Was Garfield a supporter of civil service reform?
Indeed, the reform of our civil service was a matter of profound importance to me, a cause I pursued with earnest conviction. The spoils system, which rewarded partisan loyalty over competence, was, in my view, a grave impediment to efficient and upright governance. I believed that public office should be a trust, earned through merit and dedicated to the public good, not a reward for political maneuvering. Elevating the standard of public service was essential to ensuring that 'the government is not a master, but a servant' of the people, acting with integrity and skill.
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