President Grant has formally abandoned the attempt to im- prove
the Civil Service of the United States. He had threatened that if Congress would not legislate on the subject before dis- persing, he should regard its inaction as a disapproval of his proposals. Congress nevertheless dispersed without taking up the subject, and the Government has dissolved all the Examining Boards. The effect of this decision is to leave all offices what- ever to be scrambled for at the next election by all persons, competent or incompetent, and immensely increase the bitterness of the contest. All officials must work to secure the return of friends of the White House in order to secure their places, while all who wish for office must aid the Democrats, who alone will put in many new men. It is not improbable that with the next President we may see a complete change in all United-States offices, from the Minister in London down to the smallest postmaster. There is no reason to doubt that President Grant was at first sincere in his desire to reform the Civil Service, by making of it a kind of army, with admission by qualifications and no dismissals : but the steady dislike of the Senators, who want the patronage for their supporters, has beaten him in the end.
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