The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-03
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Ex-Secretnry Cox DIscOurses on the Subje
In the NNOrlh American KoVleNY,3

in the ''NOrIh American Review,
The following points are extracted from an
article by the eX-Seoretary of the Interior in
the forthcoming number of The North Anleri-
can ReUie11:-
What, then is the remedy? 1t is TO apply to the
civil service completely and thoroughly, the plain
principles OF common business administration; to
separate the public offices, absolutely and forever
from all favoTitism nepotism, and 'infuence; - to
declare patronage in all its forms to be antirepuo
ncan and dangerous to the State; to find and prac-
tice upon principle OF selection for Office which
shall give every citizen of the country per-
fectly equal chance to prove his capacity and
fitness for the public service; and to obtain posi-
ton in it when he has made the proof, with thor
ouRh independence OF President, Secretary, or Con-
gresham, and simply and solely because Of his cit-
ZeDship and his fitness. 1t is further, TO adopt in
the permanent civil service tenure OF office dur
ing good behavior, with the hope OF rising to the
highest grades Of the routine service by industry and
strict devotion 10 duty In brei, the principle to be
adopted is admission TO the civil service only upon
the results of competitive examination open to
all, and dismission Only upon ascertaned failure of
capacity or character.
Apart from the weight Of so decisive an authority
our own experience proves the necessity OF making
examinations competitive, because, in spite of the
law requiring general examination, our practice
has VIGOROUSLY and undcniably become no better
than If no examination whatever were required.
A spasmOdic effort to make the examination mean
something may be made when public sentiment is
for the moment aroused; but he must be dull in-
decd who does not see that when the
mere scratch OF pen OF the head OF
in favor of an applicant inluenually supported, and
nobody be at all the wiser for IT, there IS no security
undisguised forms of o1lce-jObbiDg. The objection
is often made by those who have given the subject
very superficial consideration that the successful
competitors in these examinations will usually be
boy fresh from school or college and that older and
better laen who have become "ruSty' in their
school knowledge will fail. The eya-
limitations in every well-regulated sys-
! knowledge most used in the bureau Itself is Jhat
y which counts for most in the competition. The
general education Of the applicant is tested, and
the only conceivable method OF doing that must be,
as Mill has remarked, to examine him upon the
topics of general education. But this is SO con-
Quoted as TO call out his special fitness for
the place Ve seeks if he has it, We may
assert, with the most complete confidence, that
competitive examinations are not only theoretically
the best method Of determining the qualifications OF
applicants for routine offices, but proven by the
experience Of our own departments, as well as by
that of other civilized nations, to be also the best
practical means OF seeming good civil service and
the more closely they are viewed
But how is IL as 10 tge freedom OF competition?
Should the examinations be open to all? Undoubt-
edly they should. By our hypothesis Ne have dis
cardeu the corrupt system bssed upon patronage
and influences and the only way is to make thorough
work OF 1t. We have declared t3at we are seeking
by means of compet' ton the best men that can be
procured for the places we have to I'LL To say that
| principle, and lug in by the shoulders
the very enemy we have been trying to expel-
namely, favoritsm and partiality in the selection.
! There are political places which must be distinctly
| and permanently recognized as such; but they do
not come within the list OF routine offices; and in
| the departments, at the seat of government, they
| would not necessarily include any one below the
rank OF CabiI ct officer. The practice or selecting
| from the adherents TO party always and neces-
| sarily leads to abuse.
! Tie English Government has already far out.
| stripped us in reform, making an accomplished fact
Of that which We who boast of our practicality are
still hesitating about 1t VIII be proud day for the
| American people also when one OF its statesmen can
tTuthfully take up these words and declare, I'VE,
too, have withdrawn patronage from the dominion
of party and given IL TO the people, Prussia had
| long since led the wey, under the guidance OF her
| Stein and her ScharnhOIst, and showed the world
| what could be done in making an intelligent people
by general education, and model civil and military
service by applying to them the rigid principle of
selection, without favoritism in the one or exemp
tiOn in the other.
There should be no controversy among the friends
Of civil service reform to the statutory means by
which the result is to be reached. Anything which
cipies Of open competition and permanent tenure
will serve as q rallylDgpont and can be perfected
as experience may demonstrate the practicable i'm
proyemerts. Mr.. Jenckes IN the House and Mr..
Schurz IN the Senate have ably contrived and adyo-
Gated the principle contended for in these columns
and the bills prepared by either would, II passed. be
eficient to destroy the abuse we are hightng. The
Executive would be charged with carrying into
! effect the measure that might be enacted, and the
heads Of departments, under the observation OF the
| friends Of the measure, and stimulated by public
sentiment manifesty growing rapidly stronger &.
support OF the reform, would undoubtedly seek with
earnestness for the easiest and most satisfactory
mode of carrying the principle into practice II
hesitation or obstruction should become apparent
the correction by legislation in detail could then be
easily supplied.
With great hesitation another and fin al advantage
or OF such a change is submitted, which we may moi
be permitted wholly 70 overlook. AS the Cabinet
would be before the country, where their acts
opinions, and views could not be concealed, Cabine
changes, like ministerial crises in other cOnstitu
tional governments, would carry with them thei
own explanation, and be freed from the degrad ins
gossip concerning personal motives aud character
and the compromising and contradictory stories o
newspaper 'inteI views which are now the Dan
and the shame OF American politics