Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-02-27
0xfor0 1fmotrat.
PARIS. MAINE, FEBRUARY 27. 1872.
CirR Service Reform.

CirN Service Reform.
In connections with others. we have
sympathized with the movement Tor
reform in the civil service OF the govern
ment, and have regarded it as promising
good results, in procuring persons to fill
public places who had some qualifications
tor the particular duties required of them
This is the purport OF the whole matter.
and should be the sole object sought to be
accomplished. Different qualifications
are needed tor different stations. The
ongr0ssing clerk should be a good pen
mantle examiner of patents a good
mechanc-the auditor OF accounts a good
merchant, or one skilled in mercantile
matterS-the appraiser of property
man of good judgment, and so on. while
it is 10y no means necessary that all these
clerks, TO be qualified for usefulness in
their several spheres, should be able to
pass an examination in the higher branch
es of education, and be posted in the
rules OF the books. as if they were TO be
instructors in Institutions of education.
When the system comes to this. many
serious objections are naturally suggest
ed to it, This seems to be the turn the
movement is taking. Pres. Grant.
sincerely anxious. no doubt, TO give the
matter Il fair trial, appointed an able
Commission, with Geo. VIM. Curtis at
it head. to examine into il and report
measures for its trial. The trouble seems
TO be that these men have established
literary qualification principally. losing
sight OF more practical! qualifications
which may have been acquired by Oh
seryatiuu and experience in the work OF
lite by persons tho never knew, even, OF
had forgotten the elementary rules com
pri>ed in a Common School education.-
Ii i highly probable that very few who
are 6lling stations under government
most seceptAbly, could pass an examina.
ton OF highly literary or scholastic
character, while some Anticipated school
teacher or broken down literary non euti.
". might be G1 tGit in all respects This
Is not what We want. Competitive eI-
aminations may bo desirable. but literary
qualification should not control.
The board of experimenting School
Committee OF our towns is pretty au
gust body for the applicant OF n school TO
appear before. and the Committee can
PIT many questions which they cannot
answer themselveS-but they are requir
ed To consider other matters than mere
literary qualifications. before certify ing
to the fitness of the applicant to teach.
1t is said the colored troops fought nobly.
and so they did. in many cases-but il
was in spite OF their officers. And why
Because the colored regiments were of
icered by men who were examined be-
fore board, and literary test was ap.
piled too often, rather than practical
one. The old regiments were Differed,
during the last Years of the war, when
they were best oflicered. by men who
came up from the ranks. and had earned
promotion by good works They we've
not required TO be proficient in English
grammar, and il mattered but little
whether or not they could read or write.
il they could fgdt well. We would not
be understood that education was do
qualification, only that. in the emergen-
cies OF those times. there were Other
qualifications more important. And SO it
is in The civil service. Ii will not DO to
stretch every one upon the Procrn,tean
bed OF = board OF School masters, OF
even OF such literary celebrities as George
William Curtis-who. though a polished
writer, may lack some Of the practical
ideas OF plain. common sense man, " ho
can Judge OF ordinary matters a, we'll, to
say the least, as he.