River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-12-04

interest demanded. It was also almost inevitable
that system which provided for various separate
hoaras OF examineTs.wth no conn on supervision
or uniform method OF procedure, should result in
confusion. Inconsistency. and inadequate tests Of
capacity highly detrimental 10 the public Interests
further aud more radical change was Obviously
In the annual message at December. Is7a my
predecessor declared thar There is duly which
30 much embarTasses the executive and heais Of
departments as char Of appointments: nor is there
any such arduous and thankless labor imposed on
places for constituents. The present system does
not secure we oest men, and often not even Mt men
ton OF the civil service OF the govern menu will
United States,S Congress accordingly passed t6,
ACT approved March B lstl 10 egulate the civil
cheney thereof" giving the necessary authority to
the executive 70 inaugurate a eiVi-service re-
form.
Acting under this statute which Interpreted
as intended TO secure system of just ana etectu8l
examinations under uniform supervision. num-
her u eminently competent persons were selected
discharge Of their duties prepared, with an intel
iigent appreciation of the requirements of the
charge OF the examinations. and who. in their ca
pacity as a board, have been known aS the 'Uivil
prOpriated the money needed for the Compel ST
ton ana for the expense Of carrying on the work
1t appears from the report of the commission,
submitted TO the president in april, 1874 that eN-
amlnations had been held in varions sections of
SIS 000 would lie reGmrsd TO peet the ann oa doo1
penses. including salaries. Involved in disehargtug
the duties of the commission The report was
transmitted to congress by special message Of
April IS. lsIi. with the following favorable cenl-
ment upon the labors of the commission: 'iTf sus-
tanned by congress. have no doubt the rules can
aIter INC experieaGe gained be SO improved and
public service and relieve the executive, members
OF congress. and the heads of departments, from
Influences prejudieiai to good administration. The
rules, as they have hitherto been enforced. have
resulted benefcially. as is shown by the opinions
Of the members OF the cabinet and their slbordi-
m
concur" And In the annual message of December
OF the same year similar views are expressed, ana
an appropriation for continuing the work Of the
commission agaia advised.
The appropriation was not made and as n conse-
quence the active work of the commission
suspenN ca, leaving the commission itself still in
ing qualifications to be tested in any systematic
manner, or OF securing for the public service the
advantages Of competition upon any extensive
plan. recommended in my annual message of
DSeem 1877, the making OF an apprpriati0n
sion.
In the meantime. however, competitive exam
nations under many embarrassinents have been
conducted within limited spheres in the execu-
tive departments in Washington. and in a num-
Der of the custom houses and post Offices 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 salutary as they
are stated to have been under the administration
of my predecessor. think the economy, purity
and efficiency Of the public service would be
greatly promoted by their systematic introduce
ton. wherever practicable throughout the, entire
ample provision for their general supervision, in
order to secure consistency and uniform justice.
Reports from the secretary of the interior, from
the acknowledgement, from the postmaster in
the city of New York, where such examinations
have been some time on trlal, 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 of the other large Cities
show that the competitive system, where applied.
has. In various ways, contributed to improve the
public service.
The reports show that the results have been sal
utary in marked degree. ana that the general
application Of similar rules cannot fail 10 be Of
decided benefit to the service.
The reports of the government officers, in the
city of New York especially, bear decided testf.
meny to the utility OF open competitive examine
tons in their respective Offices, showing that
e these examinations. and the excellent qualities
tons of those admitted to the service through
them, have had marked incidental effect upon
the persons previously in the service, and psrtc-
ularly upon those aspiring to promotion. There
has been on the part OF these latter, increased
Interest IN the work, and desire to extend &C
Quaintance with il beyond the particular desk &C.
CAPPED, and thus the morale of the entire force
has been raised. The examinations have
Deen attended by many citizens who have had an
opportunity to thoroughly investigate the scope
and character of the tests and the method or de-
termining the results, and those visitors have,
without exception, approved the methods en-
ployed, and several of them have publicly attest
ed their favorable opinion"
Upon such considerations. deem il my duty to
renew the recomu endatiOn contained in my
nual message OF December, 1877, requesting con-
gress To make the necessary appropriation for
the resumption OF the work OF the civil service
commission. Economy will be promoted by au-
thofizing moderate compensation to persons in
the public service who may perform extra labor
upon or under the commission, as the exc cutive
may direct.
am convinced that If just and adequate
test OF merit is enforced for admission to tho pub
lie service and in making promotions, such
abuses as removals without good cause aud par
tisan aud official interference with the proper
pYpfpisR AAnnDtntlnR mower.
measure disappear.
There are other administrative abuses 10 which
the attention Of congress shodld be ASKED in this
connection Mere partisan appointments, and
the constant peril OF removal without cause; very
naturally lead to an absorbing'and misehievouS
political activity, on the part OF those thus ap-
pointed, which not only interferes with the due
discharge Of official duty, but Is incompatible
with the freedom of elections. Not without
warrant, in the views of several of my predeces-
sors in the presidential office, and directly With
in the law of 1871, already cited. L endeayored,
by regulation, made on The I'D day OF June, 1877,
to put some reasonable limit to such abuses. ~
may not be easy, and 1t may never perhaps &c
necessary, to define with precision the proper
limit of political action on the part OF federal
officers. But while their right to hold and freely
express their opinions cannot be Questioned, II
is very plain that they should neither be allowed
to devote to other subjects the time needed for
proper discharge of their official duties, nor 10 use
the authority OF their office TO enforce their
own opinions, or to coerce the political action OF
those who hold different opinions.
Reasons OF justice snd public policy, quite
analogous to those which forbidthe use OF OIL
ncial power for the oppression OF the private
citizen, impose upon the government the duty
of protecting its officers and agents nom arbi'
trary exactions. In whatever aspect consldereo'
the practice Of making leyes, for party purposes,
upon the salaries of oficersfs highly democratic
ing to the public service and discreditabie 10 the
country. Though an officer should be as Tree as
any other citizen, give his money In aid OF his
opinions his party, he should aiso be as free as
salaries are but fair compensation for the time
ant. Ia Dor OF the officer ii fs grose injustice 10
levy tax upon them. II they are made excess
sive in order that they may bear the tax, the ex-
ce.s is sn indirect robbery OF the public funds. -
/ recommend therefore, euoh a revision and
extension of present statutes as Eshail secure TO
those in every grade OF eiactallife Or public em-
ployment the protection with which great ann
enlightened nation shsuli guard those who ore
faithful In its service.