The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-07
gha 9ep @rltanA Gresfro.
The Civil Service Mn.
THE non. T. A. JENcKEs ON THE SUBJECT.

Boston Board Of Trade were filed recently by pub.
lie spirited citizens. who had gathered TO listen
an address by the Hon. Thomas A. Jenckes, oil
Rhode Island, on the Civil Service Bill" Am7nl
the gentlemen who composed the audience we're
Senator Wilson, ]. L6ihrop Motley, Mr. Garrisoa
Collector Russell, ex.Mayors Lincoln and Nor
cross. the hon. Frank B. Fay. DIR. Edward Jarvis
DR.. s. G. Howe, Charles l.. Woodbury., Samuel
Eliot Waldo Higeinson, John NJ. Forbes, William
Endicott, William Atkinson, and Others Tie
meeting was called to order soon after O'Clock
oy Ut. samuel Enot, president oil the association,
and he introduced Ex-Governor Washburn, who
took the chair and presided during the remainder
of the session.
On being introduced, Mr.. Jenckes said that the
measure wh,h he proposed to consider was not a
mere device speculation it had been prepared
and presented to the Congress Of the United States
as practical measure, ard one that has become
absolutely necessary in the administration Of this
government. He wished to present it to his audi
Ell ce, as to practical men, to let them understand
what he believed to be the true foundation of a
system, its proper working and its beneficial re.
suits. The number of names on what Is known as
the blue book in Washington. has increased from
IOO or 500, IN the time of Jefferson, to go 090 at
present. There are $1,000 postmasters, and three
or four thousand Of the grade nominated BY the
president, and confirmed by the Senate, which do
not come within the scope of this bill. The bill,
a. % p, would operate on "a 600 places with
within the scope of the bill Is described in the
Constitution as being inferior including those per.
81 na sSntsa BY the p5ssssR qSas Re
are practically appointed by the heads Of depart
ments, on the recommendations and nomiua-
tons given them by members of Congress or
their political friends who have placed them
under obligations In the states or districts
they represent. We ought to put in the
Offices by which the government Is administered
the best men fit for the places that be obtain
osition all agree. But how shall we get these
men Not by continuing the present system surely
for 1t Is full of inherent defects. All that is
known Of the men who apply for offices by the
heads of departments who appoint them to Office
is the recommendations they bring. These are
often false, and the result is, many are incompe-
tent to perform the duties of the Offices they hold.
The proposed measure meets this difficulty. II
does not undertake to break up the organic alton
by which the government Is carried on at the
present time, by Diminishing the officers who are
now in place it does not intend to produce any
check or violence in the administration whatever.
IL proposes to place commission of competent
men at the doors to examine into the fitness OF the
person who applies for one of these minor places.
Men are to be selected according to their fitness
for the post they are to occupy Having established
the measure which provides that all persons ad-
mited to Office shall be competent the xt ques-
tion is, who shall be admitted? In answer to that
the speaker said he would give the largest liberty
he would throw the doors open to al. Every
citizen of the United States Of the requisite age,
with the proper degree of health and character,
ing to perform the duties of the Office which he
seeks, shall be q candidate for admission. A blow
would then be struck at the root of everything
which could be called patronage. The proposed
measure would tend to emancipate every servant
of the republic from the servtude of Office; every
man who received a commission from the United
States would know that be received it from the
people; and be should hold il as long as he served
the people well and efficiently. BY this bill any
one. or class of officers, can be examined when
so requested by the heads OF the department; ;
and idle incompetent and inefficient men will be
weeded out, and their places supplied by those
who have better qualifications so that In the
course OF time we shall have men lin the public
service who regard il an honor TO be there. and an
honor also in the estimation of others. Under the
present system, the worst men seek the public
Offices; especially is this the case in New York,
and the Southern and some Of the Western cities.
On closing Mr.. Jenckes said he was ready to
answer any questions relating to the snbject of
which be had been speaking, and Mr.. Earle Of
Worcester inquired how he would have the CON-
missioners elected,
Mr.. Jenckes replied that they would be appoint.
ed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
But as the matter was OF great Importance, there
was provision in the bill that temporary COM
missioners might be appointed by the vice.pres-
dent with view to place them on prob 8tion and
ascertain their fitness for the place before con-
fImation.
Mr.. Earle-How long would you have the ten
ure of Office of these gentlemen?
Mr.. Jenckes-Five years is the proposition.
Mr.. Wilder inquired in relation to the compen.
sation to be made to officers under the proposed
law. The salaries of many public officers. he
thought, were insufficient to pay for efficient la
Dor. 20. .-r -r
Mr.. Jenckes said nothing had been matured in
relation to compensation. Competent men must
be obtained first, and then the next step to be
taken was to make just compensation for services
rendered.
Question by Mr.. Eudicott-Why do you not in.
clude the more impo rtant Offices those appointed
by the president and confirmed by the Senate?
Mr. Jenckes-There Is constitutional difficulty;
according to the Constitution, the appointment to
certain Offices is vested exclusively in the Senate.
Mr.. Ropes-What number of persons would have
to pass through this examination! i understood
you between 40, 900 and so 900.
Mr. Jenckes-There are about &3 900 persons
who would come within the scope Of this bill
Many of those now In service are doubtless COM
petent, and many of them are prevented from
doing their duties by association with incompetent
persons.
Question-What number of persons would it re-
quiIe to conduct these examinations Answer
The number required would not De large many
cases would require but little investigation, aud
one hundred cases could easily be disposed of in
dsy.
q. Would not a very large number present
themselves for examination for any Offices? A.
When fitness for the position was requisite for
examination the number would not be as large S.
at present.
Q. Would the sub-commissoners receive AIRY
compensation! A. They would have their ex-
penses paid. The number of sub-commissioners
would be determined by experience.
At this point Mr.. Hamilton A. Hill offered the
following resolution:
Resolred, That the civil service of the United
States requires to be Immediately and thoroughly
reformed, and that to this end every patriotic
citizen should give his earnest support and in
fuence to secure the passage by Congress at its
present session OF the bill introduced by the Hon.
Thomas A. Jenckes, providing for competitive ex-
animation, and for promotion in view of merit,
and thus putting an end TO the perniciOus system
of rotation in office, and the bestowment of place
as a reward for partzan services.
A memorial to Congress was presented to the
meeting for signatures, and a large number were
obtained, the list being headed by the name Of
Governor Bullock.
sPAN-77e Affair at Mdlaga-The Insurgents
Fire on an American BOdt-Hoto they are Re.
proceed TAX Of a Coup d Etdtf0r a Monarchy
cable dispatch, dated Madrid, January 2, SAYS
a special dispatch frem Malaga yesterday reports
that the nsnrsen there fred on boat of the
steamer Swatara, while it was conveying an
American family to the ship. Serrano expressed
he ar