Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-12
The PendIeton Bill.

The Pendleton Bill.
The measure known as the Pendleton
bill, which aims at reform of the civil SER
vice, takes its name from its author, Sem
atOr PendletOn, of Ohio. AS the measure
is to be called up in the Senate this week,
if possible, brief statement Of its provi-
siOns will be found interesting.
1t provides for commission of five per-
sons, two experienced officials and three
civilians, TO be appointed by the President,
who are to supervise all competitive ex-
aminations for all offices TO be filed by
appointment. Not more than three mem
bers Of the commission are TO. be Of the
same party. The bill confers upon the
President the power to remove as we'll as
appoint the commissioners.
The commission is empowered to pre-
scribe rules and tests for the examination
of candidates, and all appointments are to
be made from applicants having the high
est grades. 1t is further provided that APP
pOintments shall be apportioned among
the States as equitably as possible. Every
person appointed shall undergo a years
probation before his appointment
shall be regarded as final. The Commits
siOners are to be provided with a chief ex-
aminer to conduct examinations under
their supervision. Promotions are also to
be made on the grade system. The pro-
visions Of the bin apply to all government
offices having as many as fifty employees.
They would thus apply to the departments
and bureaus at Washington, large post
offices and custom houses, minis and
other extensive public establishments.
Removals are not forbidden by the bill,
nor is the manner in which they shall be
made indicated. 1t is contemplated that
if appointments are fair and impartial,
there will be no opportunity for the dis
play of favOritism, and that, therefore,
there will be no occasion for arbitrary re-
mOvals. The bill is Endorsed by numerous
civil service associations and the Presi-
dent has expressed his willingness to sign
it, if passed.
To the theOrist the bill does not appear
to promise much. Neither deOs it appeal
to the thOrOUgh-gOing Republican pOliti-
elan, who may have doubts about the con-
tinuance of his party supremacy. But if
passed and faithfully enforced, the act
proposed would accomplish at least one
good object in elevating the service upon
the plane of intelligence and capacity. 1t
is not to be presumed that the tests pro-
yided for the determination of the fitness
of applicants would be Unfortunately
exacting. Such questions as could
be satisfactorily answered by one pos
81 e
education would be amply sufficient from
an intellectual point Of view, and, if the
applicant passing such an examination
be backed with evidence of good moral
character, and stand the years probation,
the legitimate demands of reform in these
respects would be met. The bill when
called up will provoke a lengthy and, no
doubt, heated discussion, but nothing bet
ter can be devised at present, and it is
doubtful if any more sweeping measure is
required.
While the Republic lasts there must be
party government, and, while a change of
the control of affairs need not involve
what is termed ''clean sweep" of the
offices, it has been and will con-
tinue to be the practice to reward
the faithful" Let the Democrats in
Congress support the Pendleton bill, but
let them be slow to sanction any measure
that would maintain at the public crib
the vast army of placemen who, what
ever their service to the country, have
been chiefly valuable to their party. To
the super-patriotic an equitable division
of the em0uments Of the public
service between the parties or
the removal of the whole question from
the domain of politics may seem desirable.
But to exact from Democracy the per
formance Of this task, which Radicalism
has had abundant time to execute, is, to
put the matter plainly, asking too much.