New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-12-21
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Wednesday, December 81, 1881.
NEw vLNt, NfITT


mo man should be incumbent of an office, the
duties Of which he is for any cause unfit to
perform, or who is lacking in the ability, tide-
1ty or Integrity which Observation-Disclosures
OF such office demands" This sentiment
would doubtless meet with general acquies-
cence, but opinion has been widely dividedup-
on the wisdom and impracticability of the va
riouS refOrmatOry schemes which have been
suggested, and of certain proposed regula-
lions governing appointments to public office
The efficiency. of such regulations has been
distrlstcd mainly because they have seemed
10 eNalt mere educational and abstract tests
above general business capacity, and even
special fitness for the work III hand. 1t seems
to me that the result that should be applied to
the management of the public service may
properly conform, i'll the main, to such rs reg,I-
late the condition of Scccessful private bus
mess. Original appointments should be based
upon ascertuincd fitness. The tenure Of Office
should, so far rs practicable, be filled by the
promotion of worthy and efficient officers. The
investigation OF all complaints and the punish
ment OF al misconduct should be prompt and
thoroughly
The views expressed in the foregoing letter
are those which will govern my administration
of the Executive Office They are doubtless
shared by all Intelligent and patriotic citizens,
however divergent i'll their opinion to the
best methods OF putting them into practical
operation.
poiutmvnts should be based upon ascertaincd
fitness "is not open to dispute but the Qucs-
ton how, iii practice, such fitness can be most
etfectllAlly aSCcrtulued, is and which, with
slight variations in its details, has lately been
urged on The attention of Congress and the En-
ccItiyc, has its principal feature in the scheme
Of rnm,rtitiyi rynminntiOn save for ccrtain
exceptions, which need not here be specified
this would give admission to the service only
n,,n1 mar ,lI ynYIn,.irs in the higher nositions
should hc filled Ivy promotion alone In these
particulars it is in conformity with the exist
ing civiI-scrVicc system OF Great Britain, and
indeed the success which has attended that
system i'll the century of its birth is the strong
est arenmcnt which has been urged for its
he overlooked that there are certain features
OF the lng!ish system which have not general
~ been received with favor in this country
even urlUng the foremost advocates of civil
service reform. Among them are: First Il
tenure of Office which is substantially a life
tenure. ,Scconda LIMITATION of the maximum
age at which an applicant can enter the SER
vice, whereby all men in middle life or under
are. with some exceptions, ryidly excluded.
Third, Il retiring allowance upon going out Of
rlij,r These three elements are us important
factors Of the prublrm us any Of the others.
10 eliminate thrrctrom the English system
Wuuij ,slrrt Il most radical change in its theo-
~ ami practices. The uVOwcd purpose of that
system j. L. induce the educated young men
OF ln,, country 10 devote their lives to public
rrnph NUc't by an assurance that, having
once entered uN"n it, they need never leave
it. ami HAT uItrr Voluntary retirement they
Shall lr recipients of an annual pension That
this system, II IN entirety, has proved very
successful il Great Britain seems to Ebe
grnrrulIN C1Nr,ti,d. even by those who once
opp,sCrl is adoption. TO Il statute, which
sHnlI'I incorporate all its essential features,
should feel bound to give my approval, but
whether ii would he for the best interests of the
public to fix upon cXPcdicnt, for immedi-
uln and extensive oppiirntinn. which embraces
certain features of the English system, but ex.
Ciut.u. or ignores others Of equal Importance
may ho seriously doubted even by those who
are impressed, as am myself with the grave
importance Of correcting the evils which in
here. in the present methods of aDpOintmcnt
If, for example, the English rule, which shuts
- ~
large number Of public employmcnts, is not to
hc made an essential part OF our system, it is
questionable Whrthor tho attainment of the
highest nunNcr Of marks 1T a competitive ex-
animation should be the criterion by which all
applications for appointment should be put to
test; and under similar conditions ii may also
be questioned " hct hrrn'lmiss ion to the service
should be strictly limited to its lowest ranks
There are very many characteristics which go
to make up A model civil servant: prominent
among them are proDity industry, good sense
good hubs, good temper PATIENCE artlor
courtesy tact. sclfrcliancr, MANLY Difference
to superior officers, and manly considerations
for interiors; The absence OF these traits is
not supplied Ivy wide knowledge of books or
hy prom aptitude in answering questions or by
any other ullHlity likely to be brought to light
by competitive examination. 10 make sue
cess in such q contest, therefore, an indispcrs-
nilc condition Of public cmploymrnt wou!l
very likely result in the practical exclusion Of
the Older applicants, even though they might
possess qualifications far superior to their
younger and more brilliant competitors.
IuCSt suggestions must not be regarded q
cyincing any spirit of opposition to the COM
pctitive plan, which has been, to some extent,
successfully employed already, and which
may hereafter vindcute the claims of its
most earnest supporters but it ought to be
seriously considered whether the application
of the same educational standard TO persons
of mature years, as to young men fresh from
school and college, would not be likely to ex-
alt mere intellectual proficiency above other
qualities of equal or greater Importance An
other feature of the proposed system is the Sc
lection by promotion Of all officers OF the gov
eminent above the lowest grade, except such
rs would fairly be regarded as exponcnts of
the policy of the executive and the principles
Of the dominant party to afford encourage
ment to faithful public servants by cycitinr
in their minds the hope of promotion if they
are found to merit it, is mich to he dcsirei
but would it not be furcical to adopt n r,llc SO
rigid as to permit no other mode of supplying
the Intermediate wants of the service? There
are many persons who I'LL subordinate pOsi-
lions with great credit but lack those oimli.
ties which are requisite for the higher posts of
duty, and, besides the modes of Thought and
action of one whose service in a goyernmentni
bureau has been long continIeds ure often co
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