Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-12-11

] :1]N'N., DECEMBER il,
departments % that OF appointmenta rcr is
there any such arduous and thankless labor i'm
posed on Senators and Representatives az that
Ct finding places forconstituents. The pres
ent system does not secure the best
pube psess ss eGt %Se ss1.oa IT s,ur fSr
cation At Of the civil service Of the Government
q the United Stss 8on.eess ose %0.s .eopeS peS
ingly passed tes set approved March 5. 1871.
60 20 regulate the civil service of the United
ing the Escessary authority to the Executive to
BY .iGSutute civil l-service reform Acting under
this statute, which was Interpreted as intended
TO secure system Of just and eEectual exami-
+ snsaons ON under ,,anifosna supervision, number
S5 or s3qS sepetent persons we're selected
dscharge Of their duties, prepared with an in.
telhgent appreciation Of the requirements Of the
service, the regulations Contemplated; and tool
cnarge OF the exaQinsttcnD, and who, in their
capacity as board, have been known as the
Canl service Commission. Congress for two
compensation and for the expense Of CARRYING
from the report Of the ec.1m.ss,on, submitted
70 she PRESIDENT in Aprii, 1874, that exam,na.
tions had been held in various sections Of the
SSSSg91sry, SS9 5 and that an appropriation Of about
expenses, including salaries, involved in
sion Fhe report IVA was '' tr.nsnitted as seam's1 to
insSsngress issg :,. BY r. SPECIAL message Of April ls
the s5ors so ef tbe
tanned by Congress, have no doubt the rul4s
can, after the experience gained, beso improved
and enforced as to still more materially benefit
the public service. and relieve tho Executive,
members Of Congress, and the heads of de-
'psrtments pr from influences prejut1icisl to good
erto been enforced. have resulted bonedciallv,
as is shown by the opinions OF the members Of
tho Cablnet and their subordinates in
the departments, apd in that opinion |
concur" And i'll the ann,1A :. message OF
December Of tho same year himilar views arc
suppressed, and an appropriation for continuing
the work OF tho commission again advise !.
The appropriation was not made, and, as q con
sequence, the active work Of the commission
was suspended, leaving the commission itsel:
still in existence without the means therefore of
causing qualifications to be tested in any eys-
tematic manner. or securing for the public ser
vice the advantages OF competition upon any
extensive plan. I recommended in my annual
message of December, 1877, the making Of an
appropriation for the resumption Of the
work Of the commission. In the meantime,
however, competitive examinations, undo.
many enbarrassments. have been conducted
within limited spheres in the executive depart
msnts in Washington, and in number of the
custom houses and postoffices Of the principal
cities of tho 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 undor tho administration
Iopp1 T ;DLr k1o
purity and efficiency of the public service
would be greatly promoted by their Systematic
lntroductlon, wherever practicable, throughout
tho entire civil service Of the Government,
together with ample provision for their general
supervision, in order to secure 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 Postnasters and Collectors in
several Of the other large cities, show that tho
competitive system, where applied, has in
various ways contributed to improve the
public service. The reports show that the
results have been salutary in . marked
degree. and that the general application Of
similar rules cannot fail to be of decided benefit
to the service The reports OF the Government
bear decided testimony to the utility Of
open competitive examinations in their respect
i've Offices, showing that these examinations,
and the excellent qualifications of those admit
ted to the service through them, have had
marked incidental effect upon the persons pre-
en ese pert of hdse ae1 an Increased
est in the work, and desire to extond acquaint-
ance with it beyond particular desk, and thus
/ - oR 1,oo Hnoo nj
The examinations have been attended by many
citizens. who have had an opportunity to thor
ouyhly investigate the scope and character OF
the tests, and the method Of determining the
results and these visitors have, without excep-
ton, approved tho modes employed, and several
favorable opinion. Upon such considerations,
I deem it my duty to renew the recommends
ton contained in my annual message Of Decenl-
Der, 1877, requesting Congress to make the
necessary appropriations tor the resumption OF
the work Of the Civil Service Commission.
Economy will be promoted by authorizing q
moderate compensation to persons in the pub
lie service who may perform extra labor upon
or under the commission as the Executive may
direct am convinced that if just and
defiiite test of merit is enforced for
admission to the public service, and in
making promotions, such abuses as removal
without good cause and partisan and off,
cial interference with the proper exercise Of
disappear Tbepe are " othe1 M sdSin S sadFe a1e
abuses to which the attention of Congress
should be asked in this connection. Mere
removal without cause very naturally lead to
An absorbing and mischievous political activity
on the part Of those thus appointed, which not
only interferes with the due discharge Of Off
cal duty, but is incompatible with the freedom
Of elections. Not without warrant in the view
of several OF my predecessors ia the Presiden::
tial Office, directly in accordance with the law OF
1871 already cited, I endeavored, by regulation
made on the ed Of June, 1877, to put some
reasonable limits to such abuses It may
not be easy, and it may never, perhaps, be
necessary to define with precision tho proper
limit Of political action on the part of Federal
officers. But while their right to hold and
freely express their opinions cannot be ques-
toned, it is very plain That they should neither
be allowed to devote to other subjects the time
needed for the proper discharge Of their official
duties, nor to use the authority of their Office to
enforce their own opinions, or to coerce tho
political action OF those who hold different
quite analogous to those which forbid the use
Of official power for the oppression of the pri-
vate citizen impose upon tho Government the
duty Of protecting its officers and agents from
arbitrary exactions In whatever aspect con-
sidered, the practice Of making levies for
paAy puIpoeoo uPOu tAo bo1oIAco VI:
officers is highly demoralizing to the public
service and discreditable to the country.
Though an officer should be as free any other
citizen to give his money IN aid of his opinions
or his party, he should also be as free AZ any
other citizen to refuse to make such gifts. II
time and labor Of the officers it IS gross injus-
tce to levy tax upon them. If they are made
excessive In order that they may bear the tax,
the excess IL an indirect robbery Of the public
funds. recommend, therefore, such = re-
vision and extension Of the present statutes as
shall secure to those in every grade Of official
life o. public employment the protection with
which . great and enlightened nation shau
guard those who are faithful in its service.
Sinking Fund.
The policy Of the United States steadily ad-
hered to from the adoption of the constitution
has been to avoid the creation Of national
debt, and when, from necessity, in the time Of
war, debts have been created, they have been
beea paid of on tho return Of peace as rapidly
as possible. With this view. and for this pur-
pose it is recommended that the existing laws
FOR the accumuls ton of sinking fund suffi-
cient to extinguish the public debt within a
limited period be maintained. II any change
of the objects or rates of taxation is deemed
necessary by Congress, it is suggested that ex,
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