The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-30

The President Is determined SO he says, to
stick to his civil service reform policy, even
IL 1t wrecks his administration. message
to Congress on civil service reform Is talked
of; t is even said that commission will be
appointed to consider this subject and pro-
pose some plan for getting good officials.
III this be done, perhaps the President had
better ship the commission to China, as those
principles of civil service reform that Schurz
is evidently hankering after prevail there, and
have been in force there for a Thousand years.
China being without Senates and without
Conklngs, selects its officials by means of
Sehurz's proposed kindergarten examination
All probably have heard Of these Chinese
examinations. They are conducted in build
ings specially set apart for this purpose.
These are divided into narrow compartments
or cells, about three feet wide and just large
enough to hold one man. All of those anx-
ious to get an Office, who present themselves,
are locked up, each man in his cell, after hav-
ing been thoroughly searched to see that he
has no papers concealed on his person. He
Is then given certain questi ms which
he Is to answer and left to himself.
The next morning the cell Is opened,
and the prisoner and his answers are
taken out.
II is said that a number Of persons so ex-
amined In one province alone is generally
over ten thousand. Out of these, only
seventy-fve, on the average, pass the
examination. Even the successful ones
do not thereby get in office, but only
a right to enter for another competitive
examination at Picking, by which, Of course,
their numbers are still more thinned. The
chances are that out Of Il million original ap
plicants for government offices, not over a
hundred will pass these several examinations.
Even those who succeed are just as apt after
all not to get an Office, as the Emperor
may 60 back on the examination and put
in some particular friend of his instead.
The whole thing seems to be shrewd
dodge of some ancient Chinese politician.
Think of country where there are q million
applicants for only ten thousand offices!
Such a condition of affairs as must ensue in
this case, IL every one Of these million gen
tlemen presented himself before the Emperor
with a long petition Of leading citizens in his
district, asking the Emperor to favor them by
appointing him tax collector, may easily be
imagined. A Chinese politician saw the
danger ahead here. The country was
threatened with riot and revolution unless
some relief could be obtained unless some
mode could be discovered Of getting rid Of
these supernuous applicants for Office. In this
dilemma somebody proposed this cxamna-
ton scheme.
The suggestion was received with joy, and
at once adopted by the government. By
means OF it a million woud-be Office holders
are thinned down to a fow thousands; where
upon the Emperor tells the successful appli-
cants to clear out, and appoints his own
friends to oil the good offices. He can offend
these few unhappy wretches who have passed
all the examinations with impunity, whereas
were he to refuse all the original applicants
his empire would not endure a day. It s a
sharp trick to beat the office-seekers of China.
1t has succeeded admirably in that country,
and can, therefore, be recommended to Hayes
as a good, practical civil service reform policy.