Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-01-20
APPOINTMENTS TO OFFICE.

I hS Vi ouA tACHsiiiSe % suggests That
the Inauguration of General Grant
will furnish 9. happy opportunity for
the Introduction of the Civil Service
System, as. the same has been elabo-
rated by the Hon. Thomas A
Jenckes, cf Rhode Island. The Civil
Service Bill is founded upon the idea
/ common among merchants and man.
uIacturers, and never disregarded,
1 that when one gets a good clerk
| salesnan, porter, OF workman, the
WdlcIous method is to continue him
III his employment, as long as he is
1 willing to serve, WITHOUT reference to
what his opinions may be upon po-
Htlcal, religious or social mat ters.
Merit in their positions among his
employees is what the majority of
sensible persons look for, and having
attained that, they know that they
are we'll served, and they are entire
l1y satisfied. But in the service of
/ the United States, and of the sepa-
rate States. indeed in all service OF
/ a pubsie zcharactery which is trans
| acted for and in the name oi the peo-
/ fsie, sI'S inquiry now days il, not
| that which was once Insisted upon
by Thomas Jefferson, "is he hone@ t,
is he capable ?" The onlyA question
seeAls To be, Does he belong to oUR
party? He may he As honest as the
sun, which comes 10 perform his duty
every day and he may be as capa-
hle Ia amy person living to execute
the business on hand but these adj
| Vantages are of no account, in COM
parison To the settlement of the ques-
tion whether he voted for this Inan,
or that, at the last general election. If
the very competent man is an appli-
| cant for an Office, but belongs To the
party which has been beaten at the
| polls, his attempt will he pronounced
| lttle short of iunacy. IL the very
| competent man happens to he in Of
4 flee he may be sue that a soon as the
| party, the ticket of which le did moi
| vote, gets into power, lac Will br
turned Out OF his situation. The
odds a.se very heavy that his success
sors viii be totally ignorant of what
he has To do, and destitute OF quick
ness and adaptatiHty. The chances
/ viii be that lie will make very awh-
ward mistakes, ami perhaps do some
| great injury by his Want Of know +
edge; but This viii be compensated
| for, by the fact that the dominant
| party has its men in office, and that
office is not contaminated 10y :, linoer-
| ing wretch, however, competent,
| who might have belOnotd to the on
/ position
| our rules in relation 10 Official ser
| vice are like those which once exist
| eel in India in their social life, Wheu-
ever :, husband died they burnt his
| Wife alive. 80 our political reguia-
| tlonS require thai We shall have Il
national sattee every four years, to
| W hich We condemn all unfortunate
IL. 4 a.
position BY the Indian custom
many a good wife has been de
Stroyed; and by the American Gus
tom, many a good officer has been
displaced, in order 10 give way for Il
| very bad one
One great idea which the Civil
Service Dill enforces is, That the Gus
| tom shall ce done away with 1t
| proposes that there shall be an end
OF appointing politicians 10 civil ser
vice for no other reasons than that
they are politicians. 1t proposes that
no one shall bc appointed to office
who has not been examined as To his
proficiency by Board of Experts and
who has not passed a full examination
| with credit and satisfaction. Should
this be the case, he Will be entitled
To acceptance in place in which
there is u vacancy, and to promotion
at the proper time. He will be in
sured that he shall not be disturbed in
his situation as long as he behaves
himself well. lie viii have an induce
ment 10 behave himself we'll. He
will know that his place is secure as
long rs he is faithful. 1t Will be
To his interest to be faithful. He
will not consider his Office, as too
many NOW do, to be "A windlul. offer
ing him the opportunity to make
himself rich--a license, in fact to
pIunder the public-and to make hay
for himself while the sun shines. II
would he gloriousit the new admin
istration would put the principles oi
the Civil Service Rill in operation
but how can there be hope of any
such result when We reflect that Con
gressnien are politicians - 'hirag0
Journal OF Commerce.