing carriage to recognize the happy occupants, smilingly lifted their hats to the Executive. The carriage halted at the B Street entrance. This leads to the ladies' room, furnished with fixed wooden settees, so arranged as to leave a broad passageway, about twenty feet long, from the outer door to the opposite side of the room. From this side of the room two doors open into the gentlemen's waiting-room. It is necessary to pass around the ends of the benches, either to the right or left, to

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