Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-12-09


number of officers and placemen en-
ployed.
The reasons are imperative for the
adoption of fixed rules for the regulation
OF appointments, promotions and re-
movaLs, establishing q uniform method
having exclusively in view, in every in
stance, the attainment of the best quail
fcations for the position in question.
| Such a method alone is consistent with
the equal rights of all citizens, and the
most economical and efficient admins
trstion of the publ; business.
Competitive examinations in aid OF
impartial appointments and promotions
have been conducted for some years
past in several of the executive depart
ments, and by my direction this system
has been adopted in the custom houses
and postoffices of the larger cities of the
country. In the city of New York over
two thousand positions in the civil SER
vice have been subject, in their appoint
ments and tenure of place, to the opera
tions of published rules for this purpose
during the past two years. The results
of these practical trials lave been very
satisfactory, and have confirmed my
opinion in favor of this system of
selection. All are subjected to the
same tests, and the result is free
from prejudice by personal favor or
partisan influence. 1t secures for the
position applied for the best qualih-
cations attainable among the competing
applicants. II is an effectual protection
from the pressure of Importantly which,
under any other course pursued. largely
exacts the time and attention of ap-
pointing officers, to their great detri-
ment in the discharge of other official
duties, preventing the abuse of the
service for the mere furtherance Of pri-
vate or party purposes, and leaving the
employee of the government, freed from
the obligations imposed by patronage, to
depend solely upon merit for retention
| and advancement, and with this con-
slant incentive to eXertion and I'M
provement.
These Invaluable results have been
attained in a high degree IL the offices
Whele the rules for appointment by
competitive examination have been ap-
piled.
A method which has so approved it
self by experimental tests at points
where such tests may be fairly con-
5idered conclusive, should be extended
TO all subordinate positions under the
governments. / believe that strong
and growing public sentiment demands
Immediate measures for Sc curing ana
enforcing the highest possible efficiency
in the civil service, and its protection
from recognized abuses, and that the
experience referred to has demonstrated
the feasibility of such measures.
The examinations in the custom
houses and postoffices have been held
under many EN- mbarrassments and with
out provision for compensation for the
extra labor performed by the officers
who have conducted them, and whose
commendable interest in the improve
ment of the public service has induced
this devotion of time and labor without
pecuniary reward. A continuance
of these labors gratuitously ought
not to be expected, and without
an appropriation by Congress for COM
pensation, it is not practicable to ex-
tend the systems of examinations gener-
ally throughout the civil service. It is
also highly important that all such ex-
aminations should be conducted upon q
uniform sVstem and under general super
vision. S Siction I.753 of the revised
statutes authorizes the President to pre-
scribe the regulations for admission to
and for this purpose to employ suitable
persons to conduct the requisite in
quiries with reference to s'the fitness of
each candidate, in respect to age, health.
character, knowledge and ability for the
branch of service into which he seeks to
enter;" but the law is practically in
operative for want of the requisite an.
preparation.
| Therefore recommend an appropria-
ton of S25, 600 per annum to i.1eet the
expenses of a commission, to be ap-
pointed by the President in accordance
with the terms of this section, whose
duty it shall be to devise Just, uniform,
and efficient system of com petitive ex-
aminations. and to supervise the appli-
cation OF the same throughout the en-
tire civil service of the government. I
am persuaded that the facilities which
such commission will afford for test
ing the fitness of those who apply for
Office will not only be as welcome a
relief TO members of Congress as it will
be to the President and heads of depart
ments, but that it will also greatly tend
to remove the causes of embarrassment
which now inevitably and constantly
attend the conflicting claims of patron
age between the legislative and execu-
tive Departments. The most effectual
check upon the pernicious competition
of influence and official favoritism, in
The be8towal of Office, wi / be the sub
5titution of an open competition of merit
between the applicants, in which every
one can make his own record with the
assurance that his success will depend
upon this alone.
also recommend such legislation as,
while leaving every officer as free as any
other citizen to express his political
opinions and to use his means for their
advancement, shall also enable him to
feei as safe as any private citizen in re-
fus1ne all demands upon MS salary for
political purposes. A law which should
thus guarantee true liberty and justice
to all who are engaged in the public
service, and likewise contain contingent
provisions agains. the use Of official au-
! thority to coerce the political action of
private citizens or of official subordi-
mates, is greatly to be desired.
The most serious obstacle, however,
to an improvements of the civil service,
and especially to a reIorm in the method
OF appointment and removal, has been
found to be the practice under what is
known as the spoils system, by which
the appointing power has been so largely
encroached upon by members of Con.
gress. The first step in the reform OF
| the civil service must be a complete di-
vorce between Congress and the Execu-
tive in the matter of appointments.
The corrupting docUrine that ''to the
victors belong the spoils," is INSOFAR
able from Congressional patronage as the
established rule and practice of parties
I II L ] L
applicants for rffi ,e, and by the people
a1v.oi .kx.k.