, 1877-08-05
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS.

COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS.
There is nothing over which the opponent
of the Civil-Scrvico reform have mado
greater Of a more needless ado than over th
proposal that appointments should be pre
cedcd by MI examination to test the indiyid
nal aud irelative merits of the candidates
The trutl. is, they have been SO little accus
toned TO; associate the idea of qualification
for the service to be rendered with the fac
| OF All appointment, that it is difficult to max
them understand the relations of things, T
is really ludicrous to think how these twt
things service and qnalifcations-havt
been dissociated, from the highest post!
downward, in I'LL departments Of Govern
| ment in this country. The other day, ou
| in !, rural village, the Roatlmaster Of the dis
| trict called in to collect the annual roaG
tax. He proved to be a stout Irish.
man, and he had with him written
list Of tho property owners and Of their 70.
spective dues. He handed this to the gen.
ue,nan, who ran his eye down the list till he
found bis own name and saw the amount
set opposst sste-two dollars. Having produced
the money, he desired a,receipt. The Col
lector asked him to write it, which the gen.
ueman did, when the Collector further ro-
quested him to write the signature also, and
he would make his mark! Here was man
collecting: money from numerous persons for
the town aud giving receipts, who could not
read writing nor sign his own name. And
this was not among negroes in Southern
State, under carpet-bag rule, but was among
white men in Northern State Probably
this illiterata Irishman lid rendered valuable
party in previous elections, and his
"claim to reward had been duly recognized.
But how far is the practice Of the United
States Government different in prin-
ciple, when it sends, as Minister to
the Court Of frst-class European Power,
man who cannot read or speak either the con-
yentional language of Continental diplomacy,
that is, the French, h,-nor yet TINT of the
people to whose Government he is commits
stoned? When the Foreign Minister is CON-
PEELED to Use an interpreter in his every COM
the same platform of he1plessness with the
unfortunate Roadmaster.
Now, after political practice of half a
century t. poa such principle, it is not sur
prising that those who support it and who
pride themselves on being ''practical states-
men should ridicule the idea that appoint
ments shduld be preceded by examinations.
What moie can be necessary than certif-
cate that one has been d useful "worker"
for the party: Is not that the height Of
qualification and good desert? And vet
common-sense people, who carry On business
Oh ordinary principles Of sagacity aud pru~
dencc, may have different opinion. As
they never engage clerk without careful
inquiry rs to his character and abilities, aud
rs banks nowadays require moneyed security
back Of the most insignificant place in their
gift, they may be vcrdent aud impractical
enough in governmental matters to think /
some precnution should be taken besides rs
that man has been an tactiye"
Republican OF Democrat. They have known
some such whom they would not intrust |
with the slightest business, and through
whose hands they would not pass halfdozen
lest one or two of them
should stick by the way. They have pref t
adice in favor of Government clerk being
required to exhibit some proof Of his neat
of his familiarity with book
Keeping, Of his knowledge of English gram
mar, OF hi; ability to compose ordinary SEN
'ences correctly, Of his readiness at figures.
and OF his being to1crably at home IN
geography y-seeing no one knows ut what mo-
nent the clerk might find such attainments
lseful or even indispensable. They can
'onceire of no reason why Government
hould be served poorly, or why, on the
contrary, it should not have the best set Of
servants in the country. Nor do thew see
shy the conditions Of appointment might
lot be such that it should be in every re.
pect IN honor to be engaged in the Govern
nent service.
But great deal Of cheap ridicule has been
expended on what have been called tho "lt-
rary requirements called for by the re-
ormers. As though boy could not run On
n errand without being familiar with rhet-
nc: OF a clerk could not direct envelopes
'ithout knowledge Of history. We can
1noAs e1eult opposeI5 With tho want of per-
p1caclty and tue lack. of sense which these
ELECTIONS imply. But re must dent with
lem according 10 the show they choose to
lake before the public. Hence we remind
len that even the simplest things are bet 7
r done By intelligence than by ignorance. $
very cultivated hdy knows that, had she !;
'e strength, she could do her housework I
uch more. perfectly than does her maid. 7
very educated gentleman has observed, t
hen ordinary mechanics have worked for q
m, how often he has had to he brains for il
EN- IN their own business the moment any i,
ing was to be done out of the common 8
uane~- As IN az cuts better for whetting. n
hands work better for the skill q
o'ch comes from varied : know1- +