The Days of a Man 1881 



below, and those who vote the straight ticket as 

 mere serfs at the bottom. The only remedy, it 

 seemed to me, lay in the adoption of the merit 

 system in administrative and clerical positions. A 

 competitive examination would not, of course, test 

 the real worth of men, but if honestly carried out 

 would eliminate the political poison involved in the 

 assumption that "to the victors belong the spoils." 



Merit, We are told that the merit system would give us an aris- 

 not . tocracy of office holders, a dangerous thing in a republic. An 

 politics ar i s tocracy of collectors, clerks, and letter carriers? These 

 are servants of the people. Must we keep them always on 

 the verge of dismissal to humble their pride? The methods we 

 contend for are in the main still in use in our schools. Have 

 we an aristocracy of school teachers? The case is exactly 

 parallel. Clerks, teachers, collectors, postmasters, letter car- 

 riers the nation wants faithful service, and no more. The 

 laborer is worthy of his hire, and the right to vote as he believes, 

 without compulsion, should not be denied him. . . . 



The remedy lies with the people. Let us think as well as 

 vote. I have for some time kept a black list of men in my 

 party for whom I will never cast a vote. This list is already 

 growing long; but if I did my duty as a citizen better, it would 

 be longer still. Let all earnest men, Republican or Democrat, 

 keep such a list. Let us watch our representatives more closely, 

 and guide our votes by theirs. They will bear watching, and 

 it may influence them. Already the pencil of the scratcher is 

 felt as a purifying influence. The independent voter is the 

 one thing the machine cannot stand. When the people are in 

 earnest as to Civil Service Reform, the reform will come, 

 slowly, unwillingly, but still it will come. We are not 

 mocked forever. 



Two Presidents we have had, in these later days, of stature 

 worthy to be called statesmen. One fell a martyr to slavery, 

 the other to our deformed Civil Service. " Strangulatus pro 

 Republica!" Slain for the Republic! And shall the Republic 

 stand idly by and heed not the lesson? Shall Garfield's death 

 be only loss? 



C 314.3 



