The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-12-16
From this amount $3.50, OOo, oOo) may

| ITOiu tlAS aAuOuut \T6OV,VOOsONOJ NAY
be deducted. from ten to fifteen mill
lions for cases where the claimant
dying there is no person who under
the law would be entitled to succeed
to the pension, leaving $235,OO00OO as
the probable amount to be paid. In
the estimates account has been taken
of the $500 cases, filed since June
30, 1880, and now pending, which
must receive attention as current bus
mess, but which do not involve the
pay ment of any arrears beyond the
date of fling claim.I or this nu mber,
it is estimated that IS per cent. will
! be allowed. As has been stated, with
the present force of the Pension Blu
reau, CTS clerks, it is estimated it will
take six years to dispose of the claims
| now pending. It 10 stated by the
addition of ESQ clerks, increasing adj
judication force rather than the me-
chanicai, double the amount of work
could he accomplished SO that those
cases could be acted upon within
three years. Aside from considera-
tons of justice which may DO urged
| for speedy settlement of the claims
now ON the files of the Pension Office,
| it is no less important on the score of
economy, inasmuch as full one-third
of the clerical force of the Office is
now wholly occupied in giving atten-
ton to correspondence with thou
sands of claimants whose cases have
| been on the files for the past eighteen
years. The fact that q sum SO enor-
nous must be expended by the Gov
eminent to meet demands for arrears
Congress and the Executive to give
cautious consideration to any similar
project in the future. The great
temptation to the presentation of fic-
titious claims afforded,,by the fact that
the average sum obtained upon each
application is 81 800 leads me to sug-
gest the propriety of making some
special appropriation for the preven-
ton of fraud.
advise appropriations for such in
ternal improvements as tho wisdom
of Congress may deem to be of pub
lie Importance. The necessity of i'm
proving the navigation of the Missis-
sippi river justifies special allusion
to that subject. I suggest the adop-
ton of some measure for the removal
of distractions which how impede
the navigation of that great channel
of commerce. ~
In my letter accepting the nominal
ton for Vice-President, / stated that
in my Judgment no man should be
an incumbent of an Office the duties of
which he is, for any cause, unfit to
perform who is lacking in the abili-
ty, fidelity or integrity which proper
administration of such Office demand.
This sentiment would doubtless meet
ion has been widely divided upon the
wisdom and practicability of the va
rious ceformatory schemes which
have been suggested, and of certain
proposed regulations giving appoint
ments to public Office. The eff1cien-
cy of such regulations has been
distrusted mainly because they have
seemed to exalt mere educational and
abstract tests above general business
capacity and even special fitness for
the particular work in hand. 1t seems
to me that rules which should be ap-.
piled to the management of the public
| service may properly conform in the
main to such as regulate the conduct
of successful private business. Origi-
nal appointments should be based on
ascertained fitness; the tenure OF
Office should so far as practicable be
filed by the prom otiOn of worthy and
efficient officers the investigation OF
all complaints and the punishment of
all official misconduct should be
prompt and thorough. The views ex-
pressed in the foregoing are those
which will govern my ADM abstraction
of the Executive Office. They are
| uOu DtlesS shared by all Intelligent and
patriotic citizens, however different in
their opinions AZ to the best methods
of putting them into practical
| operation. For example, the asser-
ton that original appointments
should be based on ascertained fitness
is not open to dispute, but the ques-
ton, how in practice fitness can he
most effectuaffy ascertained, is one
which has for years excited interest
and discussion. The measure which,
| with slight variation in its details, has
lately been urged upon the attention
| of Congress and the Executive has as
its principal feature the scheme of
| competitive examination, save for
certain exceptions which need not
here be specified. This plan would
| allow admission to the service Of any
in its lowest grade, and would accord
! ingly demand that all vacancies in
| higher positions should be filled by
] promotion alone. In these particu-
lars it is in conformity with the ex-
listing civil service system of
| Great Britain, aud indeed the success
which it is alleged that system has
| met in the country of its birth is the
| strongest argument which has been
urged for its adoption here. The fact
| should not. however, be overlooked
that there are certain features of the
| English system which have not gem
orally been received with favor in this
country even among the foremost add