The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-12-10

q vide just end adequate means. espec
/ tally for every department, aud large
q administrative Office. where persona
[ DISCRIMINATION on the part OF its head
, Is not practicable, TOR ascertaiGiDe
{ those Qualifications to which appoint
r ments aad removals should have ref
esence. 70 fail to provide such
, means is not only 10 deny the oppor.
; tuBlty OF aseertainiIg the facts upon
{ which the most righteous claim 70 Of
, fee depends. bas Df necessity, to dis
courage sil worthy aspirants, by
: handing over appointments and re-
movals, to mere influence and favor.
itism. lfit is the right of the wor-
thiest claimant to gain the app oini-
/ ment, and the interest of the people
20 bestow it upon bin, it would seem
, clear that wise and just method OF
ascertaining personal fitness for Office
must be an impJrtany and permanent
function Of every just and wise gov
ernment- 1t has long since become
{ Impossible. in the great Offices, for
chose having the dutv of nomination
and appointments, to personally ex-
anime into the individual qusiifics-
. tions of more than a small portion OF
those seeking office; and, with the
) enlargement OF the civil service, that
portion must continue TO become less.
! Ia the earlier years Of the govern
ment, the subordinate Offices were 80
few IN number that II was quite easy
for those making appointments and
promotions to personally ascertain
4 the merits of candidates. Party
IGanageYs aad methods had not then
become powerful agencies Of coer-
cion, hesEile 20 the free and just ex-
egeise9 OF the appoInting power.
A large and responsible part of the
duty of restoring civil service to the
desired prEi;y sad efficiency rests up
on the President, aud it is my pur-
pose TO Go what is within my power
20 advance such prudent and gradual
lessons OF reform "a will most surely
and - pidiy bring about that radical
change Of system essential to maze
ear administrative meshads sstisfac
itOsY to free ard intelligent people
BT q proper exercise Of authority, il
il 10 tue power of the Executive TO
dq much TO promote such a reform
Is nt it clanot be too clearly uader-
81 .ood that nothing adequate can be
: ccomplished without cooperation on
,he part OF Congress ana considerate
;, and intelligent support among the
ptople Reforms which challenge
tie generally accepted theories Of
pagties, and demand changes in the
methods Of departments, are not the
work of day. Their permanent
foundations must be laid in sound
principles, and IN an experience which
demonstrates tbeir wisdom and ex-
i poses the errors OF their adversaries
Every worthy officer desires 10 make
his official action gain and honor 70
| his country, but the people them
selves. ftr more than sheir cflicers il
I public istion, are interested in a
pure, eoaomical, ard vigorous ad
miDisfF alion
I By laws enacted in 1888 and 1855,
! aud now 10 substance Incorporated IN
the Revised Statutes, the practice of
arbitrary appointments to the several
subordinate grades in the great De-
partments was condemned, and ex-
aminstiO0s, as 10 capacity, to be con-
Quoted by departmental boards of ex-
aminers, were provided for and made
conditions of admission 10 the public
service. These statutes are decision
by Congress that examinations OF
some sort, as to attainments and Ca
pacity, are essential TO the weil-being
OF the public service The important
questions since the enactment of these
laws have been as to the character
OF these examinations, and whether
official favor and partisan influence
or common right and merit, we're to
control the access to the exGmin-
ations In practice, these exaInin-
ations have not always been open to
worthy persons generally, who might
wish 10 be examined Official favor
itism aud partisan influence, as q
rule, appear 10 have designsted those
who alone were permitted to g . be-
fore the examining boards, snbje citing
even the examiners 10 pressure
from the friends OF the candidates
very difficult 10 resist A. cJnse-
quence, the standard of admission
tell below that which the public in
terest dem ADDED IL was also almost
Inevitable that a system which pro-
vided for various separate boards of
examiners, with no common super
VISION or uniform method of proceed
ure, should result in confusion, incon-
slstency, and inadequate tests of CO.
pac'ty highly detrimental to public
interests \ further and more radi-
csn change Was obviously required.
10 the annual message OF Decem
Der, 1870, my predecessor declared
;hst 'Ehere is no duty which so en-
barrasses the Executive and heads
of Departments as that Of appoint
ments nor Is there any such arduous
and thaDkless labor imposed on Sena.
tors and Representatives as that of
finding places for constituents. The
present system does not secure the
best men, and often not even fit men
for the public places. The elevation
ana publication of the civil service Of
the government will be hailed with
approval by the whole people If the
United States" Congress according
ly passed ibe act, approved March 3,
1871, TO regulate the civil service
OF the United States and promote the
efficiency thereof" giving the neces-
sary authority TO the Executive to in
augurste civil service reform.
Acting under this statute, which
was interpreted as intended to secure
a system of just aud effectual exam
nations under uniform supervision, a
number of emincntly competent per-
sons were selected for the purpose,
WHO catered with zeal upon the dis
charge Of their duties, prepared. with
an intelligent appreciation of the re-
quirements of the service, the regu-
! lalions contemplated, aud took charge
of the examinations, and who, in
u their caparity as a BOARD have heen