Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-12-04

designated those who alone were permitted
to go before the examining boards, subject
ing even the examiners 10 a pressure from
the friends Of the candidates very difficult TO
resist. As consequence, the standard of |
admission fell below that which the public in.
tesss, demanded. II was also aim st inevi- |
table tina. system which provided for va
rious separate boards of examiners, with no |
common supervision or uniform method of |
procedure, should re suit in confusion, incon- |
sistency. and inadequate tesis of capacity |
highly detrimental to the public interests. A !
further and more radical change was obvi>
ously required.
In the annual message Of December, 1870,
my predecessor declared that "there Is no
duty which so moch embarrasses the Execu-
tive and heads Of Departments as that of
appointments; nor is there any such arduous
aud thankless laber 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 Gov
eminent will be hailed With approval BY the
whole people Of the United States" Con-
gress accordingly passed the act, approved
March g. 1871. ''to regulate the civil service
Of the United States and promote the eff
cheney thereof" giving the necessary author
ity TO the Executive to inaugurate civil
service reform.
Acting under this statute, which was 10.
terpreted as intended TO secure a system Of
lust and effectual examination under uniform
supervision, number of eminently compe-
tent persons we're selected for the purpose,
who entered with zeal upon the discharge of
their duties, prepared with an intelligent ap-
probation of the requirements of the service.
the regulations contemplated, and took
charge of the examinations, and who. in
their capacity as a board, have been known
as the "Civil Service Commission" Congress
for two years appropriated the money needed
for the compensation and for the expense OF
carrying on the work Of the Commission.
II appears from the report of the Commits.
sion, submitted TO the President, in April
1874, that examinations had been held in
va rious sections OF the country, and that an
appropriation of about $25, 900 would be re-
qured to meet the annual expenses, including
salaries, involved in dscharging the duties
! Of the commission. The report was trans
mitted to Congress by special message Of
April IS. 1874, with the following favorable
| comment upon the labors OF the commission
! 'If sustained by Congress-, have no donbt
the rules can, after the experience gained, be
| so improved and enforced as TO still more
materially benefit the public service and re-
! lieye the executive members Of Congress, and
the heads Of departments, from influence
preiudicial to good administration. The rules
as they have hitherto been enforced, have
resulted benefcially, "a is shown by the opin-
ions Of the members of the Cabinet and their
subordinates in the departments, and in that
opinion l concur" And in the annual mes
sage of December Of the same year similar
views are expressed, and an app ropriation for
continuing the work of the commission again
advised.
The appropriation was not made and, as a
consequence, the active work of the commits
sion was suspended, leaving the commission
itself still N existence. Without the means,
therefore, of causing qualifications to be
tested in any systematic manner, or of Sc
curing for the public service the advantages
of competition upon any extended plan,
recommended in my annual message of De-
cember, 1877, the making of an appropriation
for the resumption of the work of the commits
sion.
In the meantime, however. competitive ex-
am,nations under many embarrassments have
been conducted within limited spheres in the
executive department in Washington, and in
a number of the custom houses and post
ofices of the principal cities of the
country, with a view TO further test
their effects, and in every instance
they have been found to be as salutary as
they are stated to have been under the ad
ministration Of my predecessor. think the
economy, purity and efficiency Of the public
service would be greatly promoted by thelr
systematic introduction, wherever practica.
BILE, throughout the entire civil service of the
government. together with ample provision
for their general supervision, in order to Sc.
cure consistency and uniform justice.
Reports from the SECRETARY of the Interior
from the Postmaster General, from the Post
master in the city of New York, where such
examinations have been some time on trial
and also from the Collector OF the Port, the
naval officer and the Surveyor in that city
and from the postmasters and collectors in
several # the other larger cities. showed tina
the competitive system, where applied. has IL
various ways contributed to improve the pub
: lie service.
The reports show that the results have
, been salutary in a marked degree, and tina
the general application Of similar rules can
not fail to be of decided benefit to the ser
vice.
oPRS COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS
The reports of the government officers il
the City of New York especially, bear decid
! ed testimony 70 the utility ofopen competitive
/ examinations in their respective Offices
showing that ''theae examinations, and tn,
excellent qualifications of those admitted Il
: the service through them, have marked in
cidental effect upon the persons previously il
2 the service, and particularly upon those as
piring 60 promotion. There has been on tn,
! part of these latter an increased interest il
r the work, and desire to extend acquant
ance with it beyo the particular desk occu
pied, and thus the morale OF the entire fore,
!, has been raised. Y The examina
tions have been attended by many citizens
who have had an opportunity to thoroughly
investigate the scope and character of thu
tests and the method of determining the re
suits and those visitors have, without excep
ton approved the methods employed, and sew
eral of them have publicly attested their ia
vorabe opinion
Upon such considerations, deem it M
duty to renew the recommendation contained
: in my annual message of December, 1877, re
= questing Congress to make the necessary sp
: preparation for the resumption of the work o
: the civil service commission. Economy will
/. be promoted by authorizing moderate com
pensation to persons in the public servic
!. who may perform extra labor on or unde
the commission, as the executive may direct
am convinced that If just and adequat,
test of merit is enforced for admission to tn
public service and in making promotions
/. such abuses as removals without good cause
( and partisan and official interference with tn
e proper exercise of the appointing power, viii
in large measure disappear.
: ADMINISTRATIVE ABUSES.
. There are other administrative abuses t,
: which the attention of Congress should b.
2 asked 10 this connection. Mere partisan ap
0 pointments, and the constant peril of remova
/. without cause, very naturally lead TO an alb
{ sorbing and mischievous political activity
= on the part of those thus appointed, vhicl
D not only interferes with the due discharge o
official duty but is incompatible with IN
freedom OF elections. Not without warrant
in the view of several of my predecessors il
the Presidential Office, and directly within
/. the law Of 1871. already cited, endeavored
by regulation, made on the 22d day Of June
1877, to put some reasonable limits to sucl
e abuses. 1t may not be easy, and it maj
never perhaps be necessary, TO define will
precision the proper limit of political actor
on the part Of federal officers. But Will,
their right to hold and freely express thei
opinions cannot be questioned, it is very plair
+, that they should neither be allowed 10 devot,
, to other subjects the time needed for tn,
! proper discharge of their official duties, no
TO use the authority of their Office to enforce
, their own opinions, or to coerce the politica
action Of those who hold different opinions
POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS.