The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-12-15

which are not here specified
This blaD would allow bdmlsglon ~
sofvioe only 10 W. lowest Grade, and would
accordingly demand that NJ vacancies M
higher positions git0uld he filled Wy promo.
ti0n alone. IN these particulars II Is IN
conformity With The existing civil service
system Of Great Britain, aud indeed the sue
cess which has attended that system In the
country Of Us birth, Is the strongest argu.
ment which has been urged for It's adop-
llon here. The fact should not, however, be
overlooked that there nre certain features
of the English system which have not gen.
orally been received with fnyor In this
country, even among the foremost advo-
Gates Of civil service reform. Among them
are first, tenure Of office, which Is sub
stantlally n life tenure. Second, limita.
ton ofmaximum age at which an applicant
can enter service, whereby all
men in the midst of life
or older, are, with some exceptions, rigidly
excluded third, retiring allowance on
going out Of office. These three
element are as important factors
of the problem as any of the others,
To eliminate them from the English sys'
| IN its theory and practice. The avowed
purpose of that system is to induce the ed
ucated young men of the country to devote
their lives to public employment, by an as,
surance that having once entered upon it
they'need neverleave ii and that after,volun-
tary retirement they shall be the recipients
of an annual pension. That this system as
an entirety has proved very successful in
Great Britain, and seems to be generally
| conceded even by those who once opposed
| it's adoption. To statute which should
incorporate all OF its essential features !
| should feel bound to give my approval,
| but whether it would be for the best inter
ests of the public to fix upon it as an expe-
! dent for immediate and extensive applica-
| ton, which embraces certain features OF the
| English systems, but excludes or ignores
others of equal Importance, may be
seriously doubted even by those who are
impressed, as / am myself, with the grave
Importance of correcting the evils which
herein present the methods of appoint
ment. If, for example, the English rule
which shuts out persons above the age OF
| twenty-five years from large number OF
employments is not to be made an
essential part of our own system, it is cues.
tionable whether the attainment of the
| highest number Of marks at a competitive
examination should be criterion by
which all applications for appoint,
ment should be put to test, and
under similar conditions it may also be. q
question whether the admission to the
service should be strictly limited to. its
lowest ranks. There are very many char,
acteristics which go to make, amodel
servant; prominent among them are
probity, industry, good sense, good habits,
| tact, relfreliance and manly Difference to
Superior officers and manly consideration
| for interiors. The absence of those traits
is not supplied by wide knowledge. OF
books or by promptitude in answering
questions, or by any, other quality likely to
be brought to light by competitive exam
animation. To make success in such a
ton of public employment would very
likely result in the practical extension
of the older applicants, even though
they might possess .qualifications.far supe-
rior to their younger and more brilliant
competitors. These suggestions mu'. not
be regarded as evidence of any spirit oi OPP
position to the competitive plan
tent successfully employed already,
and which may hereafter vindicate the
claim of its most earnest supporters: But
it ought to be seriously considered whether
the application ofsome educational standard
to persons of mature years and to young
men fresh from school and college would
not likely result in more intellectual pro-
ficiency above other qualities of equal or
greater Importance. Another feature, of
tne PloPoseo eye'ont NY S'e III
officers Of the Government, above
lowest grades, except such as
would fairly be regarded as opponents of
the policy of the Executive and the princi-
Piles of the dominant party to afford en-
couragcment to the faithful public servants
by exercising in their minds the hope of
merit it, is much to be desired.
But would it be wise to adopt a
rule so rigid as to permit no other manner
of supplying the intermediate wants of the
service. There are many persons who fill
subordinate positions with great credit, but
lack those qualities which are so requisite
for the higher posts of duty, and because
the mode of thought and action
of one whose presence in a gov
ermental bureau has been long continued
are often so cramped by routine procedure,
as almost to disqnalify him from instituting
changes required by the public interests.
An infusion of new blood from time to
time into the middle ranks
of the service might be very
beneficial in its results. The subject under
discussion is one of grave Importance. The
evils which are complained of cannot be
eradicated at once; the work must be grad
ual. The present English system is q
growth of years and was not created
by single stroke of the Executive or of
legislative action. Its beginnings are found
in an order in Council and at time when
resort had been had to competitive exam
nations as an experiment much more ex-
tensively than has yet been the case in
of the House of Commons made a report
TO that house which declaring its approval
Of the competitors plan and deprecated,
nevertheless, any precipitency in its gen
general adoption as likely 70 endangor its
ultimate success. 1t may be
that before We confine ourselves
with important the question, n the bounds
Of statuary enactments We may await the
result of further inquiry and of ex.
pertinent, the submission Of a
portion Of the nominations TO a
Central Board of Examiners, selected solely
for treating the qualifications Of applicants
il may, perhaps, without resort to che COM
petitors test, put an end TO the mischief
which attends the present system
of appointments. and IL may
board wide discretion to ascertain the
characteristics and attainments OF candi-
dates, In the particular which / have al
ready referred to, as being the less impor.
tant than mere intellectual at
tsinments. II Congress should
deem it advisable at the present
session TO establish competitive test for the
admission of service, no doubt such as have
been suggested shall not deter from giving
the measure my earnest support, and earn
estly recommend that should this be
failure 20 pass any other act upon this sub
iect. that an appropriation Of $25. 600 per
year may be made for the enforcement Of
section f755 Of the revised statutes. With
the aid thus afforded me ! shall strive
TO execute the provisions OF the let
ter according 10 its letter, and / am
in Justice 10 the present civil
servants Of government 70 dismiss this sub
iect without declaring my dissent from the
service. and almost indiscriminate censure
with which they have been recently assailed.
That they are as a class indolent. inefficient
and corrupt, as a statement which has been
0ften made and widely edited. but when
The extent. variety. delicacy and importance
III their duty OF duties are considered, the
great majority Of the employees q the Gov