The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-12-14

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sne attention of congress to the urgent neces-
OF the government. y '''nl
ronage or appointment for personal or nart,, prv
considerations have been strengthened hv T NV
observations and experience in the executive
oMce' and believe that dangers threaten the
:y Ssa:niIy oi The government Abuses so
nolio"s ma IN their nature cannot be tolerated
1noY tehu 10 become more alarming with the
enlargement of the administration service 40
Tue growth ofthe country in population in
creases the required number of officers and
poiicemen employed The reasons are inn.
peratlve io1 the adoption of fixed rules for the
lesulatioh OF appointments, promotion, nav
anu moVals, establishing uniform method
having exclusively in view in every instance
!he attainment of the best qualifications for
tl,e position IN question. Such method
a,ole Is consistent with the equal rights of all
citizens and the most economical and Off.
cieht administration of the public business,
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS
IN aid OF impartial appointments and promo
uon nave been conducted for several years
past IN several of the exc ecutive departments,
and by my direction this system has been
ADOPTED In the custom houses and post offices
OF the larger cities of the country. In the
lty OF New I ork over two thousand .persous
the civil service have been subjected OH
their appointments and tenure of place to
the operation Of published rules for this
purpose during the past two years. The re-
suits OF these practical trials have been vsry
satisfactory, and have confirmed my opinion
10 favor OF this system OF selection. All are
subjected TO the same test and the result is
free from prejudice by personal favor or par
tlsan influence. II secures for the position
applied for the best qualifications attainable
among the competing applicants. 1t is an
etiectual protection from the pressure of i'm
portunity which under any other course pur-
sued, largely exacts tho time and attention of
the appointing officers to their great detri-
ment in the discharge of other official duties.
1t prevents the abuse Of the service for the
mere furtherance of private or party pur-
poses, and frees the employees of the govern
ment from the obligations imposed by pat
ronage, and allows them to depend solely
upon merit for retention and advancement
With this constant incentive to exertion and
improvement, the most valuable results have
been attai ned in high degree in the offices
where the rules for appointment by competi-
"A
method which has so approved itself by ex-
perimental tests at points where such tests
may be fairly considered conclusive, should
be extended to all subordinate positions un-
der 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 protec-
ton from recognized abuses, and that the ex-
perience referred to has demonstrated the
feasibility of such measures.
The examinations in the custom houses
and postofices have been held under many
embarrassments and without provision for
compensation for the extra labor therefor by
the officers who have conducted them, and
whose commendable interest in the public
service has induced This devotion of time
and labor. Without a pecuniary reward, a
continuance of these labors gratuitously
ought moi 70 be expected, and, without an
appropriation by congress for compensation, it
is not practicable to extend the system of ex
aminations generally throughout the civil
service. 1t is also highly important that all
such examinations shall be conducted upon
uniform system and under general super
vision. Section 1853 of the revised statutes
authorizes the President tC prescribe for the
regulation for admission to the civil service
of the United States, and for this purpose to
employ suitable persons to conduct the requi-
site inquiries with reference to 'the fitness
of each candidate in respect TO the AGE,
health, character, knowledge and ability for
the branch of service into which lie seeks to
enter," but the law is practically imperative
for the want OF the requisite appropriations.
| therefore recommend all
APPROPRIATION OF So 900 PER YEAR
To ha of
appointed by the President in accordance
with the terms of this section, whose duty il
shall be to devise a just, uniform and efficient
system of competitive examination and to
supervise the application of the same through
out the entire civil service of the government
| am persuaded that the facilities which such
a commission will afford for the testing of tht
fitness of those who apply for office will not
only be as welcCne relief to members o
congress as it will he to the President ant
heads of departments, but that it will alSt
greatly tend to remove the causes OF embar'
lassment winch now inevitably and constant
ly attend the conflicting claims OF patronage
between the legislative and executive depart
ments. The most effectual check upon thc
PERM cious competition of influence and Off
cal favoritism in the bestowal of office vii
be the substitution of an open competition o
iIlGlIb UetWecll CIlc "hiSh VIVA
one can make his own record with the ass,il
ance that his success will depend upon thi
alone.
also recommend such legislation as Will
leaving every officer as free as any other cit
zen to express his political opinion and to us
his means for their advancement, shall ais
enable them to feel as safe as any private cit
izen in the refusal Of demand upon his sa
ary for political purposes. law who
should thus guarantee true liberty and justil
to all who are engaged in the public service
and likewise contain stringe ent provision
against the use of
OFFICIAL AUTHORITY TO CoERCE
the political action of private citizens or
official subordinates is greatly to be desire
The most serious obstacle, however, to a
improvement of the civil service, and especia
ly to reform in the method of appointmel
and removal, has been found to be the pra