New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-28
LETTER FROM PROF. WILLARD FISKE.


SOME PALACES REGARDING THE PUBLIC SERVICE
HOW TO GET THE BEST MEN-EDUCAIloNAL
TEsTs-soLDIERS' CLAIMS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: There seems to be good deal of mistiness in
the pnl,lic mind in reference to the methods which
ought to be pursued in order to purify our civil
service and 10 render it efficient Numberess plans
and theories often of the crudest sort, have been
propounded Suggestions and hints. wise and other
wise abound in all the journals. peculiar source
Of perplcXtv is that each political doctor seeks
TO attack only some special evil Of the service, with
out much consideration for its relation to the rest OF
the system. One wishes to remove the lnefnclency
of the service, another its corruption, another It's
partsanship another the favOrtism through which
its positions arc bestowed. The remedies proposed
are equally various. One recommends very simple
nostrum namely to put the best men into Office"
another wants to make the heads OF bureaus per-
sonallv responsible for the character OF their
subordinates; another sees the cnreall IN pcrlna-
nencc of service with OF without pcnsions another
fancos that if the offices could be fairly portoned
among all the States corruption would cease. 1t is
time that some of these cobwebs were brushed
away and the task of doing ought not TO be very
difficult Other nations have, in the past, been
through trials not unlike own, and have sue
ceeded often after many efforts, in freeing their adj
minstraive service from corruption and inc9paclty
Guided by the light of their experience, we may be
able TO clear up good deal of the Obscurity which
surrounds the subject, and to point out few of the
fallacics which most frequently find uttcrance
through the mouths of politicians, or the columns
of the press. Some of these fallacies are:
l. That you can put the best men into office" without
first determining by what process you are TO find the best
men, 1t is indeed very simple matter to put the
best men into office" when you know who they are
But how are you to know themi Can the President
designate themf He cannot possibly have per-
soual acquaintance with one in thousand of those
required to ill all the public POSITIONS nor with his
other duties, can he afford the hours and days
necessary to inform himself Of their character and
capacity. Can he depend on his friends, or his adj
ysers or the party leaders, or congressman, to IN
dictate them to hims Experience has shown, with
sad certainty, that he cannot; and Congressman
too have other functions proper to them, which. if
rightly performed will leave them no time for such
business. Can be allow the people to select col
lectors and assessors and postmasteIs and light
bouse. keepers and clerks by elcctoni Such a
scheme Is impossible of execution aud, if possible
would result in a service even worse than the exist
ing one Some general test Of fitness applicable TO
all candidates. must Therefore, be found.
. THAT there is ana better test of he capability and
6neos nj he candidate than the educational one. This
test is not perfect; no one, which human ingenuity
can devise. will be. But it is far better than any
other winch las yet been proposed, and is conse-
oucntly adopted by all the principal civilized ma
tions II, at least, excludes ignorance from the
public service and il is easy to see that excluding
ignorance We 90 far toward excluding corruption
If ANYBODY know IA better test, available for all
branches of a vast and complete service, let him
name it.
That candidates for office should be Grdmined solely
,b jelr 10 ascertain their ttRe6s fOr ne Sptctdt dH'es
IN rbch then are 10 b. assigned The civil services OF
tbe foremost contemporary nations are based upon
the theory that if education be OF any value at ALL
II ougbt TO develop better men than ignorance III
other words the methods OF selecting government
euuloy6s in vcgne elsewhere are louhdcd upon the
advantages which high culture is supposed 10 con-
fer II is taken for granted that young p'dI' WIN
thoronch general education, can, by virtue OF the
training lie has undergone, speedily quaI! "''iseil
Cor onv spccial service Why demand that candl-
date for a clerkship in the Cu'oih-ho'se snii' 'o
neat tbe dynasties of the Germal Emperors' OF ex-
Main tine formula of algeblai Why not be content
with the assurance that he unde;sa: dis bookko"p-
i'm, and can write a good hand Because the prime
liect * 10 Learn whether he he man al suicichtiy
co,,lete mental training to be able 10 reaty AZ p1
himself to any ordinary position, and to my oidi-
nary routine of duties. ,.,
4. That mere pass" examination can >ecaIa Me os'
1ubIc se7Y,aats Years ago john Stuart hih' III MS
work on Representative Government e%pi"'ed
the Theory that an examination which SIMPLY IT,
ouires candidates for the civil service TO eVince d
certain proficiency to come mp to certain stand
ard of excellence is all sufficient; and tic hiS'O'