The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-12-14
REFORM.

Il, rks in the Departments and IN the Capitol,
and in graduating their respective salaries, we
had intended to leave this part OF the subject
and devote few papers TO the reform which we
,h;nL m;oht be effected in other branches Of the
Government But suggestion from an ex-
change paper has induced US to quit for a mo-
mani our original intention to discuss one or two
practical questions concerning the appointments
70 eerkships This task we perform the more
readily, because by its present execution we hope
10 furnish some rules applicable to all appoint
ments, and the necessity will be precluded of
Jeiterating them in reference to any other por-
lion of the public service.
The present Executive and Heads Of the De-
patments, having declared their determination
10 be Jealous and active in the cause of reform,
II has been suggested that il would be useful TO
call their attention not only to defects in the
laws bu, to stimulate their efforts to correct
those practices which too frequently lead to the
appointmsn, Of unworthy or incompetent officers.
AS we have already said, Notwithstanding all the
strictness Of the law, and all the caution Of the
appointing power men totally unfit for the sta
non to which they aspire, will frequently be the
successful candidates.
II is said. in The first place. that Secretaries
100 often appoint men TO office, of whose ability
and character they have no positive knowledge.
If by positire is meant personal we grant that
such is the case nor do we see how it can be
otherwise. If Secretary appoints none but
those with whom he is personally acquainted, he
will be Justly obnoxious to the charge of favoring
his own personal friends. Nor is it probable
that all his personal friends wish office, or that
he has enough to fill all Of them. He therefore
most frequently relies on the recommendations
OF others and the knowledge derived from the
te .timony of gentlemen Of known responsibility
should be deemed, in our opinion, as good a
warrant for an appointment as the evidence &C
CURED by personal acquaintance. But knowl-
edge acquired either way is liable to error; nor
are we aware of any method by which the evil
which may arise from it can be corrected, unless
the Head Of a Department will put every candi-
date on trial for definite period, and BY fire.
quency Of direct intercourse assure himself OF
the competency of each individual
That from the impossibility of attending to
all the details of business, some persons, though
IN comparatively subordinate stations, acquiring,
no matter from what cause, certain degree
Of influence, have succeeded in making many
Of their family connections pensioners on the
Government, and in establishing a complete
system of nepotism is confidently alleged,
and perhaps TO a certain extent proved If
~ al ~ aff,c The in
fuence are competent todischarge the duties
entrusted to them, the force of the allegation is,
In our opinion, much diminished. But if they
are not, it acquires double force. To evince the
fact Of the wide prevalence of nepotism, our
attention has been directed TO the registers,
which show disproportonate number OF APP
pointments from the District of Columbia, and
total disregard Of the rule Of appointment es-
tablished for some branches of the service,
which ought, perhaps, TO be followed in all
We know not how to devise any plan for the
correction of this abuse, but by inviting the at
tention of the present Heads Of the Depart
ment, to the fact, and trusting to their zeal and
mpartality for the reformation.
Some Of our inquiries have elected the intor-
NATION, that great evil pervading large por-
ton Of the subordinate Offices, is the establish.
ment Of false standard Of merit When
these offices went into operation at the first or
ganlzauon Of the Government, the mount of
business performed in them was so limited as TO
be within the grasp of the Head Of the Depart
ment; all the assistance be required from his
clerks consisted in merely copying. But since
mat period, as the resources Of the country
nave b' come enlarged, the business in the Off
ces has increased and expanded so much as to
De more Than can be executed by any single in
olViduaL Much of the labor, therefore, that
formerly devo'ved on the Secretary, now falls on
some oil The principal clerks. Formerly to write
a neat and rapid hand comprehended the whole
'''e'i' u an ofhcer in one Of the Departments |;
now something more than mere. mechanical
SKIN Is wanted-talent and knowledge are re-
CURED Notwithstanding the change that has
'aSen place IN the character Of the duties per-
formed by the clerks, the ancient standard OF
excellence Is still retained AMONG MANY Of them
specially among the elder ones To write a
soou mana, constitutes in their estimation the
"no'e merit oil clerk. These ideas should be
femodeled-or al least every effort should be
nlaue 10 prevent the new iucumbents from i'm
o'olng the error-shoud we think the CONVEX
SION oil the older ones hopeless.
10 effect this object we know of no better
pan Than the one we have suggested-a com
"ee reorganization Of all the Departments,
win The classification Of rank and graduation Of
saiarIes' we have recommended. Let men of
"'"ng talent be selected for each class, and no
promise or rule be made of promotion from a
over grade TO higher as consequence OF