The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-10
every department and large admins
trative office where personal discrimina-
tion on the part of its head is not prac-

trative Office where personal discrimina
tion on the part of its head is not prac
ticable, for ascertaining those qualifica
tions to which appointments and re-
movals should have reference. To fai
to provide such means is not only tc
deny the opportunity ofascertaining the
facts upon which the most righteous
claim to Office depends, but of neces
pirants by handing over appoint
ments and removals to mere in
fuence and favoritism. If it is the
right of the worthiest claimant te
gain the appointment, and the
interest of the people to bestow it upon
him, it would seem clear that q wise
and just method of ascertaining personal
fitness for Office must needs be an i'm.
Dortant and permanent function Of
every jnst and wise government. It has
long since become impossible, in the
great Offices, for those having the duty
of nomination and appointment to per.
5onally examine into the Individual
qualifications of more than small pro-
portion of those seeking office. and with
the enlargement of civil service that
proportion must continue to become
less. In the earlier years of the gov
ernment, the subordinate offices were
so few in number that it was easy for
those making appointments and promo
lions to personally ascertain the merits
of the candidates. Party managers and
methods had not then become power
| full agencies of coercion hostile to
the free and just exercise of the appoint
ing power. =.
A large and responsible part of the
duty of restoring the civil service to the
desired purity and efficiency rests upon
| the President, and it has been my pur-
pose to do what is in my power to ad-
vance such prudent and gradual meas
ures of reform as will most surely and
rapidly bring about that radical change
of system essential to make our admin
istration methods satisfactory to q free
and intelligent people. By a proper ex-
ercise of authority tits in the power of
the executive to do much to promote
such reforiL. But it cannot be too
clearly understood that nothing ade-
quate can be accomplished without CO.
operation on the part of Congress, and
considerate and intelligent support
among the people. Reforms which
challenge the generally accepted theo-
ries of parties, and demand changes in
the methods of departments, are not the
work of day. Their permanent
foundations must be laid in sound prin-
ciples, and in an experience which
demonstrate their wisdom and exposes
the errors OF their adversarieS. Every
worthy officer desires to make his Of
fetal action gain and an honor to his
country, but the people themselves, far
more than their officers in public sta
tion, are interested in pure, economi-
cal, and vigorous administration.
By laws enacted in 1853 and 1856, and
now in substance incorporated in the
revised statutes, the practice of arbitrary
appointments to the several subordinate
grades in the great departments was
condemned, and examinations az 10
capacity, to be conducted by depart
mental boards of examiners, were pro
vided for and made conditions of ad-
mission to the public service. These
statutes are decision by Congress that
examinations of some sort as to attain
ments and capacity are essential to the
wel-being Of the public service. The
important questions since the enactment
of these laws have been as 10 the charac-
ter of these examinations and whether
official favor and partisan influence or
common 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 exam
ined; official favoritism and partisan in
fuence, as rule, appear to have desig-
mated those who alone were permitted
to go before the examining boards, sub
jsoting even the examiners to = pressure
from the friends of the candidates very
difficult to resist. AS a consequence,
the standard of admission fell be-
low that which the public interest
demanded. It was almost inevi-
table that a. system which provided
for various separate boards of e1amin-
ers, with no common supervision or
uniform method of procedure, should re-
suit in confusion, Inconsistency, and in
adequate tests of capacity, highly detri-
mental to the public interest. A fur
ther and moro radical change was OBJ
viously required. In the annual mes
sage Of December, 1870, my predecessor
declared that "there is no duty which
50 much embarasscs the Executive and
heads of departments as that of appoint
ments, nor is there any such arduous
and thankless labor imposed on Senators
and Representatives as that OF finding
places for constituents. The present sys-
tenn does not secure the best men, and
often not even fit men, for the public
places. The elevation and publication
of the civil service of the government
will be hailed with approval by the
whole people of the United States"
Congress accordingly passed the act. ap-
proved March 3, 1871. q" to regulate the
civil service of the United States and
promote the efficiency thereof" giving
th, necessary authority to the Executive
to institute civil service reform.
WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
Acting under this statute. which was
interpreted as intended to secure sys-
lem of just and etfectual examinations,
under uniform supervision, number OF
emincntly competent persons were
SclcCLcu 1Ol tlo pul pOoS, WIZ SuISbSo
with zeal upon the discharge of their
duties, prepared with an intelligent 'ap-
probation 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 az 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 COM
mission, submitted to the President in
April, 1874. that examinations had been
held in various sections of the country,
and that an appropriation of about $685.
900 would be required to meet the an
nual expenses, including salaries. in
volved in discharging the duties of the
commission.
The report was transmitted to Con-
gress by special message of April IL,
1874, with the following favorable COM
ment upon the labors of the commits
sion: eff sustained by Congress, I have
no doubt the rules can, after the expert
ence gained, be so improved and en-
forced as to still more materially benefit
the public service and relieve the execu-
tive, menbe of Congress, and the heads
of departments from influences preju-
dicial to good administration. The
rules, as they have hitherto been en-
forced, have resulted bene6cially, as is
shown by the opinions of the members
of the cabinet and their subordinates in
the departments, and in that opinion
concur" And in the annual message of
December of the same year, similar
views are expressed, and an appropria-
tion for continuing the work Of the COM
again advised. The appropria.
tion was not made, and, as a conse-
nnpnca the active work of the norn