The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-08-05

| ply say that that leader knew a trick or
two. If such an intention were debated,
and the declaration believed, it is not un-
likely that their hosts would disband ut
once: When the democracy, therefore,
speaks of
\ REFORM OF THE CIVIL SERVICE,
the meaning Of that term, in the light of
history and of the tendencies at present
prevailing, can be nothing else than that
the reform shall consist in putting out all
the republicans and putting in all demo-
Gratis in their places. What a reform that
would be. How the north and south would
shake over the bloody chasm filled with
such good things! What host of men
would be marching upon the capital from
all parts of the compass, each one feeling
that the government cannot get on without
him! 1t is said that at the present mo-
ment, when the democracy feels sanguine
Of success, as it always does, the most pop
ular work of literature with democrats,
even with those who never read a book be-
fore, is the ''Blue Book" being the reris-
ter Of offices under the government, with
salaries attached, each active democrat Sc
hcting his, and many the same.
Now let us see what that sort of demo-
cratic reform in the civil service really
means and what its effect would be. Look
ut the present condition Of the service. I
have already admitted that the reform of
it was not gone so far as was intended and
was desirable, but l may say also that
more has been accomplished than has
been generally known and believed. l re-
peat, it is an almost universally acknowl-
edged fact that at present the business is,
on the whole, well and honestly conducted
hof H.
are collected with remarkable fidelity, and
never in the history of the. country has the
loss in their collection been as small as
now. In some of its branches it has al
most entirely disappeared. The postal
service is acknowledged to be more than
ever ably, honestly and efficiently done.
Even in those branches Of the public serv-
ice which more than others have almost
from the beginning of the government
borne the reputation of being inefficient
and corrupt, such as the land and espec-
tally the Indian service, cases Of pecula-
ton and roguery have become compare
lively rare, and the general ineffciency of
officers is very much improved; and l
speak of this with assurance. for the rea-
son that am conversant with the details.
How has this been brought about?
In the first place, officers of all grades
were made to understand that dishonesty
of whatever kind or degree would under no
circumstances be tolerated Officers guilty
of corrupt practices, whenever their guilt
was shown with sufficient clearness,
HAVE BEEN EXPOSED AND ELECTED
from their places without hesitation Every
man in the service understanding this, it
may be said that if persons with thieying
propensities were left or put in place, they
did in most cases not dare to steal. Sec
ondly, the number of removals made by
this administration has been comparative
ly small. Not only clerks in the depart
ments, but officers, appointed for term
of years, were generally left in their places
as long as they showed the necessary degree
their duties. In this way the service re-
tanned 4 very valuable stock of official ex-
pcrience which could not but tell in its
general efficiency, while at the same time
public servants were imbued with a feeling
that the best way to secure themselves in
place was to perform their duties according
to the best standard. Thirdly, in appoint
ing new men care was taken to select such
as would presumably be capable to perform
the tasks assigned to them. In some de-
partments, and in Number of the larger
government institutions in the country,
systems Of examinations were introduced,
which deferred at once the entirely incap-
able from urging themselves or being
urged tor official positions, while they
furnished also good measure Of the capa-
city Of the applicants. This system of
examination may not in all cases furnish
an absolutely reliable test, but it has PROV
cd to DC an infinitely better test than mere
Recommendation from political favor. 1t
has not been extended rs far as it should
b-, but good beginning has been made,
capable of large extension and develop
mcnt. Fourthly. the practice of making
promotions from lower to higher places
Tor good official services rendered. not
only IN the departments, but also in
some branches of the service outside
Of them, has been carried out to a
much greater extent than is generally
known; thus furnishing another stimulus
to the zeal of the public servants. Ire
peat that mistakes in appointments have
undoubtedly occurred, some of a more or
less conspicuous kind, and that the princi-
pies of u thorough reform have not been
as universally applied as they should have
been. Great cries have been raised about
instances which those principles appear to
have been disregarded; but under the old
regular spoils system such instances were
the rule, compliance with which would
not have been criticized at all; and the very
cries that are now raised with regard to
them in our case prove that at present
they are the exception. The very kind of
criticism applied to the administration
shows that things have grown better. In
spite of the imperfections of the methods
the result has heen that tho nnh
now in more business-like manner than
before, and that the efficiency of the serv-
ice has been lifted up to much higher
In this way the republican party, stead
ny progressing in an enlightened percep-
Jon of the ,aripcinles of sound &,a L .