National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-11-28
THE CIvn-sRRVICR REFORM QuEs-
TION,

number Of prominent newspapers to suggest
all sorts Of complicated remedies, and to stig-
Matte those who are opposed to their projects
as enemies Of civil service reform. Before we
can come TO any conclusion we must examine
the different projects with that consideration
which the Importance Of the subject demands.
The past method has been TO appoint Gov
enmental employees at the request Of lead
ing politicians, or to concIliate political In
nuences. Therefore, the frst II not the only
question asked has been what Is the probable
influence Of the appointment upon party poll
tlcsl The question Of capacity was subordE
nate, and the question Of personal character
or integrity was rarely taken Into consldera-
ton.
In the place Of this system Mr.. Jenckes, q
member Of Congress from Rhode Island,
lAbored many years to substitute another
copied almost verbatim from the laws Of
| England. The present method Of appointing
after competitive examination Is his sys-
TEN with q few necessary notifications,
The present system Of appointment Is, In
substance, the practical ignoring Of political
claims, and the substitution Of technical tests
In competitive examinations. The system has
not been long enough in operation to enable
US to ascertain with certainty what will he
Its probable results but those that have most
carefully noted lts operations are Of the
opinion that 1t has raised neither the standard
Of efficiency nor Of character. It Is out Of
the question that personal character should
be made an element Of competition. While
men may court absolute investigation Of their
past career, no man of honor would bring his
character into competition with that Of any
one else.
The evils appertalnlng to the past or pOlti-
cal method Of appointments consist not 20
much In giving to the civil service incapable
seTyantA, ~ In the fact that dishonest men,
under preteHt Of party devotion, obtained
places Of trust and power.
The remedy proposed by the present civil
service commission would be more eficaclous
II the civil service had chiefly suffered frUm
the ignorance Of Government employees, hut
Il affords few n any, additional guarantees
that dishonest men shan not hereafter he ap-
pointed.
In these circumstances the friends Of moro
honest civil service have not been satisfied
with the results Of the method established by
the civil service commission, but are endeayor-
ing to institute a better and more comprehen-
siye plan, and one more in accordance with
the demands Of Republican institutions.
A republican government where both the
Executive and lawgiying branches of the gov
ernmont are elected from time to time, can
only he carried on through the instrumental
lty Of political organizations.
Should these organizations or great political
al l.a - Al.
country would lnd itself In the hands Of per
sonAl factions, neither OF whom would enjoy
that degree Of confidence that would enable It
| to successfully carry on great government.
Presidential campaigns are, therefore, ne
cesaaTy methods Of political education, and
anything that will lessen the interest which
the masses Of the people take therein IL an
| HnBli1ed evil Men are so constituted that
they will aght for principles only, Il con-
nected with mon. Whenever u Constitutional
amendment Ia proposed and submitted to the
electors at o different time from the usual
State elections, very few persons take sum
Client interest In the cause 10 record their
vote Thus II oil the offices Of the Govern
ment were distributed through the lnstru-
mentality Of competitive, technical eIamlna-
~ A. - y, "a t,'o
D'N'IN. ii''u Nv 'i."'u'o uP"u
1nei, appointment, the masses OF our people
In public affairs; and whenever this Ia the
| case, corruption will be rampant. Now York
city Affords o startling example Of this fact.
There, for q time, the mass Of the better
class of IT, Inhabitants completely ignored
politics, and the penalty was the loss Of up
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lJ'','u ouu.utiui, anu u'''asSiohIih other
"oIus = 'or'0S' niel"ou OF political thoughl-
nnoro"'eI eS'ehtlal 10 tle stAbhliy OF the
government ana II III ehlei ofices OF the
op'eIulnun' are helu out Us prizes 10 those
WV, %No nSne SHOWN great eniclenoy IN mat dlrec-
M, nm Wv Ss.o'n Is iai run oei'g pad IN lt-eh
ln.IoIoIo' INC queSuoh alSos' cannot some
sIua ~, ~ au"Psou Nu''n Woulu give US per
D ~ nIuS anu o"SihoSs eapa''y cohDineu
"isn Po''s'DHl "lsuu III our opinion there
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