necessary, and the incumbent discharges
its duties satisfactorily, there should be no needless change. A
citizen accepting a public trust, and doing his duty faithfully, should
be allowed to enjoy his manhood and be protected from the exactions of
a superior power. If, as has been asserted, "no vacancies" greet the
eyes of applicants for places in Washington, it is a hopeful sign and
most praiseworthy.

When vacancies do occur, or new offices are created, some competition
among the candidates for employment would ensure more efficient
service. Superiority of parts or attainments is a better qualification
for bureau or clerical duties than activity in a ward meeting. Men of
the best energy and capacity are not likely to be obtained by an
arbitrary partition of places among the districts whose representatives
sustain the Administration. England has reached the competitive test by
slow steps. Employees in the several departments were, for a long time,
clerks to the minister, and were paid out of the fees received from
those who had business with the department. The sale of offices and
exaction of fees occasioned serious abuses. By several acts of
Parliament in this century, a civil service has been established, a
public status assigned to clerks, and their salaries are now paid out
of the public exchequer. By the test of competitive examinations, and
by placing on a better basis the relation betwixt public servants and
the nation, the service has been much improved.

The application of some competitive test for certain grades of office
might be supplemented by requiring the President, in all cases of
nominations to the Senate to fill vacancies, to state the reasons for
removal, if any had been made. Laws might be passed modifying the
absoluteness of the right of removal. In 1789, in a discussion in the
House of Representatives, Mr. Madison said:

To displace a man from office whose merits require that he should
be continued in it would be an act of maladministration, and the
wanton removal of meritorious officers would subject the President
to impeachment and removal from his own high trust.

The Constitution of the Confederate States had this provision:

The principal officer in each of the executive departments, and all
persons connected with the diplomatic service, may be removed from
office at the pleasure of the President. All other civil officers
of the executive departments may