The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-01


It great parties, which are inevitable and el
y sential In a free State.
When the people have approved
policy at National election, contidenc
J: on the part Of the officers they have sc
u lected, and OF the advisers who, In accord
' anCe with our political institutions, shoul
be consulted, In the policy which It
1 their duty TO carry into effect, Is indis
8 pensable. It's eminently proper that the,
: SHOULD explain It before the people, as wei
!. as illustrate It's spirit In the performance o
} their official duties.
Very different considerations apply Il
{ the greater number OF those who fill the
subordinate places in the civil service
Their responsibility Is 10 their superiors IL
, official position. It Is their duty to obey
the legal instructions OF those upon whom
that authority Is devolved, and their best
public service consists in the discharge oil
their functions irrespective OF partisan
politics. Their duties are the same, what.
ever party iSin power and whatever poll.
cy prevails. AS consequence, It follows
that their tenure OF office should not de.
pend on the prevalence Of any policy or
the supremacy OF any party, but should
be determined by their capacity to serve
the people most usefully, quite irreSpec-
tive OF partisan interests The same con-
sideratiOns that govern the tenure, should
also prevail In the appointment, discipline
and removal OF these subordinates. The
authority OF appointment and removal Is
not perquisite, which may be used 10 aid
a friend or reward a partisan, but is trust
TO be exercised In the public interest, uu.
der all the sanctions which attend the OBJ.
legation to apply the public funds only for
public purposes.
PERSONAL MERIT FOR PROMOTION.
Every citizen has an equal right TO the
honor and profit OF entering the public
service Of his country. The only Just
ground OF discrimination is the measure
OF character and capacity he has to make
that service most useful to the people.
Except In cases where, upon just and
recognized principles, as upon the theory
Of pensions, offices and promotions are
bestowed US rewards for past services,
their bestowal upon any theory which dis.
regards personal merit, is an act Of injus.
tice to the citizen, as well as breach OF
that trust subject to which the appointing
power is held.
In the light OF these principles, It be.
comes OF great importance to provide lust
and adequate means, especially for every
department, and large administrative
Office, where personal discrimination on
the part OF Its head is not practicable, for
ascertNining those qualifications to which
appointments and removals should have
reference. To fail TO provide such means
is not only to deny the opportunity OF as.
certaining the facts upon which the most
righteous claim 10 office depends. but, OF
necessity to discourage all worthy aspi-
rants, by handing over appointments and
removals, 70 mere influence and favorit-
ism. II 1t Is the right Of the worthiest
claimant to gain the appointment, and the
interest OF the people to bestow it upon
him, 1t would seem clear that wise and
just method ot ascertaining personal fit
ness for office must be an important and
permanent function of every wise and
just government. 1t has long since
become impossible, in thegreat Offices for
those having the duty OF nomination and
appointment, to personally examine into
the individual qualifications OF more than
small proportion OF those seeking office
and, with the enlargement OF the civil ser. |
vice, that proportion must continue TO be.
come less.
In the earlier years OF the Government
the subordinate Offices were so few in |
number that 1t was quite easy for those
making appointments and promotions to |
personally ascertain the merits Of candi. |
dates. Party managers and methods had |
not then become powerful agencies OF |
coercion, hostile to the free aud just exer.
else OF the appointing power.
y large and responsible part Of the duty |
OF restoring the civil service to the desired |
purity and efficiency rests upon the Presi. |
dent, and it is my purpose 10 do what is |
within my power to advance 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 satisfactory TO |
free and,intelligent people. By pro.
per exercise Of authority, it Is in the power
OF the Executive TO do much to promote
such reform.
But 1t cannot be too clearly understood
that nothing adequate can be accomplish.
ed without cooperation on the part OF
Congress and Considerate and intelligent
support among the people. Reforms
which Challengethegenerally accepted the.
ories OF parties, and demand changes in
the methods Of departments, are not the
work OF day. Their permanent iounda-
tions must be laid in sound principles, and
in an experience which demonstrates their
wisdom and exposes the errors OF theirad
versaries. Every worthy officer desires to
make his official action n gain and an honor
to his country, but the people themselves,
far more than their officers in station. are
interested in q pure, economical and vigor-
GUS admistration,
ARBITRARY APPOINTMENTS.
Bylaws enacted in 1858 and 1866, and
now in substance incorporated in the Re.
vised Statutes, the practice OF arbitrary ap.
pointments 10 the several subordinate
grades in the great Departments was con.
demued, and examination, as to capacity,
TO be conducted by departmental boards
OF examiners, were provided for and made
conditions ol admission to the public ser.
vice. These statutes are decision by
Congress that examinations OF some sort,
as to attainments and capacity, are essen.
tial to the well.being of the public service,
The important questions since the enact.
ment OF these laws have been as To the
character OF these examinations, and
whether official favor and partisan intlu.
ence, or common right and merit, were 10
control the access to the examinations,
In practice, these examinations have
not always been open to worthy persons
generally, who might wish to be examin.
ed. Official fayoriteism and partisan in.
flnence, as rule, appear to have designat-
Il all - =
before the examining boards, subiecting
even the examiners to pressure from the
friends Of the candidates very difficult TO
resist. AS q consequence, the standard Of
admission fell below that which the pub.
lie interest demanded. 1t was also al
most inevitable that a system which pro.
yided for various separate boards,of exam.
liners, with no common supervision or
uniform method Of procedure, should re-
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