Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-30

show his competency, still the Presi-
dent must appoint one who has done
the best, or else disregard the exam
nation altogether and fall back up
on his own discretion, in which lat
tor case what would become of civil
service reform Futher, the candi-
dates presenting themselves for ex,.
animation, after the pubic notice
would always be Adventures, or, at
best, men of no rank or ability. Sup
pose a vacancy in the dictatorship of
New York, and an advertisement for
candidates be published by the ex-
aiming board, did anybody suppose
that such men as A. Il. Stewart or
II G Stebbins or Geo. Opdyke, would
present themselves for examination !;
and if they did, would they not pro-
baby be beaten by candidates who
had just left school =? This may be
reform says Carpenter, but it will de-
feat any political party that will
adopt it for it will excite the indig-
nation and contempt and derIsion of
the people of this country. 1t may
be reform, or whatever else it's friends
choose to call it; but il certainly ia
not constitutional, or wise mode of
appointing public officers Of the
Uniten States.
Turning from the rules 70 the re-
port Of the Commission, he said it
was BASED upon a vicious leading
idea Of the permanency OF public
servants This idea had been adgo>
Gated at the formation Of the Govern
ment By those who favor strong
government, but it has been rejected
because it was sure to be anti-Repub-
lieau. 1t was thought right that
Judges should be made independent
OF the popular win, because the ques-
tons they have 10 decide depend up
on legal principles, and the popular
viii had nothing to do with them
1t was also right that officers Of the
army and navy should have life
tenures, because they are TO be special.
" educated by the Government for
their duties. But there is no parallel
between these and civil service Of,
fcers The duties Of the latter were
generally prescribed by law and
were so simple that any intelligent
man could soon master them, and he
could have an opportunity TO do so
without detrimont 70 the public serv.
ice
Au0 Their iallaciOus idea underlying
the report was that party was favor
Of this government, and to labor for
the success of a party ought TO dis
qualify man for public Office. In
all free countries there must be par
ties. The great Republican, party,
which has achieved such wonders in
tie last ten years, found toe public
Offices filed with its enemies when it
came into power. According 10 the
civil service reform doctrine, it ought
to have left those Offices in possession
Of the old occupants but if it had
done 50 how different would have
been the history of those years.
Mr. Carpenter read an extract from
the report OF the Commission eharg-
ing that under the present system
the appointing power is often subject
ed TO threats and Establishment of
personal solicitation, and said it was
base and malignant libel on the
leading members of the Republican
party in Congress- He said he had
been told by high authority that
only two persons had demanded ap-
pointments in terms that could be
called insulting or disrespectful that
these two were high in the LegisIa-
tive Department OF The Government,
and, having bad the applications res
fused on account of unfitness, the
candidates in both cases being rela-
tives Of the applicants. were now
high champions of civil service re-
form
Referring to the compntitive-exam-
ination system, he said he did not
mean to decry learning He thought
that persons who had not advantages
Of education in youth were more like
Is than others to appreciate its adj
vantages, and he belonged to that
class. Why" said he, "if / were
candidate for the position Of copying
clerk in one Of the departments, and
should go before an examining
board Of chemical turn of mind
| should certainly be rejected. Al
though | write fair hand, and can
copy papers with great speed and ac-
curacy, | know no more of chemistry
than | do Of the pearly gates and
golden streets Of heaven, 1aughter),
and J never expect to-l mean new
er expect 70 know chemistry. | do
expect to know more Of the pearly
gates and golden streets, for under.
stand that admittance there does not
depend upon competitive examina-
ton" (Laughter.)
Ia conclusion, Carpenter said there
was special reason why the scheme
ought not to be adopted at this time.
At the breaking out Of the We patri-
otto fathers sent their sons TO the
army; while others less patriotic sent
theirs TO school; and now, if this sys-
tenn were adopted, the sons OF the
first class who were fighting for their
country while the others were re-
naming at school or college, would
be excluded from public office because
they did not know all about the fuc.
tuations of the tide, or how near the
moon comes to the earth, or the
names OF the four principal rivers
that flow into the Caspian Sea,
Laughter.)
SENATORIAL STATISTICS Some not
uninteresting statistics in regard to