Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-17

THE CIVIL sEpNi,E- CpN"ETI-Nr sN>TTN - /.
rulNTNtnT> RECOMMENDED. FTt.
In my former u rUal moss - | have ri''. =
attention Ci t.u:r'-~ Ia the urgent n,C.--ItN "'
reformation oi 'llr c,til service -'s'rm f hr t'u
eynmtut. Ny views conc rlinL ~" ttl-,r-
patronage or appointments for per-our' "r pas'f- -,
consideration !iHs been strengthened tv jJN U'>'
Walton and "NprriCnc" in the Executive 'ft'' AZ
| believe thee dang r threaten II - D y
the Government. Abuses - serious IN - -
ture cannot b. permanently tolerated D.
TO become more alarming with the ru
of the : 3Binl-ttatiNr service A. the gruWtu I o.
country IN population increases the number. ,
officers and pacCmcn employee! The reasons Ar
imperative for the adoption of fixed rule- for IA
regulation of app ntmcuis. promo ION. pay an
removals and establishing n Huiturm Hcthnd la,
ing exclusively in every in>tauc' the attainment
of the hest qualifications for The position in qu"s
tion. Such method alone j. CO. >istcut with tn
equal rights of all citizens AID the most cconomi
cal and efficient administrator uf the pubic busi
ness. competitive examinations in aid OF i'm
partial appointment. and promotion have beer
eCutivc departments. and by my direction i -y-
TEN aas been adopted in the custom hul - ant
posfoffices of the larger cities al the couaty. In
the city of New York over two thousand prrsoi.
in the civil service have been ,uhj,ct on '"'r ap
pOintmens and tenure Of place to the or a ion
of published rules for the purpose during til tmsl
two years. The results of these praCtira' i:Ials
have been ve,y satisfactory aud have tunGr.rrl
my opinion in favor otthis system of selection. All
are subject 10 the same tests and the result is free
from prejudice by :, r-onal favor or partisan ill.,
fuence. Ii secures f,r the position applied for
the best qualifications atainable am )ng the com
peiing applicants. II is MI effrclua protection
from the pressure OF importantly which. under
any other course pursued largely cxacts the time.
and attention of appointing officer. 10 their great
detriment in the discharge of other official duties.
preventing the abuse of the service for the mere
furthelance of private party purposes and having
the employee Of the Government freed from the oh
Hgation imposed by pa'rona!,'. 10 depend solely
upon merit for retention and advant enent. and
with this constant incentive To tx .rion and i'm
provement invaluable results have been attiincd
In high degree in the Offices wncrr the rules for
appointment by competitive examination have
been applied. method which has so approved
itself by experimental tests at points where such
tests may be fairly considered conclusive, should
be extended to all subordinate positions under
the Government. / believe that strong and
growing public sentiment demands immediate
measures for securing and enforcing The highest
possible efficiency IN the civil service and its
lection fDOm recognized abuses. aud that the cx-
perience referred to has demonstrated the fcasi
bility OF such measures. the examinations in the
custom houses and post-o1ice1 have been held un-
der many endorsements and without provision
for compensation for the extra labor performed by
the officers who have conducted them, aud whose
eommendsble interest In the public service has in
duced this devotion of time and labor without Pc
cuniary reward A continuance of these lahors
sTatuitOusly ought not to be expected; and. with
ett appropriation by Congress for compensation,
II is not practical To extend the system Of exami
nations generally throughout the civil service II
, AFRO highly important that oil such examinations
should be conducted upon uniform system and
general .upervisioa Section l3ss ofthc R.y.ssd
the regulations for admission TO the civil service
q the United States. and for this purpose to EN-
plcy suitable persons to CONDUCT the requisite in.
suires with reference to - the fitness Of each can
s'if"' respect to age, health, character. knowl-
-'"- "nd ability for the branch OF service into
a-.~.- .e seeks to enter But the law Is rracti-
cAlly imperative for wsnt OF the requisite appr'
pEhtiOn therefore ecOmmend an appropriation
u $25 900 per annum to meet the expenses of a
commission to be appointed BY the President in
<,fs
duty 1t shall be to devise just uniform and eff
Gent system " competitive examination. and to
supervise the application Of the same throughout
persuaded that the facilities which such commits.
