Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-01-25

and his fitness. 1t is further, 70 adopt IN tnN
permanent civil service tenure of ofhce
during good behavior, with the hope OF rls-
ing to the highest grades of the routine serY-
ice by industry and strict devotion to duty
In brief, the principle to be adopted IS ad-
mission to the civil service only upon the
results of a competitive examination open e
all, and dsmissiOn only upon aseertalned
failure of capacity or character.
Apart from the weight of so decisive an
authority, our own experience proves the
necessity of making examinations cOmpetl-
tive, because, in spite of the law requiring
a general examination, our practice has no
toriously and undeniably become no better
| than if no examination whatever were re-
quired. \ spasmodic effort to make the ex-
animation mean something may be made
when public sentiment is for the moment
aroused but he must be dull indeed who
I docs not see that when the mere scratch OF n
/ pen of the head of a department or a bureau
may decide in favor OF AN applicant lnfuen-
tally supported, and nobody be at all the
wiser for it, there is no security at al against
return ut any moment to the most undls-
gused forms Of oihce-jobbing. The objection
IS often made by those who have given the
subject a very superficial consideration that
the successful competitors in these examina-
tions Will usually be hovs fresh from school
or college, and that older and better men
who have become - rusty " in their school
knowledge will fail. The examinations IN
every we'll regulated system are 50 ordered
that the specific knowledge most used in the
bureau itself is that which counts for most
in the competition. The general education
Of the applicant is tested, and the only con-
ceivable method Of doing that must be, as
Mill has remarked, to examine him upon the
topics of a general education. But this is
I. n
for the place be seeks, if he has it. We
may assert, with the most complete conf
dence, that competitive examinations are not
only theoretically the best method Of deter
mining the qualifications of applicants for
routine Offices, but are proven by the expe-
rience of our own departments, as well
by that of other civilized nations. TO be also
the best practical means of securing good
civil service, and the only refuge from evils
that become more intolerable the more close
ly they are viewed.
But how is it as to the freed0m Of compe
tition Should the examinations be open to
all Undoubtedly they should BY our
hypothesis we have discarded the corrupt
system based upon patronage and influence
and the only way is to make thorough work
Of it, We have declared that We arc seek
ing by means of competition the best men
that can be procured for the places We have
to i'll. To say that will have to stop at po-
litical lines is to discard our principle, and
lug in by the shoulders the very enemy we
have been trying to expcl-namely, lavorit-
ism and partiality in the selection. There
are political places which must be distinctly
and permanently recognized rs such but
they DO not come within the list of routine
Offices and in the departments. mt the scat
of government, they would not necessarily
include any one below the rank Of Cabinet
officer. The practice ot selecting from the
adhercnts to party always and ncccs -arlly
leads to abuse
The English Government las already far
outstripped as in reform, making an ac-
complished fact of that which We, who boast
of our practicality, are still hesitaung about.
II will bc proud day for tile American
people also when one Of IT. statesmen can
truthiully take up these words and declare,
A. We, too. have withdrawn patronage from
the dominion Of party and given II to the
people" Prussia had long since lei the
way. under the guidance ot her Stein and
her Scharuhor-t. and showed the world what
could be done in making an intelligent pco-
pie by general education, and q model civil
and military service by applying to them the
rigid principle of selection, without iayorlt-
ism in the one or exemption in the other
There should be no controversy among the
friends of civil service reform 10 the stat
utory means by which the result is 10 he
reached Anvihin. which distinctly and
Enthusiastically cnounces the true principles
OF open competition and permanent tenure
will serve as a rallying-point. and can be
perfected as experience may demonstrate the
practicable improvements Mr.. Jenckes IN
the IIuuse. and Mr. Schurz in the Senate, I
have ably conceived and advocated the prin-
ciVlc c0nteRded for in these pages, and the
bills prepared by either would, II passed, be
efficient To destroy the abuse we are fighting. .
The Executive would be charged with carry
ing into effect the measure that might bc
enacted. and the heads Of departments, un-
der the observation of the friends oi the
measure and stimulated hy public senti-
Iucnt manilcstly growing rapidly stronger I
in support Of the reform. would undoubtedly
seek with earnestness for the easiest and .
most "a satisfactory mode Of carrying the Prin-
ciple into practice If hesitation or ohstruc-
tion should become apparent, the correction /
by legislation in detail could then he easily .
supplied
With great hesitation. another and final
advantage OF such a change is submitted,
which may not be permitted wholly to
overlook. AS the Cabinet would be before
the country. where their acts, opinions, and
views could not be concealed, Cabinet
changes. like ministerial crises in Othe- con- /
stitutonal Governments, would carry with /
them their own explanation, and be freed /
from the degrading gossip concerning per
sonal motives and character, and the COM
promising and contradictory stories of news
paper interviews" which are now the
5ane and the shame of American politics.