Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-05

| all worthy aspirants Dy nanulng over appOlnt-
ments and removals to mere influence and fa.
vorites. II it is the right of the woi thiesi
claimant to gain appointment and the interest
oi the reopie to pss.1w nd y Is on ni u would
certaining the personal fitness for Office must
need be an important and permanent function
OF every Just ana WISE GHveTnment 10 zen IL has
fees, for those having the duty OF nomination
and appointment, to personally examine into
small proportion of those seeking office, and
with the enlargement of the civil service that
proportion must continue to become less.
! In the earlier years of the government the SUI
ordinate offices were so few in number that il
was easy for those making appointments and
promotions to personally ascertain the wants
! of the candidates Party managers and meth
ods had not then become powerful agencies of
coercion, hostile to the free and jus. exercise
OF the appointing power. A large and re-
spOnsible part of the duty OF restoring the
civil service to the desired purity and efficiency
rests upon the president, and 1t has been my
purpose to do what is within my. power to adj
vance such prudent and gradual measures of
reform as will most surely and rapidly bring
about that radical change of system essential
to make our administrative methods satis fac
| tory to fair and intelligent. people. by a
| proper exercise Of authority 1t Is in the power
of the executive to do much to promote such
"A reform, but it cannot be too clearly under
stood that nothing adequate can be accom-
pished without corporation on part OF con-
gress, and considerate and Intelligent support
among the people. Reforms which challenge
, demand changes in tne methods 81 depart
ments are not the work Of a day: Their per-
mancnt foundations must be LAID IN sound
principles and IL an experience which uemOn-
srateS their wisdom and exposes the errors of
the adyersaries. Every worthy officer desires
To make his official action gain and an honor
to his country, but the people demand far
more of their officers in public station. They
are interested in pure, economical and vigor-
Gus administration. BY laws enacted in lSj3
ana lSl1 and now, i'll substance, incorporated
in the revised statutes, the practice of arbitrary
appointment To the several subordinate grades
in the great departments was condemned, ana
examinations as to the capacity to be con-
Quoted by departmental boards OF eXann-
ers, were provided for and made a condition
of admission to the public service. These
nations of some sort as to attainments and
capacity. are essential to the well being OF the
public service. The imrortant questions since
the eniclmenL of these laws have been as To
the character of the exalnnation and whether
official favor and partisan influence, or com
inations In practice these examinations have
already been open to worthy persons generally
who might wish to be examined OMcial and
partisan favoritism as Il rule appears to have
designated those Who alone were permitted to
go before the examining boards. subjecting
even the examiners to pressure from the
friends of the candidates, very great difficult
ty to resist: AS consequence the standard OF
admission fell below that which the public in
forest demanded. 1t was almost inevitable
that system which provided for various sep
arate boards of examiners with no common
supervision or uniform method OF procedure
should result in confusion, inconsistency and
inadequate test of capacity highly detrimental
radical change was absoi0tely required.
In the annual message OF December, 1870, my
predecessor declared that there is no duty
which so much embarasses the executive and
heads of departments as that of appointment;
nor Is there any such arduous and thankless
labor imposed on senators and representatives
as that of find ng places for constituents. The
present system does not secure the best men
aud often not even fit mon for public places.
The elevation and publication of the civil SER
vice of the government will be hailed with ap.
proval by the whole peopls of the United
States. Congress, accordingly passed the act
approved March B. 1874 to regulate the civil
service of the United states and promote the
efficiency thereof, giving the necessary author
reform. A'ting under this statute which is
interpreted as intended to secure a system of
Just and eRectual examinations under super
vision; number of eminently competent per-
sons were selected for the purpose. They en-
tered with zeal upon the discharge of their
duties, prepared with an intelligent apprecia-
the regulations contemplated; and took charge
of the examinations. In their capacity as
board they have been known as the civil ser
vice commission" Congress, for two years,
appropriated the money needed for the COM
pensation and for the expense of carrying on
the work of the comm'ssi m. 1t appears from
the report of the commission, submitted to
the president in April. 1874, that examinations
had been held in various sections of the cOun
try. anu tndU an appropriation OF ABOUT S@0.-
o00 would be required TO meet the annual ex-
penses, including salaries involved, in dis
charging tile duties of the commission. Tie
report was transmitted to congress by special
message of April Is, 1874, with the following
favorable comment upon the labors of the
commissions: IF sustained by congress
have no doubt the rules can, after the expe-
rience gained, be SO improved and enforced
as To still more materially benefit the public
service and relieve the executive, members of
congress and the heads of departments from
influence prcjudicial to good administration
The rules IA they have hitherto been enforced
have resulted beneflcally, as is shown by the
opinions OF the members OF the cabinet and
the subordnates In the departments, and in
that opinion concur" In the annual mess
age of December of the same year, similar
views are expressed, and an appropriation 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 stu in existence without the means
tnereior Oh causing qualifications to be tested
III a systematic manner ur of securing for the
public service the advantages...of competition
upon any extensive plan. | recommended in
nay annual message of December, 1877. the
max ing of an appropriation for the re umption
OF the work of the commission. In the mean
tne however, competitive examinations un-
der many embarrasSments have been conduct
ed within United sphere In the executive de-
partments IN Washington, and in Il number of
the custom houses and post offices of the prin-
tipal cities or the country with view OF fur
ther testing their effects. and they have been
found to be as salutary as they are stated to
have heen under the administration of my
predecessor. | think the economy, purity and
efficiency of the public service would be
greatly promoted by their systematic introduc-
tion wherever practicable throughout the en-
| tive evil service of the government, together
! with ample provision for their general super
vision in order to secure consistency and uni
! form Justice Reports from the secretary Of
I the Interior from the post master general, from
} the postmaster in the city of New York, where
such eXnminati ms have been some time on
trial; and also from the collector of the port
the naval officer and the surveyor In that cit.
and the pustmasters and collectors in scVera
/ of the other large cities, show that the com
petit We system where applied has i'll VA
rious ways contributed t. improve the publ,
service. The report shows that the result
4 have been saiutary in marked degree. an,
that the general application OF similar rules
( cannot fail to be of decided benefit to the ser
vice. The reports of the government officers II
the city of New York especially bear decided
testimony TO the efficiency of open competitiV,
cNtminatiO : in their respective Offices show
iug that these examinations and the eNccllen
qualifications of those admitted To the service
through them have had a marked incidcnia
effect upon the persons previously in the ser
vice. and particularly upon those aspiring 4
prnmuliuu. There has been Oh the part @
the. latter an increased Interest III the wur'
. and a desire tp extend acquaintance with
| beyond particular desk, aud thus the mora
Of the entire force has been Raised. Ihe eA
!, amina'ir have been attended by nany citi
2 Zens, who have had all opportunity L