Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-03

| purpose to do what is within my power to ad-
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 satisfac-
tory to free and intelligent people by proper
| exercise of authority. It is in the power of
| the Executive to do much to promote such q
reform, but it cannot be too clearly understood
that nothing adequate can be accomplished
without cooperation on the part of Congress
and considerate and intelligent support
among the people. Reforms which challenge
the generally accepted theories of parties and
demand changes in the methods of departments
are not the work Of day. Their permanent
| foundation must be laid in sound principles
and IN an experience which demonstrates their
wisdom and exposes the errors of their adver-
sarles Every worthy officer desires to make
ms of11c'al action an honor to his country. But
the people themselves, far more than their off,
GERS In public station, are Interested in
a pure, economical, and vigorous admin
lstrat1on By laws enacted in 1853 and
loo5. and now in substance incorporated in
| the Revised Statutes, the practice of arbitrary
appointments 70 the several subordinate grades
| III the great departments was condemned, and
examinations as to capacity, to be conducted
| by the Departmental Boards of Examiners,
| were provided for and made conditions OF adj
| mission to the public service. These statutes
are decision by Congress that examinations
| of some sort az to attachments and capacity are
essential to the well-being of the public ser
wee The important questions since the
actment OF these laws have been as to the char
| acter of these examinations, and whether off
| clai favor and partisan influence or conf
mon right and merit were to control the
access to the examinations In practice these
examinations have not always been open to
worthy persons generally who might wish to
| be examined. Official favoritism and partisan
| influence, as a rule, appear to have designated
| those who alone were permitted 70 go before
Qrdu innfrr,
| lners to pressure from the friends of the can
didates very difficult to resist. AS a conse-
quence, the standard of admission fell below
| that which the public interest demanded
1t was almost inevitable that a system
which provided for various separate
| boards of examiners, with no COM
mon supervision or uniform method of
| procedure shonld result in confusion. in
consistency, and inadequate tests of capacity
highly detrimental to the public interest
obviously required. In the annual message
OF December, 1870, my predecessor declared
| that "there is no duty which 80 much
| embarrasses the Executive and heads Of
oughly investigate the scope and character OF
| the tests, and the method Of determining the
| results, and these visitors have, without excep-
| ton, approved the modes employed, and several
| OF them have publicly attested their
favorable opinion Upon such considerations,
deem it my duty to renew the recommends
L
Der, 1877, requesting Congress to make the
necessary appropriations for the resumption of
the work of the Civil Service Commission
Economy will be promoted by authorizing a
departments as that on appointments, nor is
there any such arduous aid thanklese labor i'm
posed on Senator's and Re representatives as that
of finding places for constituents. The pres
ent system does not secure the best
men, and often not even fit men, for
the public places. The elevation and purif-
cation of the civi: service Of the Government
will be hailed with approval by the whole pee
Pile OF the United States" Congress accord
ingly passed the act approved March 3, 1871.
To regulate the civil service of the United
States and promote the efficiency thereof" Civ
ing the necessary authority to the Executive TO
Institute civll-service reform Acting under
this statute, which was interpreted as intended
to secure system of just and effectual exam-
nations under uniform supervision, number
of eminently competent persons were selected
for the purpose, vino entered with zeal upon the
discharge of their duties, prepared with an in
teliigent appreciation 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. It appears
from the report of the commission, submitted
to the President In April, 1874, that examlna-
tons had been held in various sections of the
country, and that an appropriation of about
$25, wv would be required to meet the annual
expenses, including salaries, involved in
discharglng the duties Of the commits
sion. The report was transmitted TO
Congress by special message of April Is,
1874, with the following favorable comment
upon the labors cf the commission: sIf sus-
tanned by Congress, have no doubt the rule g
can, after the experience gained, be 30 improved
and enforced as to still more materially benefit
~ L
members OF Congress, and the heads Of dc
partments from influences prejudicial to good
administration. The rules, as they have hith-
erto been enforced, have resulted benefcially,
as is shown by the opinions Of the members of
the Cabinet and their subordinates in
concur" And Ill the annual message of
December Of the same year similar views are
expressed, and an appropriation for continuing
the work Of the commission again advise ].
The appropriation was not made, and, as a COIL
sequence, the active work OF the commission
was suspended leaving the commission itself
still in existence without the means therefore OF
causing qualifications to be tested in any sys-
tematic manner, or securing for the public ser
vice the advantages or competition upon any
extensive plan. [ 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, under
many NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., nave Do0u cOuuuct6u
within limited spheres in the executive depart
ments in Washington, and in a number of the
custom houses and postofices 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
introduction, wherever practicable, throughout
the 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 Postmasters and Collectors in
several OF the other large cities, show that fhe
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
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