National Republican., 1881-10-24
CiviI.service Reform.

speedily and effectively than can be done
by any amount of legislative direction or
restraint. The men who have been con-
spicuous rs civil-service reformers COM
plain that appointments to office are not
only given as rewards for party and fac
tion services, but that they are so given
to unfit and unworthy persons. In short,
that, instead of the public being served by
honest and capable men, the places which
should be so filled are given by the ap-
pointing power to men who have per-
formed merely political work, without
regard TO their fitness. This bestowal of
rewards, they say, follows every important
election, and, indeed, to considerable
extent is constantly going on upon the
recommendation of Senators and men,
bers of Congress.
To all of this honesty compels us to
say that, while the disease is not as wide
spread as the men referred TO appear to
believe, it does nevertheless exist to a
degree that calls for strong remedies.
From long observation in public matters
we are also forced to say that the disease
exists where the appearances are the
fairest and the professions of adherence
at it the loudest
The Republican party is committed to
two general propositions on this subject
viz, the selection of honest, capable,
and efficient persons for public employ
ment, and some definite term of Office
within which there can be removals for
cause only. The latter is of great I'M
portance, and ought to be easy of accom-
| plishment. No man will do his work
well who is in constant dread of removal
upon the caprice of his superior or the
desire of an outsider to give his place to
some "clever fellow" As for Depart
ment clerks and employees, they should be
especially protected from this, not only
for the good of the service, but that the
heads Of Departments may be protected
from the unceasing flow of applications.
In the States, sherifIs, clerks, &c, are
chosen for a stated term, and there is,
therefore, a time when they are not de-
voting their entire energies to staying in.
In the Executive Departments here at
Washington so yielding and compliant
have the heads become that they do little
else than to hear the opportunities of ap-
plicants and their influential friends for
places. This is a weakness, of course
The head of Department is no more
cxcusable for displacing good man to
make room for another than the Presi-
dent would be excusable for dispacing
him and appointing another to crafty
outside friends.
Oflice-seeking is an awful disease. 1t
blasts its victim and paralyzes all other
endeavor. 1t makes fearful ravages
among the people, only few being ex-
empt from its taint. Ifitwere made un-
lawful to change officers except for cause
there would be some check to it. Of
course ifthe appointing power is to judge
ofthe sufiiciency of the cause the air will
be thick with charges against the ins, and
war of afiidavits will be ever going on.
Removal upon conviction by court for
neglect or other misconduct might give
some check to the fearful pressure.
But if the tenure be fixed and re-
movals made difficult except for cause
clearly shown, there is still the question
of selection. And here we part from the
professional civil-service reformers for
ever. They are entirely right in their
demand that the public employee shall
have the requisite qualifications to enable
him to do what is required of him, and
that he shall not be appointed for any
amount of clever-fellowness, nor on ac-
count of any amount of political work,
unless he also combines the desired quail
tications. But we are unwilling that an
educational test shall be applied which
shall create a caste in this country, and
grant to the university graduate, or even
the academic or high-school scholar, eX-
elusive access to the public service at the
expense of the millions whose circum-
stances in life forbade the acquisition by
them of more than the common-school
education, of the universally of which
we boast so loudly.
Many a bright boy must begin to earn
his bread at fourteeen, when his play
mate of the same age is entering the
academy or public high school, often to
prepare for the college course. Happy is
the boy whose parents can give him the
mental training and the learning to be
acquired by books. But shall the boy
who carried into his daily work only q
good knowledge of grammar geography,
and arithmetic be made ashamed by be-
ing told that, however ready he may be
in figures, however correctly he may
write and spell, however polite in man
ner, however well informed generally as
to current events, yet he is, in the
eyes of his Government, an inferior in
rank to that play-fellow Of his becauseh he
cannot, like him, respond to questions
which have no connection whatever with
the employment he desires, and which
might be correctly answered by many
who would not be half as efficient foi
that employment? We know the an.
swer. The reformers will say that they
do not advocate high educational test
Well, why any trap of irrelevant ques.
tiQns at all2
What does common sense require? Go
into business house and see man oi
the world question the young man who
comes to him to ask place in his store
or counting-room. He will PROFOUND nc
questions in astronomy or chemistry. His
inquiries would be something like these
"Where have you been employed" Or
"What have you learned TO do? Who
knows that you can do what you say
Iset me see you write. Have you any let.
ter? Let me see if / know the writer