Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-12-04

service Of the government, and expressed IN
intention, transmitting to Congress q early a
practicable, report upon this subject By tho
chair man Of the civil eervice commisaiOn. In
view Of the fact, during considerable period,
| the government of Great Britain has been deal
ing with the administrative problems and
abuses in various particulars analogous to
those presented in this country, and that in
recent years the measures adopted were under.
[stood to have been effective and in every re-
aspect highly satisfactory, I Thought desirable
to have fuller information upon the subject.
and accordingly requested the chairman Of the
civil service commission to make \ thorough
investigation for this purpose. The result has
| been an elaborate and comprehensive report.
The report seta forth the history of the parti-
san spoil system in Great Britain, and of the rise
and fall of the parliamentary patronage and Of
! official interference with the freedom of
elections, shows that after long trials of
various kinds of examinations those which are
competitive and open on equal terms to all,
and which are carried on under the superin-
! tcndencer of single commission, have with
great advantage been established as the con-
dition of admission to almost every official
place in the subordinate administration of
| VOAAA-
pletion of the report. owi2g to the extent Of
the labor involved in its preparation, and the
omission of Congress to make any provision
either for the compensation or'the expenses of
the commission, has been postponed until the
present time. It is herewith transmitted to
| Congress. While the reform measures of au-
other government arc of no authority to US,
they are entitled to influence to the extent
to '"2 which their - intrinsic
wisdom =. and their adaptation
to our constitutions and social life may com
mend them to our consideration. The views
have heretofore expressed concerning the de-
| fects and abuses in our civil administration,
remain unchanged except in SO far as an en-
larged experience has deepened my sense of
the duty, both of officers and of the people
| themselves, to cooperate for their removal.
l The grave evils and perils of partisan spoils
system of appointment to office. and of the Of
fee tenure, are now generally recognized. In
of departments, in the debates and proceed
ings of Congress, the messages of executives,
/ the gravity the evils has been admitted. To
| command the necessary support every measure
j of reform must be based on common right and
| justice, and must be compatible with the
healthy existence of great parties which are
| inevitable and essential in o free State.
| When people have approved a policy at a
national election, confidence in the officers they
have selected and the advisers who, in accord
ance with our political institutions should be
consulted as to the policies which it is their
duty to carry into effect, is unquestionable. It
is eminently proper they should explain to the
performance of their Official duties. 1t hardly
need be pointed out that very different con.
siderations apply to the greater number OF
those who fill the subordinate places in the
civil service. Their responsibility is to thei,
srperiors in official position. It is their duty
to obey the legal instructions of those upon
whom that authority is devolved, and theil
public service consists in the discharge
of their functions irrespective of par.
tisan politics. Their duties are the
same whatever party is in power, and what
ever policy prevails. As consequence, il
follows that their terms of Office should moi
depend upon the prevalence of any policy o,
the supremacy of any party. but should be de
termined by their capacity to serve the people
most usefully, quite irrespective of partisan
interests. The same considerations that shouli
govern the tenure, should also prevail in thu
appointment discipline and removed of thost
subordinate. The authority of appointment
may be used to aid a. frient
or reward partisan, but il
a trust to be exercised in the public inter
est. The only just ground of discrimination
ia the measure of character and capacity he hal
to make that service most useful to the PEG
nized principles, it is upon the theory of pen
sions, Offices and promotion are bestowed as
rewards for past services. Their bestOwal up
on any theory which .disregards personal merit
is act of inju stice to the citizen, well as
breech of that trust subject to which the ap
pointing power is held.
In the light of these principles, it become,
of great Importance to provide just and ade
quate means, especially for every department
or large administrative Office where persona
discrimination on the part Of the head is MOI
practicable for ascertaining those qualification
to which appointments and removals SHOULD
} have reference. To fail to provide such mean,
tanning facts upon which the most righteous
claims to Office depend, but of necessity t.
} discourage all worthy aspirants b,
handing over appointments and removal
to mere influence and favoritism
If it is the right of the worthiest claimant t,
gain the appointment, and the interest of tn
} people TO bestow it upon him, it would seen
ing personal fitness for Office must needs be al
important and paramount function of ever,
wise and Just government.
It has long since become impossible in tn
great Offices for those having the duty of nom
inatlon and appointment to personally enquire
into the individual qualifications of more thai
q small proportion of those seeking offic q
proportion must continue to become less. Ii
the earlier years of the government tho subor
dinate offices were SO few in number that i
was quite easy for those making appointment
| and promotions to personally ascertain tn
merits of the candidates. Party managers O.
cies of coercion. hostile to the free and JUS
exercise of the appointing power.
A large and responsible pareSbf the duty O.
restoring the civil service to the desired purity
and efficiency rests on the President, and it ha
> been my purpose to do what is in my power II
, advance such prudent and gradual measures O.
reform as will most surely bring about the rad
ministratlve methods satisfactory to a free ant
; Intelligent people. By proper exercise of au
thority it is in the power of the executive to d,
much to promote such q reform, and it canno
be too clearly understood that nothing adequate
can be accomplished without cooperation
considerable and intelligent sup
port among the people. Reforms which
cha lenge the generally accepted theories O
parties, and demand changes in methods o.
, departments, are not the work of day. Thei
permanent foundations must be laid in sounG
principles and in an experience which demon
: strates their wisdom, and exposes the errors O
their adversaries. Every VOL thy officer desire
to make his official action gain and honor t.
his country, but the people themselves, ia
I more than their officers in public station, ar
: interested in pure, economical and vigorous
administration.
By laws enacted in 1853 and 1855, and nov
in substance incorporated in the revised stat
utes. the practice of arbitrary appointments t.
7 the subordinate grades in the departments wa
condemned, and examinations as to capacity
: to be conducted by departmental boards of ex
amlners, were provided for and made condi
tons of admission to the public service. Thes
2 statutes are decision by Congress that exam
{ nations of some sort as to attainments ant
capacity, are essential to the we'll being of tn
{ public service. The important questions sine
the enactment of these laws have been as t
= the character of these examinations, ant
= whether official favor and partisan influence, o
3 common right and merit, were to control &C
, cess to the examinations in practice. Thes
examinations have not always been open t
: worthy persons generally, WHO might wish t
l be examined. Official favoritism and partisan
' influence, as rule, appear to hay
designated those who alone ver
, permitted to 90 before the examining board
, subjecting even the examiners to pressur
! from the friends of the candidates very Difficult
to resist. As q consequence the standard Of id
| mission fell below that which the public inter
est demanded. It was also almost inevitable
> that system which provides for various board
= OF examiners with no common supervision o
; uniform measure of procedure should result il
confusion and inadequate tests of capacit
! highly detrime ntal to the public interests.
further and more radical change was obviousl
. required.
, In the annual message of December, 1870
my predecessor declared that ''there is no dut
which SO embarrasses the executive and head
: is there any such arduous and thankless labor
imposed on Senators aud Representatives a