Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-29
where COmmissioner Dudley Made q
Mistake.

To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR.
1t Is greatly to be regretted that business
qualifications OF so fair character as those de-
velOped by Commissioner Of Pensions Dudley In
various ways and particularly in his letter of
March 21st to the House committee on civil ser
vice reform, should be marred and blurred by so
monstrOus fallacy as that also contained in
the communication to which | have lust re-
ferred, published in your paper of SATURDAY. last
An air of business runs through the entire
document, with the exception OF a single para
graph. to which | beg leave to call attention.
1t Is as follows: Speaking of the selections to
be made OF examiners for the Pension Office
.'let this class be composed solely of those who
have vote somewhere and who have interest
enough in the welfare Of their nation and state
to vote at every election" he should have
added, land to vote the republican ticket" for
that Is his literal meaning. He softens it,
however, in some degree by his conclusion of
the sentence, land other things being equal or
nearly so, republicans should be preferred"
Sentiments like these. however pardonable in
the mind OF Gen. Dudley and other politicians.
have no place in the category Of civil service
reform, and are besides. in direct antagonism
with the speedy prosecution Of the work which
he has so much at heart. The only qualifca-
tons proper TO apply as a criterion to one seek
Ing To enter the service TO which he refers are
lis he honest? is he capable. Is he faithful?"
1t matters not what such ones political predi-
lectiOns are, whether he halls from Maine or
Texas, Florida or Alaska, so that he comes up to
the standard have indicated-the JeffersOnian
standard. All else IS immaterial and at variance
with the public interests. Indeed so far as the
particular paragraph TO which / am calling at
tention is concerned. nothing could be worse for
the purposes in view than the selection of such
a body OF men upon the principle therein set
forth On the contrary. tine selections for this
special service should be eliminated entirely
from elections and politics. so as to devote
themselves exclusively to the great work before
Them Five hundred and forty as understand
Is the number OF examiners which the honorable
Commissioner proposes. Has he calculated the
annual cost Of diverting that number of men
from the business of the people and the govern
n:eDt to state politics and elections? Let rs see
what this is Five hundred and forty-say at
the average salary proposed-s133. So per month";
equal 10 S72 0OG Seventy-two Thousand dollars
for one month in each year taken out of the
public Treasury In order that this class may I'M
derso the patriotic duty OF voting '.at every
election" and in the meantime the vast work in
hand propOrtionately delayed aud neglected
Five hundred and forty months in each year
an equivalent 10 the time OF one man for forty
i've years.
Oh, no. Mr.. Commissioner Danish all such
theories from your mind. They have in the
practice of others inflicted vast injury upon our
country ard will continue to do so in the future
hpersistcd in. Select the very best men YOU
can find anywhere and everywhere for the work
You have in hand; have them bid adeu to cleo
tons and. everything connected Herewith dur
Ing their official terms. so that then they can
again drop into the popular current. purified by
the probation they have undergone. and better
able to appreciate as well as practice the duty
OF voting at every election" from the conscious
ness that they are not paid for it out Of the
poSkets OF the people, Reform.
Washington, March 9th, 1852.
EUtrQror lar rk,<.l &c.,