The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-10

1.-THE Pendleton bill assumes that the
service is vested in the president, and that
it is neither legal nor desirable to attempt
to limit that authority, but simply to pro-
vide for its exercise in the manner most
beneficial to the public service, the whole
aim of examinations being not to limit
the appointing power of the president, but
to bring before him the qualifications
| of those who seek entrance into the
public service, so that he may have
that information which he would naturally
desire as to the character and capacity of
those applying for office" He is to APP
prove these rules. The president is, under
the Pendleton bill. to approve the regula-
tiens, and, presumably, the president
would not surrender or deed away any of
his prerogatives.
Mr.. George William Curtis, in his state
ment before the committee, said: "a COM
mission such as contemplated by the Pen
dleton bill, named by the president in the
manner provided by that BILL removable
by him at his pleasure upon fling reasons,
is a commission entirely within the excecu
tive discretion and control 1t is not an
independent power. 1t has no supervision
of nominations, no control of appoint
ments. 1t is simply body which provides
how the fitness of certain persons shall be
ascertained and which recommends for ap-
lnTf ybn Iol
fit. The president, In advance, upon his
own motion and approval, has agreed that
he will make his appointments from per-
sons so recommended"
The constitutional doctrine therefore,
that the appointing power vested in the
president. is not disturbed or touched, but
emphatically acknowledged in the Pendle-
ton bill
: Second-It is asserted by the opponents
of this measure that the ambition to hold
office under the government, to participate
in the administration of the affairs of the
government, is an honorable one, and that
the Pendleton bill is hostile to this laudable
ambition This is one of the objections
made by those ignorant of the provisions
of Mr.. Pendleton's bill. The opening
words of the preamble of the Pendleton
bill are: Whereas, common justice re-
quires that, so far as practicable, all citi-
zens duly qualified shall be allowed equal
opportunities on grounds of personal fit
ness for securing appointments employ
ment and promotion, in the subordinate
civil service of the United States" Mr.
Dorman b. Eaton, in his statement before
the committee, said: 'fOver and against
the constitutional authority and duty of
appointment stands the right of citizens to
be appointed. This bill assumes that
every citizen has an equal claim to be APP.
pointed if he has equal capacity. 1t prac-
tically denies the right that every citizen
has an equal claim TO appoin tment, by pre-
ceeding on the theory that every mans
claim to receive an appointment is strong
in proportion to his ability to discharge the
duties of the Office he seeks"
There is no denial here of the right of
citizens to hold office On the contrary
there is strong affirmation of that right
coupled with a tribute to the dignity of
the public service.
Third-The objection is raised against
the Pendleton bill that its scheme is Gun
American, aristocratic, undemocratic;"
that lit would create an official aristocracy
foreign to the spirit of our institutions"
1t is inconceivable how such an objection
can be intelligently made. The first object
of the bill, declared in the preamble, is
that all citizens duly qualified shall be al
lowed equal opportunities to enter the pub
lie service and to secure promotion in it.
1t is difficult to see wherein this is undem-
ocratic. Equal opportunities, says the
blll-the very essence of democracy.
Mr. George William Curtis said to the
committee touching this point: There is
no right of birth in it; no blood right, no
privilege. Men come into it upon a free
and open competition. The system which
is practiced in this country to-day, if not
to be defined as aristocratic, is absolutely
oligarchic. What you want is fair com
petition of all who desire to enter the SER
vice. / say the spells system is oligarchic.
The English service, open to competition,
is most absolutely democratic Within the
range of places open to competition the
son of the Archbishopof Canterbury or the
son of the Duke of Leeds has no possible
advantage over the son of coal HEAVIER.
Mr.. Gladstone, when he was last prime
minister, made speech to his constituents
at Greenwich, in which he said: I am the
head of the treasury, but I have no more
voice in the appointment of clerks in
the treasury than any of you who hear
me- Mr.. Mundella was member of
parliament, and / heard him say a dozen
years ago in the Cooper Institute in New
York that his influence could not put a
friend of his into the custom-house, nor
into the post office, and that any of the
men who heard him had just as much pow
er in such matter as he had himself"
Clearly the charge that it is undemocratie
when it primarily announces equality as its
basis and purpose, cannot be maintained
against the Pendleton bill
Fourth-It is charged against the Pen
dleton bill that its purposes are impracti-