Bnowden.] OUo [Marcb 15, 



Without going deeper into the subject, in all its bearings, 

 or trespassing farther upon your kind indulgence, 1 think it 

 must he admitted that a civil service based upon so illogical 

 and uncertain a tenure, is defective in the extreme, and 

 should he replaced by one resting upon common sense, as 

 manifested in the usual business affairs of life. The opposi- 

 tion to a change from the present to a better system, conies 

 principally from those leaders of both parties who claim that 

 patronage is an important partisan weapon. But I am 

 clearly of the opinion that an honest and fair test of the 

 new s}'stem would satisfy even these persons, that they had 

 over-estimated patronage as a factor in partisan contests. 

 I think our political leaders would discern, like many an 

 intelligent man of the South has, by the great lesson of the 

 war, that, whereas he formerly leaned upon slave labor — felt he 

 could not exist without it — yet, when schooled in adversity 

 to self-trust and self-support, would not now return to the 

 same order of things, or repossess his slaves if freely prof- 

 fered him. Patronage is not always a power — and is oft- 

 times a weakness — and \ am convinced with some knowl- 

 edge and experience, that its influence is much overrated. 



Some of the grandest and most memorable contests ever 

 fought upon the political battle-fields of our country have 

 been fought and won without patronage, and indeed against 

 the whole patronage of an administration improperly used. 



The proposed change in our civil service would not only 

 elevate and increase its efficiency, but would eliminate much 

 that is venal, selfish and dangerous to the politics of the 

 country. This branch of the subject is too wide and far- 

 reaching in its results for more than a passing allusion to 

 this evening. 



Knowing the defects in our present service, and the evils 



