National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-05-05
CIVIL SERVICE EXA NINA TON,

CIVIL SERVICE ExA NINA TONS.
II Is said that among the mathematical
problems propounded at q recent examna.
ton for appointment and promotion In
one of the Departmemets of the Govern.
ment, was that old school.boy puzzle,
W hich every average lad of a dozen years
has met and conquered In the list of his
early mental triumphs, how to find positive
certainty in the division of the contents of
an eight.gallon cask equally between two
persons, having only two casks of five and
three gallons respectively with which to
effect it. And If 1t be true, which we
hardly believe, the circumstance Is as dis.
creditable to those conducting the ordeal
as it must have been huniliating to every
competent man of the number submitting
their qualifications to It's test, among whom,
we understand. wss the quite mature son
Of deceased ex.Presidcnt Of the United
States.
Ifthis is TO be regarded as fair sample
of the questions to be solved by candidates
for places under the Government, we are
free to confess our belief that the most sue.
cesstul competitors will be, in general, the
most unfit for the duties requir ed of them
in the positions to be filled; for II is plain
that they will be most readily and clearly
answered by those latest from the school.
room and having the least acquaintance
with the practical duties Of life in any of
its departments. 1t may be assumed as
true, as rule, that men of mature age and
business experience, who have prompt an
swers to such questions stored away in
their minds, have little or nothing else
there fitting them for responsible station,
and that, in the main, they will be found
TO be persons whose days have been. de-
voted TO the study and contemplation of
trides, such as the reading Of REFUSES and
the unraveling of riddles published in pop.
ular journals for the entertainment
snd amusement of the idle and
adolescent Fancy the faculties of
high capability, in whose memory the
tits with such solutions lie as dream,
struggling for momentary explanation of
he process by which the measurement in
this case is to be accomplished. and the
confusion that must follow the first in
eGectual attempt Witness the mental
pouring of molasses, wine or whisky as the
cruel examiner shall compel the thoughts
by naming the contents Of the cask, from
one cask to another, until by dint OF good
luck the key is discovered and 1t is divided,
or by adverse fortune 1t has to DO given up.
Can anything short Of an infant massacre
more stir the soul and move the sym.
pathies than such spectacle And in
case 1t is an ardent liquor that has SO
wrought upon the Imagination of the can.
didatc, and he is defeated by its perverse.
ness, what wonder that 50 many of the
unfortunates Immediately rush to those
places, where, with tho few pieces they
have left in their pockets, they proceed to
coerce the obstinate essence which yields
SO much more readily 10 physical than to
mental eflortY
But to be serious. Examinations looking
to the ascertalnment of fitness for public
usefulness should be directed rather to the
development of practical requirements
than to the disclosure OF the stores OF mem
DRY in relation to rudimentsry knowledge
There are but few branches with whose
rules the most proficient at school and col
lege will manifest much familiarity in
middle age, especially where the occupa
ton has been such as to preclude isdul
gence IN the pleasures Of memory" In
fact, there is not one in respect of which
this will not be the case. Take the study
OF grammar; its rules are mastered when
they are essential to progress in the knowl
edge of language, but when 1t is no longer
necessary TO consult them by reason of ex,
periencc in composition, they arc forgot
ten, and in nine Gases out Of ten the mos
elegant writers cannot quote them, ex
cept in occasional instances. Shade Of
LINDLEY MURRAY IL the finest of oul
English scholars were TO be called upon
for the rules upon which they construct
their glowing sentences, and their claims
to excellence were TO depend upon theii
recitation of them, where would be theil
regulations So of orthography. Is il
not true of many-ayc, even OF u majority
of our most distinguished public men tina,
if 1t were not for the general correctness
of composltors their spelling would
condemn them TO ignomlnlo US ignorance I
Not because they never knew, AID, In
many cases, not because they do not have
present knowledge, but because their
minds are more concerned with the selec
tion of words than with their construc
ton. And this leads us to say that the
world owes debt of gratitude to compost
tors ii will never pay; albeit, they
sometimes play us sad tricks, Gas they
did ourselves yesterday when they made
us say 10 tho manner born, when
we wrote ito the manor born.") If they