The Portland daily press., 1871-01-05
Ex-Secretery Cox on the Civil Service
a-..-.. ~ -. keI0rm.e. ~. ~

0WoAtVu VIII SAOou AutCACots vi tuC OiiC udilu,
the enemies of President Grant have hoped
that the late Secretary Of the Interior would
make digni6ed but vigorous attack upon the
man with whom he has disagreed; on the 9TH
er all patriotic men have desired to hear what
gentleman belonging 10 the better and more
honorable class Of American statesmen, who
have had special opportunity for investig ating
the subject he discusses, has to say GA a topic
that has engaged large share of public at
tention. Both class will be disappointed, the
former because the censure of Gen. Grant is
SO extremely general that forced and unnat-
ural construction alone can discover its pres
ence; the latter because it is not a contribu-
ton of extraordinary value to the existing
fund Of knowledge on the subject. With the
extent of the evils arising from the present
UNIFORMED civil service and from the APP
pointment of the subordinate officers of the
government on political grounds most people
are already pretty we'll acquainted, and Mr..
Cox tells them absolutely nothing new about
that part Of the subject, but there is much
that is both new and interesting in some of
his statements in regard to the experiments
lately tried in his depar -ment in the way of
competitive examinations and in some of his
arguments in answer to objections.
The following is graphic description of the
state of things under Mr.. Johnson's admins
tration: =.
A political difference Ibetween the Execu.
tive and Congress only increases the corrup-
ting elements. During Mr.. Johnson's admin
istration it was notorious that duplicity of the
most shameless description was used in OBJ
tanning an appointment from one end of the
= Avenue and confirmation from the other
It wonld be cons0lng 10 be able 10 believe
that still lower forms OF bribery and cheating
were made use of. In many instances two
wholly separate sets of recommendations and
credentials we're procured; one proving that
the applican W as faithful supporter of the
President and reliable friend in his contest
with Congress, the other proving him with
equal co1clusiveness TO be. radical of the
radicals and an ute despiser OF the Presiden-
tiai policy. More than this, it may be easily
proven that one or The other party was often
cognizant Of the fraud that was perpetrated.
and the partizans of either side congratulate
each other that an appointment or confirma-
ton bad been procured by which the other
party was completely cheated. To one who
was lat all acquainted with thu intrigues
then rife at Washington, it is no wonder that
speculation invaded every department of the
administration, and that maximum of tax
alton was producing minimum of revenue
The condition of things was one in which
honesty was chimera and fraud was reaping
its harvest. 1t was game of diamond cut
diamond, in which the two parties were US
ing all the resources and refinement of in
trigue to get the start of each other in the con
troll OF the offices whilst dishonest incumbents
were pIundering the people under the shelter
of a Tenure of-Ofice Act which seemed 10 be
skilfully adapted to remove every trace of re-
sponsibility from both the appointing and
confirming powers. The Republicans in Con-
gress were complaining that the President
refused to remove men who were indicted or
convicted in the courts, and the friends OF the
President retorted that the Senate refused to
consent to the removal Of others who were
proven to be plundeTers of the treasury on the
like evidence. 1t would be useless 10 inquire
whether either or both were right; it is
enough to state the undeniable fact, that
condition things existed which livalled the
most corrupt era that can be found in the |
history OF any nation. Men were known to |
offer five thousand dollars for the influence |
which might might secure an appointment to |
gauger's situation in the revenue service, |
where fifteen humid ed dollars was the limit of |
the pay that could be honestly earned, and |
when it was morally certain that the advent |
OF a new administration would terminate the |
employment within year. This is simply |
type of similar transactions extending |
through many grades ofthe public service.
Any examinations of applicants not COM
petitive is, in Mr.. Cox's opinion, of no practi-
cal value. He says:
Thus there has, been a law in existence
many years, directing that candidates for
|ected to a preliminary examination as to
heir intellectual competence. Yet this law
from its very enactment has been habtually
or the form OF an examination
under it made it the veriest farce. Instances
are told in the departments of the sum total
Of the examination consisting of a single
question, such as, "What did you have Tor
breakfast ?" or, "Who recommended you for
appointment? 'or, "Where would you go to
yet your pay at the end of the month";" Nor
ire these fanciful burlesques; they are simply
extreme instances of laXity so general, that
It may be fairly said that an examination has
hardly ever stood in the way Of the appoint
nent of person recommended influential
y" .
This statement as to the experiment in the
'iucIc UulCdeo vi IEO 1utClioI OcpdIG mtuJ |
$ so interesting that we give it without much
Ibridgment.
As far as the experience of any of our own
departments and bureaus has gone, the evil
fence is most decisive as to the value of the
competitive system. The condition of the
tatent once, at the termination of Commits
'loner Fishers recent connection with it, may
be confidently appealed to as demonstratiye
proof OF what we are asserting The class of
younger officers admitted under connetitive
is doing much mere and better
work than has been usually accomplished bv
men OF similarly brief experience in the Office,
No one could become even specifically ac.
1uainted with the organization of that impor.
ant bureau without seeing that a spirit of
emulation and zeal in their work had taken
he place OF listless and negligent perfvrm-
snce OF duty. A single fact may be mention
unique in the history of department admins
ration at Washington for the last forty years.
During the past year the place OF one of the
he salary being twenty-five hundred dollars,
nd the place regarded one of the most desir-
bic in the Interior Department The Com
missioner OF Patents announced that it would
e filled by a competitive examination among
he first assistants; and such was the general
of the firmness with which
be system would be adhered to, that not a
ngle application for the position was made
ther to the Commissioner or the head OF the
apartment during some three months that it
,mained open.