The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-30
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

the senate, though the session was pro
longcd until midnight, the passage OF the
bill on Wednesday, to which the senate on
Saturday adjourned, was unexpected, as no
one imagined that the senate any more
than the house would he able so muster a
quorum on that day. There appear, how
ever. ~ senators to have mustered more
than quorum-and the consideration Of
the civil service bill having been resumed,
it was, after short, sharp debate, passed
by vote of 30 to 5-,he 5 negative votes
being southern democrats.
The bill which had thus occupied almost
the exclusive attention OF the senate Tor
month, was after its final passage, with
more truth than poetry, characterized by
Senator Brown as IAN act to perpetuate in
Office the republicans who now control the
patronage Of the government" It's pro-
visions, in substance, are, that the presi-
dent shall appoint three commissioners,
who are to employ chief examiner sec.
rotary and stenographer, the six to con-
stltute a board to prepare rules for open
competitive examinations for testing the
fitness of applicants for public offices, and
the offices are to be filled by selections
from those who grade highest at these ex-
amlna,lons, without regard to politics, the
appointments to be apportloned among the
states according to population. The com
missioners are to hold examinations in
Washington city, and in each state at least
twice year, and in the states are to call
IN at least three others IN the official ser
vice of the United States, residing in such
states, to be members with them Of the
boards Of examiners. The bill also pro.
hibits any officer of the government or
member OF congress from soliciting or re-
celving money or any other contribution
for any political purpose whatsoever, and
provides penalty of fine not exceeding
Sc, 900, or imprisonment tor term not ex-
ceeding three years, or both fine and i'm.
prlsonment in the discretion of the court,
for the violation of the provisions OF this
section.
High sounding and pretentlous as these
provisions are, a very slight examination
will show they are all humbug The civil
service commission and rules tor cOmpeti.
tive examinations are not new, having
been provided for by law half dozen
years ago, but congress rendered them in.
operative by simply refusing to appropri-
ate money to pay the commissioners, and
if this bill passes the house and becomes a
law, congress will probably do so again.
Then the same Objection lies to this bill
that rendered the other farce; Ii begins
at the bottom-provides competitive ex.
amina,ions only for outside applicants for
the lowest grade of offices, leaving all Sc
lcctions for the higher grades to be made
from those already in office. These new
appointments do not amount to 5 per cent.
year, so that under this system it will
take 20 years TO weed out the present of.
fetal force of the government and get in u
new set. Yet ii Is notorious that III the
present set there are not only hundreds of
conspicuous incompetents for the places
they hold, but hundreds of others who hold
mere sinecures-do no work whatever and
ought to be dismissed as surplusage. To
meet such cases. and to effect a real re
form, Senator Pugh offered an amendment
requiring the commission TO overhaul the
whole civil service, find out what officers
were needed and what superfluous, then to
grade them and to open the competition
for appointment to all grades to outsiders
AS this would have endangered the safety
of the whole republican "Iotton roost" and
threatened to open the door to democrats
to some of the best paying places in the
departments, the amendment was prompt
" killed by a strictly party vote.
The provision against political assess
men,s' is equally humbug. II only for
bids other officers of the government or
ncmh,rs 90 congress to make such assess.
meats, but 10 no bar to such levies by Ma
tlonal or State Committees, like the dis
graceful assessments made by the Malone
regulators in Virginia and the Cessna
committee IN behalf of the Cameron ring
in Pennsylvania last summer. MIR, Beck
amendment, proposing II sweeping blow al
the whole system, savored too much oI
dong something aud of course was prompt
ly killed.
And then, alter all Is said and done, the
hill amounts 10 but this: that whatever the
commission may do under 1t, their acton
Is but advisory to the President, who car
go on, as Hayes and Garfield did and as
Arthur Is doing, and make what appoint
raenis and removals he pleases, pleading