Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-25
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
what Has Been Done for IL Under this
AdMlml s(fatIOn,
from Mr.. Curtis's Address at saratogal

From Mr.. Curtis's Address at Saratoga.l
On the eth of July Mr.. Butterworlh OF
Ohio made statement In the House OF Rep
rcsentativcs in regard 10 executive appoint
mcnts and removals which is understood to
be official. From this statement it appears
that during the nine months of his official
term the President has made S14 appoint
ments and 40 removals. Assuming the re-
movals to have been made for legitimate
cause such as dishonesty, inCompetency,
negligence, or similar reasons there have
been S25 appointments to vacancies arising
from expiration Of term. 1t is obviously n
cardinal principle Of efficient service that the
mere expiration of term shall not be
equivalent to dismissal. Under system Of
appointment by favor such an understand
ing would result 10 concentrating the energy
and time of an incumbent not upon the duties
of his place, but upon securing reappoint-
ment. The mere expiration of term can not
effect the incumbent's qualifications; and
not to reappoint an honest and competent
officer to position which is in no sense
whatever political position is virtually to
remove him. MIR. Butterworths figures
show that of S25 officers whose terms, gencr-
allyof four years, have expired, the President
has reapponted 42S, and has not reappointed
397. The conclusion from this authoritative
statement Is inevitable. Nearly one-half OF
pointed. Either, therefore, half of the
number were UNIT for the places, or 397 out
of S25 officers, being fit for their places,
were practically removed. If the former
suppostion be correct that nearly half of
the officers appointed under the present
system are found at the end of few
years to be unfit for their places, 1t is a
conclusive condemnation of that system
of appointment as utterly inadequate
and disgraceful. Or if the latter sup
position be correct and 397 out of 1926 public
officers have been removed, not because they
are unfit, obviously some other reason than
the welfare of the service has caused the re-
movals. In either case, by the authoritative
showing Of Mr.. Butterworth, the present sys-
TEN stands condemned either as admitting
nearly so per cent of unfit officers into the
service or as displacing for political or per-
sonal or private reasons the same proportion
of honest and efficient public servants.
President Arthur, who succeeded Garfield,
brought to the duties of the office the same
amiable temper and sincere patriotism.
But he was politically identified with the
spoils system, and he undoubtedly honestly
regarded II as the basis of effective party
pressed by the demand for reform and that
he was aware of its increasing significance is
shown by his first message to Congress, in
which he discusses the subject more clabor-
ately than any of his predecessors. His
arguments against the competitive system of
minor appointment prove that, in his judg-
mcnt. it had become serious public ques-
ton. lie pledged his earnest support TO it
should Congress establish it, and in any
event he urgently recommended an apprO-
priation OF S25, 900 to enforce section 1853 of
the Revised Statutes, the section under
which the present Civil Service Commission
was established, Of which Mr.. Eaton is chair
man, and he further pledges himself to Oh
serve the provisions of the law both in letter
and spirit. The competitive system which
had been recommended in pursuance Of that
law had been successfully applied under the
administration of President Hayes to ap-
pointments in the Interior Department and
in the two chief offices of their kind in the
country, the Custom House and Postoilice
in New York: and the system established
in those two offices has not yet been dis
turbed under the present Administration
But it has not been extended elsewhere nor
has the general course of the Admin
istration shown that it approves the reformed
system.
The Presidents party controls the House
The President had asked "urgently" for an
appropriation Of $25, 900 for the Civil Scrv-
ice Commission. The Appropriation bill
was ut last reported The sum of $1,000
was allowed for "lycopodium, $4,000
for the observation of the transit of Venus,
Sll5, 900 for 1.-THE introduction of gourami
and other useful fish foods" $lS0,000 for
the magnetic map of Western North Amer
lea The various grants of the bill amounted
to S23, $50, S65, but that sum did not include
a single dollar of the S25, 900 which the
President had urgently" recommended to
his party friends for the purpose of promot
Ing administrative reform. During the
general debate in Committee of the Whole
various amendments looking to that end
were offered by the opposition, and they
were lost. AT length an amendment
appropriating the specific sum asked by the
President was moved by one of his party
friends. 1t was contemptuously opposed by
others, whose sneers served only to reveal
their amusing and complete ignorance of
the subject upon which they were legislating,
and the Presidents party refused his re-
quest. The amendment was renewed by a
political opponent of the President and for u
sum of $4,000. The Presidents party
laughed and jeered. But after ridiculng, as
well as they could, a subject which is felt by
the most intelligent and patriotic citizens
to be of the highest Importance, the Presi-
dents party cOntemptuousy permitted a
grant Of three-fftbs of the pittance for which
he had urgently" asked. This is the sole
action of the House of Representatives upon
this subject This is the record upon which
the leaders OF the dominant party think ii
wise to go the county which is thoroughly
alive to the necessity of reform.