sion will afford for the testing of the fitness Of those
who apply for Office will not only be as welcome
Presidents and heads Of departments; bat that 1t
VII also greatly tend to remove the causes Of en-
1orrassment which now inevitably and constantly
end tns o ns'wrs zen
most efFectual check upon the pernicious competi-
Sion of influence and official favoritsm in the be-
stowal Of ofice will be the substitution 81 an open
which every one can make His own rVc.,rd with
he assurance that his success will depend upon
tAis alone.
/ also recommend such legislation as. while leav.
ing every officer - Tree as any other citizen to
express his political opinion ana to u.e his means
1bf its advancement shall also enable him to feel
- safe d any private citizen In the refusal of all
demands upon HE salary for political PURPOSES. A
NV which should thus guarantee true liberty and
Justice to all engaged IN the puolic service, and
use Of ofical authority to coerce the political &C.
Sion Of private citizens or Of Official sub0rdnates.
10 greatly 10 be desired. The most serious obsta-
Gle, however, 20 On improvement of civil service
and especially 10 rcOrm in the method OF appoint
ment and removal has been found to be the prac-
tice under what IL known as the "spOils system"
BY which the appointing power has been 40 largely
encr0achea upon by members Of Congress-. The
1rst step in the reform Of the civil service must be
. complete divorce b.tween Congress and the Ex-
Iupting doctrine that ~ to the victors belong the
spoils" is iuseparable from Congressional patron
aee as the established rule and practice Of parties
1bs Office and by the people generally that Repre-
sentaives and Senators entitled to dsburse the
patrunage Of their respective Districts and States.
It b not necessary to recite at length the evils re
sxiting from this invasion OF the executive func-
ITEMS. The true principles of Government on the
subject Of appointments TO Office, as stated In tho
national conventions of the leading parties OF the
country have again and again been approved by the
American people and have not been called In ques-
don In any quarter. These authentic expressions
sfpnblic opinion upon this all important subject,
arethe statement of principles that belong to the
x~cs-situtional structure of the Government. I'm
''- the Constitution, the President and heads Of
.eva- ments are to make nominations for off1ce,
i!e ,t.,ate is to advise and consent to appoint
IS. and the House OF Representatives Is to &C.
sc AMI prosecute faithess officers. The best in
uerest of the public service demands that these dis
sarii,ns be respected: that Senators and Repre-
s.uatives who may be judges and acc1sers. should
~ dictate appointments to office. To this end
she cooperation OF the legislative dc artment
q the Government IL requested, alike by the ne
ee@ties CT the case, and that by public examina-
tian, members Of Congress will be relieved from
the demands made upon them with reference to
appointments to Ofice until by legislative enact
neht the pernicious practice IL condemned and
forbidden. 1t il therefore recommended that an
act be passed defining the relations of members Of
Congress with respect to appointments to Office by
the President. and also recommend that the pro-
visions of section 17G7 and of the sections following
Of the Revised Statutes. comprising the tenure of
Sffice act OF March ID, 1867. be repealed.
Believing that to reform the system and methods
Of the civil service Ia count to he one of the
highest and most imperative duties OF statesman
ship, and that 1t can be permanently done only by
the cooperation Of the legislative an executive de-
partments Of the Government, l again recommend
he whole subject to your considerable attention
COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION.
The attention Of Congress is invited TO the ne
cessary appropriations for carrying into operai on
the schemes TO enlarge the trade and c,,mmer,e
Of the United States through the active agency of
eonsuler officers and through the diss miia,ion of
information obtained from them. There has been
unrelaxed interest in these efforts as developed i'm
our commercial communities. and the valle of in
formation secured by this means to the trade and
manufactures of the country were recognized by
Congress at its last session, and provision was
made for more frequent publication Of consular
and other reports by the Department of State The
first issue of this publicai on has now been pre-
pared. and subsequent issues may regularly be ex
Decfed. The Importance and interest attached I,