The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-07-16
A Practical Reformer.

class or our fellow citizens IN the
right direction.-I0ledo Blade.
-.sa A Practical Reformer.
/ Washington Correspondence of the Worcester
Gazette.l
One of the newest ofnew men bro't
to Washington by the Grant admin
lstration is Col. Fisher. Commission
er of Patents. In some respects he
is not man of these times but of the
coming times. He has ability and
modesty- "Prototype of the futurel''
say to him as / see him setting at
his desk, ''you little dream what a
crown OF public and private blessing
yon are weaving for your own wear
liDg!' Rather, | should say this if
! spoke what is so often in nay mind.
As it is, admire him in silence, and
print these paragraphs in the Gazette.
The rest of us are debating wheth-
er or no the Civil Service Bill is a
good thing, and whether, if it be a
good thing, it can be put to practical
use. Now there is man who has
already put that measure into vigor-
Gus operation. Isn't he one of the
saints of the coming time? He
iidn't debate, he didn't haggle, he
did Int postpone to a more convenient
season. He gives up q legal prac-
Ftice worth SIS 900 annually to take
this place with salary of "a 900
Why? Because he believes that
every good citizen owes something
to the public, because he is one of
foremost patent lawyers in the eoun-
try, and he believes he can do some
thing beneficial to the country in the
dali Patent Bureau. He has theo-
~, somewhat novel, l grant you, but
one of interest nevertheless-it is,
that public good should lie at the
foundation OF all public service
QQite an ,iconoclast, assure you;
and Just the man to set the machin-
cry of the Civil Service Bill in oper-
atlon.
His chief'examincrs are appointed
by the President with the consent of
the Senate, and of course he can not
touch them. But every one else in
his office is prepared to speak from
experience as to the workings of the
Civil Service Bill. He has examin-
ers OF patents-three of them are also
examiners of clerks; and every clerk
in the bureau, man or woman, has
been carefully examined in all
branches of study, the knowledge of
which is necessary to an intelligent
performance of outy. Take an ex-
ample! The other day he had three
vacancies in the position OF Second
Assistant Examiners of Patents
there were over a hundred persons
on his lists strongly recommended
for this place by politicians and
obliging friends it was advertised
for fortnight that On a certain day
applicants would be examined as To
their fitness and capacity; when the
given day came, only seventeen per-
sons appeared as contestants. The
examination occupied two whole
days; the three gentlemen who pass
cd the most creditable examination
got the appointment, and the whole
lying mass of Recommendations
lies untouched in the pigeon holes OF
the Commissioner desk. There is
the Civil Service Bill nailed to the
door of his room, and marked sap
proved" in letters so large that he
who runs may read.
He is not a noisy talker about tenn
perance, but il there is a temperance
bureau, anywhere in Washington, it
is In the rooms under his control
. No man can do his work well if his
head is muddled with liquor" he
said TO me one day; 81 can't prevent
men from drinking, but shall not
have any drinking men in my bu-
reau.''' y clerk was reported to him
for habits of intoXication he quietly
examined the young mans work,
found it excellent, and sent Tor him.
''Air. Blank, I've looked into your
casc You do your work with entire
to your chief and to me;
put last week you were absent two
lays, and week before last you work
ed only five days; l am told you are
n the habit of going on spree about
)nce week; / don't want to dis
Miss you-you are q young man of
and you have promising
uture ii you'll let liquor alone; I'd
much rather save you than discharge
should like To help you be-
'ome man; can't you give up liq-
ior? You must, If you remain
lere" The talk lasted half an hour
lit was the tender and pleading talk
,f wise father to an erring son. 1t
ook place five or six weeks ago
hat young man has not touched 8
Irop OF liquor since. Another case
5 that of an examiner--they talked
s brothers might talk; and be, too,
) apparently saved 10 better man
Ood. What are we coming to, when
here is even one official who deals
nth his subordinates in this fashion,
But, as / said in the beginning,
'ol. Fisher is not so much a man of
hese times as of future times.