The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-12-08

variation In its details, has lately bean urged
upon the attention of Congress BY the Exec
utiye, has As Its principal feature the scheme
Of competitive examination This
plan with certain exceptions, which
need not be here specified,
would admit to the service only In its
Lowest grade and would accordingly de-
mand that all vacancies in the higher POI
sitions should be filed by promotion. In
those particulars it 10 in conformity with
the standing civil service system of Great
Britain. The success which has attended
that system In the country of its birth is the
strongest argument which has been urged
fer its adoption The fact should not
however, be overlooked that there are GER
tain features of the English system which
have not generally been received with favor
in this country, even among the foremost
advocates of civil service reform. Among
them are, first, a tenure of Office which IS
substantially a life tenure; second a limitation
of the maximum age at which an applicant
can enter the service, whereby all men in
middle life or under are, with some excep-
tions, rigidly included third, q retiring
allowance upon going out of Office. These
three elements are as important factors of
the problem as..any of the others, and to elm
mate them from the English system would
effect most radical change in its practice.
The ayowed purpose of that system is
to induce the educated Young
men of the country to devote their lives to
public employment by an assurance that
having once entered upon it they need not
leave it. After their voluntary retirement
they shall receive an annual pension. That
this system has entirely proved very sue
cessful in Great Britain seems to be general
~ conceded, even by those who once oppos-
ed its adoption. As statute which should
incorporate all its essential features
should feel bound to give my approval,
but whether it would be for the
best interests of the public to fix
upon an expedient for the immediate and
extensive application, which embraces GER
tain features of the English system, but ex
cludes or ignores others of equal import
ance, may be seriously doubted even by
those who are impressed, az I am myself,
with the grave Importance of correcting the
evils which occur in the present methods
of appointment If, for example, the Eng
lish rule, which shuts out persons above the
Der of public employments, is not
to be made an essential part
of our system, it il questionable
whether the attainment Of the highest num-
Der of marks at 9 competitive examination
should be the criterion by which all appli
cations for appointment should be put to the
test, and under similar conditions it NAV
also be questioned whether admission to the
service should be strictly limited to its
lowest ranks. There are very many char
acteristics which go to to make model
civil servant. Prominent among them are
probably industry, good sense, good habits,
patience, tact, self-reliance, q manly
Difference to superior officers and manly
consideration for interiors. The absence of
these traits is not supplied by wide knowl-
edge of books or by promptitude in answer
ing questions or by any other quality likely
to be brought to light by a competitive ex-
animation to make success in such a contest.
Therefore an indispensable scondition of
public employment would very likely result
in the practical exclusion of the older appli-
cants, even though they might possess quail
ification far superior to the younger and
more brilliant competitors. These suggestions
must not be regarded as evincing any spirit
of opposition to the competitive plan, which
has been to some extent successfully en-
ployed already and which may hereafter
vindicate the claims of its supporters
but ought TO be seriously considered as
to whether there should be the application
of the same educational standard to
persons of mature years to young men
fresh from school and college who would be
likely to be intellectually proficient above
other qualities of equal or greater impor-
lance. Another feature of the proposed
system is the selection by pro-
motion of all officers of the Government
above the lowest grade expect 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-
enlargement TO faithful public servants by
exciting in their minds the hope of promo
ton if they are found to merit it. But
would it be wise to adopt rule so rigid as
to permit no other mode of supplying the
intermediate walks of the servants of the
people? There are many persons who fill
subordinate positions with great credit, but
lack these qualities which are requisite for
higher posts of duty, and besides the modes
of thought and action of one whose service
in Government bureau has been long con-
tinued are often so cramped by routine pro-
cedure as almost to disqualify him from the
changes required by the public interests.
The 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 i'm
portance. The evils which are COM
planned of cannot be eradicated at
once. The work must be gradual.
The present English system is q growth of
years and was not created by single stroke
of Executive or legislative action. Its be-
ginnings are found in an order in Council
promulgated in 1856 and it was after patient
and cautious scrutiny of its workings that
fifteen years later it took its present shape.
Five years after the issuance of the order in
Council, and at time when resort had been
had to competitive examinations as an ex-
pertinent which, more extensively than has
yet been the case In this country, a
select committee of the House
body, which, declaring its approval of the
competitive method, deprecated neverthe-
less any precipitation in Its general adoption
as likely to endanger its ultimate success.
During this tentative period the results of
the methods of pass examination and COM
petitive examination, were closely watched
and compared. 1t may be that we confne
niIrsalras 1nr,nr, thia innror4nrt l,,,a.tior,