The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-02
4 ',,ust ,ex,,e,ircei.e Of tho appointing

Iree and lust exefclse OF Enc api' poi
= a lafge and responsible part OF the duty
81 restoring ihe efYiE service to the desired
purity and efi1 cieney rests apon the fTes "
dent. and Ills my purpose 10 do Wnat Is
Within my power to advance such ptuuene
and gradual measures OF reform as VIII most ,.
surely and rapidly bri6g about that Faaicai
change. OF system essential to make our
methods rsatisfae Glory, 10 .
free aud intelligent people. by prope.s
exercise Of authority, II is 10 cue power vi y.
the Executive TO do mitch to promots sucu
a reform. But it cannot be 100 clearly un-
terstood that nothing adequate can De ac-
eompIished without cooperation Oh tue
part Of Congress and considerate anu ihses-
ligent support among the people. he.o,us
which challenge the genern!ls .accepteo tne-
cries OF parties, and demand changes IN sLt:
methods Of departments, are not tne woih
OF day. Their permanent founaatloD %
must be laid In sound principles, ana IN
nm rexnericuce which demonstrates their
wisdom and exposes the errors or tneir az.
versartes. Every worthy oihcef desires "
make his official action a gain ana an Donor
to his country. but the people themselves,
far more than their officers In public sta
tlOI, dTE -lUGeIEStCu fNA>1
and vigorous administration.
By laws enacted in 1858 and 1855, and
now In substance incorporated in the Re
ylsed Statutes, the practice OF arbitrary ap-
pontments to the several subordinate
GRADES in the great Departments was con-
demned, and examinations, us to capacity,
to be conducted by departmental boards OF
examiners, were provided Tor ana maze
conditions OF admission to the pubic SER
vice, These statutes are a decision by Con"
eress that examinations Of some sort, as to
attainments and capacity. are essential to
the welf-being Of the public service. The
important questions since the enactment OF
these laws have been rs to the character OF
these examinations, and whether official
favor and partisan influence, or common
right and merit, we're to control the
access to the examinations. In practice
these examinations have not always been
open to worthy persons generally VINO
might wish 10 be examined. Official "a
yoritism and partisan influence, as rule,
appear to have designated those who alone
were permitted to go before The examining
boards, subIecting even the examiners to
pressure from The friends OF the candidates
very difficult 10 resist. AS consequence,
the standard of admission fell below that
which the public interest demanded. 1t
was also almost inevitable that system
which provided for various separate boards
OF examiners, with no common supervision
or uniform method OF procedure, should
result in confusion, inconsistency, and in
adequate tests Of capacity highly detri-
mental to the public interests. A further
and more radical change was obviously re-
quired.
In the annual message Of December, 1870,
nv predecessor declared that there IS no
duty which so much embarrasses the Exec
utiYe and heads Of Departments as that OF
appointments; nor is there any such ardu-
Gus and tbankIess labor imposed on senators
and representatives as that Of finding places
for constituents. The present system does
not secure the best men, and often not even
fit men for the public places. The elevation
and publication OF the civil service OF the
Government will be hailed with approval
By the whole people Of the United States"
Congress accordingly passed the act ap-
proved March 8, 1871, "to regulate the
civil service OF the United States and pro-
mote the efficiency thereof giving the
necessary authority to tue Executive to H.
augurate civiI-Service reform.
Acting under this statute, which was IN
terpreted rs intended to secure system OF
Just and eifectual examinations under uni
form supervision, q number OF ,cmnently
competent persons were selected for the
purpose, who entered with zeal upon the
discharge Of their duties, prepared, with
an intelligent appreciation of the require
ments of the service, the regulations con-
templated, aud took charge OF the eXamna-
in THAR 70 naoity n hoard
have been known as the Civil-Seryice
Commission" Congress for two years ap-
propriated the money needed for the COM
pensaiion and for the expense OF carrying
on the work of the Commission.
It appears from the report OF the Com
mission, submitted to the President in
April, 1874. that examinations had been
teld in various sections Of the country. and
that an appropriation OF about $50, OOO
would be required to meet the annual en-
peuses, including salaries, involved In dis
Charging the duties Of the Commission.
The report was transmitted to Congress by
special message Of April Is, 1874, with the
following favorable comment upon the Ia
bors of the Commission If sustained by
Congress, have no doubt the rules can,
after the experience gained, be so improved
and enforced rs to still more materially ben
eft the public service and relieve the EX-
ecutive, members of Congress, and the
heads of departments from influences preiu-
dcial to good administration. The rules as
they have hitherto been enforced have re-
suited benefcially, as Is shown by the opm-
ions OF the members OF the Cabinet and
their subordinates in the departments, and
in that opinion / concur" And in the an
nual message OF December OF the same year
similar views are expressed, and an appro-
priation for continuing the work OF the
Commission again advised.
The appropriation was not made. and, as
a consequence, the active work OF the CON-
mission was suspended, leaving the COM
mission itself still in existence. Without
the means, therefore, OF causing qualtica-
tons TO be tested in any systematic manner
or of securing for the public service the adj
vantages OF competition upon any extensive
plan, recommended in my annual message
OF December, 1877, the making OF an APP
preparation for the resumption OF the work
Of the Commission. &c., " .f
In the mean time, however, competitive
examinations under many emharra>sments
have been conducted within limited spheres
IN the Executive Departments in Washing
ton, aud in number of the Gust houses
and post-otlices of the principal cities OF the
country, with view to further test their
effects, and in every instance they have
been found to be as sa!utary as they are
stated to have been under the administra-
ton of my predecessor. think the econo-
my, purity, and efficiency Of the public
service would he greatly promoted by their
systematic introduction wherever practl-
cable throughout the entire civil service OF
the Government, together with ample pro.