The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-09
Jenckes' Civil Service Bill.

influence congress. ......
Jenckes' Civil Service Bill.
From the N. r. World.
But The essential work the bill proposes to
do is to prevent the appointment OF incompe-
tent persons to subordinate positions In Inc
providing that sll such appointments snail be
made from among those persons VINO can prove
Appointments to Office in the executive
departments are now generally made on the
especially of members of Congress- with no
reference at all TO competency. Tue best
chance whatever of getting into the civil ser
vice of the country, under the present system,
without political IL fluence. Evening Post.
There can be no doubt that the Civil Service
bill OF Mr.. Jenckes is based on a theory which,
If not Overworked, will be useful in practical
operation. But ii the measure is to be per-
manent, it is important that the country shall
not be misled as to what has already been
done by law in the way of competitive exami-
nation. II appointments are now made to
Office in the executive departments "with no
reference at all to competency" as the Post
asserts, there is palpable violation of existing
laws on the subject. Ever since March, 1853,
there has been upon the Federal statute book
law arranging clerks into four classes, with
fixed salaries, according to class, varying in the
relation of nine, twelve, fifteen, and eighteen.
The act OF 1858 also provides:-
mo CLERK shall be appointed in either OF the
four classes until after he has been examined
and found qnalihed by board, to consist OF
three examiners, one of them to be the chief Of
the bureau or office into which he is to be sp-
pointed, and the Two others To be selected by
the head of the department to which the said
clerk will be assigned"
If a law can prevent the appointment of in
competent persons to subordinate positions,
why is not the above adapted to the end in
viewi 1t certainly contemplates a proving of
ata sEpnA foir axaf ltrlut tiny,1 M
Republican will assume that General Grant
will be found wanting as an executor of this
law. Take, for example, the Treasury Depart
ment. He will appoint a competent Secretary
for that branch of the government who is
mindful of the law of 1858, and will be careful
in selecting two fit persons to be members of
the examining board; and the President him
self wi look to see that there are competent
chiefs of bureaus, one of whom is to be the
other man. No man, certainly, can be more
interested in having suitable subordinates than
the chief who is responsible for his bureau.
1t may be said that the existing law fixes no
standard of competency, and that thus far the
examining boards have made it too low.
Granted but General Grant, with his heads
of departments, can easily remedy that diff
Guilty.
We think, however, that when we come to
require very high standard of qualifications
we shall find existing salaries altogether in
adequate. We remember that when the late
Mr.. Odell was in the Naval Office of the Gus
tom House OF this city, he had one or two
vacancies to fill. The duties to be performed
required accuracy, expertness, and fidelity as
an accountant. He set high standard of
fitness at first, but in the end he was compelled
TO abandon it because banks and mercantile
houses would pay twice as much salary as the
| Government allowed.
1t is undoubtedly true that the larger share
| OF Government offices, outside of the incum-
bents who are confirmed by the Senate, do
not require for the due discharge of their
functions a very high order of capacity. In
tegrity ia always needed, of course. The
! range of work of each clerk is, however, ex-
| tremely limited; and the danger is that, il
men are appointed to the inferior places who
are really above the work they are required
to perform, We shall get class of very annoy
ing people in Office, who will poster ktheir
superiors for promotion and Congress for
more pay.
| 1t may be said that removals for political
causes are wrong. Here again General Grant
is all powerful to make a reform. Bat, some
one replies, how can we expect the new Presi-
dent to retain in Office men who have honestly
questioned his fitness, and so have every mo-
tive to embarrass his measures of reform
How, we answer, will Mr.. Jenckes' bill remedy
or prevent this state of things2 Suppose
his bill becomes a law, clerks are appointed
under it, and at the next Presidential election
these clerks take the same course towards the
successful candidate and his party as the
present clerks may have done towards Gene
raj Grant Do we not at last come down Il
this, that 1t is impossible to prevent the re.
moval of Government clerks who will not bs
content with voting, but must make them
selves during elections noisy, brawling, ye
nomOus partisans 7
And, besides, We are of opinion that with
proper salaries, all this fioulty about incom
petent clerks will disappear il we can have
the right men ia high places. A good chief o.
bureau will demand good clerks, and good
head of department will see that he has them
We do not intend to decide here dogmati
cally upon the merits or demerits of Mr.
Jenckes' bill, but only wish to suggest topic;
of thought and discussion in reference thereto
The Personnel of the New Parliament.
From The London Saturday ReUiew.
Mr. Gladstone has long promised himsel
and the country that our affairs would be con
dUoted under "mOre earnest r6gime" wher
we had new Parliament. We are already in
a DOsitiOn 10 ae0artain Whathar this anticina.