The Sunday herald., 1881-03-13
CoMpETlTuE ENiulN1 7IONs.

Elsewhere We give place to the views Of n
gentleman who has given the Departmental
Service here much study, but must confess
that We have little belief in the efficacy of
competitive examinations. We see no great
harm in permitting an administration to fill
vacancies with no other restriction than a
fair pass examination. The central evil of
| our spoils system " Is Mc iHSeCUritgoI tenure,
and the utter lack of any rule or system of
governing promotion by merit. The first re
form is to give civil officer in one of the
departments or bureaus at Washington,
and also in the custom. houses, Just such a
tenure as an Army or Navy officer possesses.
Make him an officer and gentleman -
and hold him to strict aCcOunta bility as such
As to competitive examinations after entrance
to the service, we know that no scheme Of
questions ever has been or can be devised
that will prove clerks efficiency or fitness
for promotion. Ii he is absolutely thorough
and perfect in the work of Il tolerably diff
cult desk, that is the best evidence that he
will acquit himself well in higher grade.
Therefore any competitive examination that
does not admit of the award OF large pro
portion of marks for efficiency already proved
will be a delusion and a snare. We agree
with the Philadelphia Americda, which, in
commenting on the Inaugural, says
lie has nothing 10 say of the wisdom Of ougtheninp
| the term for which commissions run much less o
extending the term TO 81 life on good behaviour 80
| And lie has said nothing which commits him In any
way to the plan Of competitive examinations ",
regret this failure to appreciate the Importance Of
pcrmapenCe In the tenure ui once, while do mol
share In the sorrow which will be felt by Mr. Curtl,
aud his friends at the probable abandonment of the
examination scheme, II the places In ciyil service
were held fOr life good behaviour, the number OF
| appointments made by each President would be SC
small that IL would be possible FOR him Il
| take pains TO appoint good men, and also posi-.
| bic FOR public Opliuon 10 AID him In tho sc.
| lection. The class OF professional politicians
| would waue In numbers and power Tie persons who
hold onces would have reason 10 take more interes
In partisan manipulation than Other citizens have
The number Of the lOaves aud fishes would be 30 re
duced as 10 make waiting for chance at them YER
unremuueratiye business for largo number of per
sous. The offices would become so desirable thai the
would be accepted with much lower salaries than a
present, while the ucumbents would have every rea
sou for energy and honesty In their administration
since they could be removed for Just cause, but no
without It. And as the law creating permanene
would specify insolence and discourtesy jus
cause, there would be little danger OF creating in
side the Republic an unpopular bureaucracy, a
oGee- holding oligarchy without popular sympathles
like those Of Germany and Russia.
If competitive examinations mean anything
they mean that those who pass them are above tn,
general average Of the public regards Information
ON the subjects Of the examinations. Could any eS
animation be devised which would furnish a test o
practical capacity, there would be some reason TO
such test. In their actual operation these exanina
tlOns will admit those who know certain things Whic
n good number Of our Presidents could not hay
passed IN. They Will exclude, although OtherNis
competent, all who are not well enough Informed Oh
such subjects 10 pass, Z, e., the majority OF IN