interest in
public affairs the commonweal can most conveniently spare. Indeed, our
political life would be in a much healthier condition if they did not
take any part in politics at all. There would be plenty of patriotic
Americans to devote themselves to the public good without such a
condition. In fact, there would be more of that class in regular
political activity than there are now, for they would not be jostled out
by the pushing hordes of spoils-hunters, whose real interest in public
affairs is that of serving themselves. The spoils system is therefore
not only not a stimulus of true public spirit, but in spreading
the mercenary tendency among the people it has served to baffle and
discourage true public spirit by the offensive infusion in political
life of the mercenary element.

The view that the spoils system with its frequent rotations in office is
needed to promote among the people a useful understanding of the nature
and workings of the Government, finds, amazing as it may seem, still
serious adherents among well-meaning citizens. It is based upon the
assumption that the public service which is instituted to do certain
business for the people, should at the same time serve as a school in
which ignorant persons are to learn something about the functions of
the Government. These two objects will hardly go together. If the public
service is to do its business with efficiency and economy, it must of
course be manned with persons fit for the work. If on the other hand it
is to be used as a school to instruct ignorant people in the functions
of the Government--that is, in the duties of a postmaster, or a revenue
collector, or an Indian agent, or a Department clerk--then we should
select for such places persons who know least about them, for they have
the most to learn; and inasmuch as such persons, before having acquired
the necessary knowledge, skill, and experience, will inevitably do
the public business in a bungling manner, and therefore at much
inconvenience and loss to the people, they should, in justice to
the taxpayers, instead of drawing salaries, pay something for the
instruction they receive. For as soon as they have learned enough really
to earn a salary, they will have to be turned out to make room for
others, who are as ignorant and in as great need of instruction as the
outgoing set had been before. Evidently this kindergarten theory of
the public service is hardly worth discussion. The school of