Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-08

The civil service commission, it is said, has
Substantially finished its iabors. The outlines
Of general plan of reform have been settled,
a. d ii only remains to perfect its details, which
will occupy some time, and require, probably,
many mutual concessions Of individual opinion,
but will involve no difficulties that cannot be
overcome. From what has transpTed of the
proceedings thus far, it appears that the mem
bers of the commission have been able to agree
upon the general principles Of the reforms to be
proposed. The gentlemen composing the com
mission have been iudiciouSy selected, so as to
include theorists and men of practice, men
who have been earnest and influential advocates
of reform in this direction, and may be pre-
sumcd to have given much thought to the sub
iect of deyising plan theoretically adapted to
cure the defects of the present system, and men
who have had experience in administering the
latter, and know just where it works badly in
practice, what parts of it may be wisely retained,
and what would probably be the effect of any
proposed changes. While the qualifications OF
the members thus combine theory and practice,
they are all admitted to be honest, sagacious,
and reasonable men.
Such qualifications as these are needed for the
work they have to do. 1t is no light thing to
undertake the reorganization of system which
employs thousands of men in a great many
kinds Of work, which has for years been an ac-
tive influence in our politics to such an extent
that it has become almost impossible for active
politicians TO conceive of political canvass nm
affected by the distribution of executive patron
age. Besides its inherent difficulty, doctrinaries
have befogged the subject by insisting each that
his nostrum is the only remedy for admitted
evils, and at the same time may nullify these
evils, and representing them to be other than
they really are, and others, controlled by con-
sentative instincts, or by their interests, insist
just as strongly that the present system is very
nearly perfect Or at least, the best possible in the
present imperfect condition Of human society.
In addition to these elements of perplexity, the
commissioners had to meet at the threshold a
legal and constitutional objection which threat
eued TO nullify all their efforts.
10 view of all the obstacles with which their
way was beset fine work of the commissioners
should be regarded very considerably, and if
their plan is less radical than some have hoped.
or.more sweeping than Others have expected lift
retains some things which iudicious men have
regarded as blemisheS in the old system, and
omits some elements which most writers on the
subject have considered Indispensable in re-
formed organization Of the civil service, we hope
Their scheme, whenever it is perfected, will be
discussed fairly, adopted, and given reasona-
bic trial. The reports which have already APP
peared, protesting to give an outline of their
work, are clearly not entitled to credit 1t is
not conceivable, for instance, that they should
have recommended competitive examination
iorthe selection of postmasers. For that posi-
ton, integrity and regularity are the chief quail
ifcations in the case Of all but few principal
offices. OF the possession of these qualities an
examination is no test, and neither in the small.
er nor in the larger offices is deficiency of the
moderate literary, mathematical or business
qualifications to be apprehended.