The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-12-09

administrative service, as the growth Of
the country in population increases the
number of officers and placemen en-
ployed.
The reasons are imperative for the
adoption OF liked rules for the regulation
OF appointments. promotions and re-
moyals, establishing uniform method
having Exclusively in view, in every iu-
stance, the attainment OF the best quali-
fications for the position in question.
Such q method alone is consistent with
the equal rights of all citizens, and the
most economical and efficient admins
trption 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 theirappoint-
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 arc 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 qualifi-
cations attainable among the com peting
| 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 furtherauce 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
where the rules for appointment by
competitive examination have been ap-
piled.
A method which has so approved it.
sell by experimental tests at points
where such tests may be fairly con-
sidered conclusive, should be extended
10 all subordinate positions under the
government. l believe that strong
and growing public sentiment demands
immediate measures for Sc curing and
enforcing the highest possible efficiency
IN the civil serv lce, and its protection
from recognized abuses, and that the
| experience referred to has demonstrated
the feasibility of such measures.
The eX limitations in the custom
| houses and postoffices have been held
M am ln,.r 70 I'D mi
ont 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 labor5 gretuitously ought
not to be expected, and without
an appropriation by Congress for COM
pensalion, it is not practicable to ex-
tend the systems of examinations gener-
ally throughout the civil service 1t is
also highly important that all such ex-
aminations should be conducted upon a
uniform system and under general SUPER
vision. S ctiOn 1853 of the revised
statutes authorizes the President to pre-
scribe the regulations for admission to
the civil service of the United States.
persons to conduct the requisite in
quries with reference to "the fitness of
each candidate, in respect to age, health,
character, knowledge and ability for the
| branch of service into which he Sc ks to
enter;" but the law is practically in
| operative Tor want Of the requisite ap-
preparation.
l therfOre recommend an appropria-
tion OF S25,OG0 per annum to meet he
expenses OF commission, to be an
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 competitive ex-
aminations. and to supervise the appli-
cation OF he 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
re lief 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 efiectual
check upon the pernicious competition
of influence and official favoritism, in
the bestowal of office, wi be the sub
stltutlon 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
feel as safe as any private citizen in re-
fuslng all demands upon ms salary for
political purposes. A law which should
thus guarantee true liberty and justice
TO ali who are engaged in the public
service, and likewise contain contingent
provisions against the use OF Off ,ial au-
thority TO cOerce the political action of
private cit ms or of official subordi-
mates, is greatly to be desired.
The most serious obstacle, however,
to an Improvement of the civil service,
and especially to a reform 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 Il complete di-
vOrce between Congress and the Execu-
tive in the matter of appointments.
The corrupting doctrine that "to the
victors belong the spoils," is INSOFAR
able from Congressional patronage as the
established rule and practice of parties
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