, 1874-06-13
Workings Of tho Present System Of.
Competitive Examination.
Petty Technical Knowledge Preferred to
Business Ability.
Tho Potent Influencos of Favor
itlsm aud Bribery.
.Sis Appointments from tho East to Ono
from tho West.


wAsn1Narox, Juno 8, 1874.
a the Eaitor n The Chicago Tribune:
Sir: 1t is late, probably, to lon1 Any further
blows ut that mortbuna institution known M
Oiyl-Bervice Reform. It Inns como to tho tmn
when 1t has scarcely any observance In fact and
tits understood TINT Tho donation or approprlA.
tion Of 'e25, 600 to paythe salaries Of Examuors,
which WAS to :havo boon recommended, has been
killed In comnlittoc, md .tlat flo thing will,
therefore, die, for very lack of atlstenanco, on
tho 1at prox. It oannot die too soon. 1t l1aa
developed, In tho co,,rsc Of timo, into gigantic
opportunity for tho display Of potty corruption.
brlbory mud fayorilan,, until 1t mny bo said that
.appointmonts and promotions under tho rules of
Civil Horvico rost entirely IN tho handH Of tho
Chief Olorks aud thcir,frionds, and tho printing
O1ice boys. It is ntill possible that the arpro-
priation for carrying on this logallzol farce may
come up In somo othor shape aud DO passed, no
tLat some examination into The system as it now
works may DO m appropriate eubjectfor brief
lottor to THE TRIBUNE.
Tho systom, 1t will bo remembered, was ,bascd
upon tho propriety Of
GENERAL COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION
for places In tho -Goyornment employ. ,"Lot
Tho best man win" WAS tho taking idoa suggest
I'D. at tho outset, this aaoms adair proposition;
but tho truth is, t'iat;sho applicant, in ordorto
win unlor tho plan adopted, must produce owl
aonco, not that ho has Ind business experience,
that no is roady accurate, quick to learn, CON-
Petont to moet emergencies aud understand
complicated afrnirs, but TINT ho is ablo,to answer
ofr-haud sorloB OF trifiing technical questions,
romots from his experience and knowledge, and
not connected in any way with the duties that
uro to bo assumed. Tile lnotliaieney OF so-oallod
education to prepare youth for aotua1 .buslness-
life las often boen commented upon, aud tho
best educators III Our land arc daily departing
from the routine form which asks that children
should swallow books by. tho cord, but
learn no principle md =; originate no
thought. In this instanoc, tho Government has
tlat tho ability to answer technical questions as
to the exact location Of river, or tha boundary
of state, is better evidence Of ability III the
applicant than experience III tho conduct .of
bAsinoss, however varied 1t may hare been.
Now, our Western youth POSSESS adaptability
In n superior degroe, mud they do not ncarly
equal tho young men OF; tho East IN moro book
leurning. Generally tho Eastern applicant comes
fregh from college Or toaoh;ng The %s Western
mako good businessmen in any sphere, aud, for
the most part. possess moro soif-rollRnco and
ability in tho conduct Of affairs than the college,
bred man but 80 obtuso, whether @ @wlllfully Or
that tho srolativo nunhar Of appointments from
the West and 'East il as
ONE TO s1x.- ...
this being tho direct result Of bas'ng the oxanl-
nation upon the Possession Of technical ratllor
than available knowledge. Promotion proceeds
under the gapo Intelligent conception Of ability.
Clorks with tho best qualities wait upon tloso
with tho best memories for tritlos. IT. tho sya
tivos in Gongreas aa q test for their merit or
ability, our Western delogatlon would como
trooping homo in body, with tho august Presi-
dent at their heaa. am
But, II tho chnnccs we're equal. ahother dita-
Guilty in the WY OF securing really competitive
examination is the power-"hioh. 'by reason OF
the many applications nnue, naturally feyorts 70
tue itldor.ciork5-of suppsosslng Names or u
Berting tho names ct favorltes on tho
eligible lst. 3hn privilege is,a IS 80 nsea as
men, Hend Clerks, and other persons Of lntlu-
encc, oil the power which tho ,Clvll-Sorvico
rulos pretended TO deprive them Of. 1t ls nero
question OF fiatsonaGo or lnAh!seaaa!a! btinety
III to who ehall conn before the Committee ut all
for e1a1nination,-lt being an easy matter to
postpone name until tho owner shall havo died
of old ngc, or coasca to lmportune FOR place. In
caso Of promotions Of those alreay IN Office, one
'Clork tho power to ndd ten points Or leBs OF
merit to tho scale or standard by which pro-
1lciency is decided. Ho catl withhold this mark
Of his approbatlon at hiB option. u IL one OF
the pcrquisiteB Of the poaitlon, and 'as oftencr
sold tlnn bestowed in reward. :lhe promoteo
'knows beforehand that hla appltcatiion'" Will 20
s1ccoHBful, for be has "eeon "slis 0hief and d.
yided. the spells. ..
SELLING THE QUESTIONS:
Tho queaions which are asked OF tho various
applicants are prepared beforehand /. with pro
found secrecy, aud then printed OIL slips of pa
per, and, on the day or tue examination, are
handed to tho applicant to answer. lie IL allowed
six hours IL @ Mheh to feply. Darln the time in
which these slips are, being prlntou t9o employees
Df tho t0Forn1ncnb tEflntIub-1Hlco AAEo III Op-
'Poftnnlty 10 copy or stoAl tnea: lortnlE!t