, 1883-11-01
Civil Services Reform.

"a. yrsasf#--
Tho pt>t few weeks hay. Witnessed
the practical application. in San
t.Tanclsco, OF the provisions Of the
Civil Service Set Of January 18th
last. To tav handful u public
spirited citizens in our midst. who
nave iaho"ed long for this end. it Is 4
matter of cuEgr&tulatiou; t. the Pa
cltic publ" at large, who have watch
ed the progress OF reform with much
apathy ana doubt. ii i q matter Of
sUrPE1sv; and TO the political brokers.
VINO have from tic iucipicucy OF this
movement opposed and ritiicuIcd all
efforts to purify the public service,
the huSIn"sa-iIile proceedings Of the
past month have brought chagrin
and disappointment The passive at
tItude Of the public upon this in
portant measure has constituted the
chief obstacle to be overcome by the
friends OF Civil Service Reform. So
deeply rooted has the spoiIs system
become that friends and foes alike of
reformation have fallen into the habit
OF thinking Il change impossible un-
der our form OF government. That
TINS Is an error is susceptible Of
demonstration SO soon as the peo
pie realize that reform Is practicable
and possible, the thing will be done
\ step has been taken in the right
direction: Il foothold has been gained;
and from this much may be expected.
The Legislation Of January 10th last
Is but the opening step to the reform
measures which must necessarily fol
low. Objection has been made to
the standard and requirements fixed
by the present act for admission 10
the public service. Those require
ments are character and Il proper de
gree of education. The point is
raised that the examinations provided
are not an invariable test of a mans
fitness for the service sought. These
things are conceded, for perfection is
not claimed by the friends of the law.
Ii IS experimental largely, and must
Of Necessity be so. II, however, the
educational test Is discarded, what
better standard will the dissatisfied
citizen suggest! The friends Of re-
form are not particular on this point
They are ready to adopt any standard
which Will result Ill the introduction
to the public service of honesty, fit
ness, and cOmmon-sense business
principles, We believe that the edu-
cational standard is the proper one.
La the examinations held III this city
during the past month the questions
asked have certainly been a test of
the applicants general Intelligence,
il not OF his direct fitness for the GUS
toms or the postal service. The one
leads to the other. 1t has been said
that the poor and the uneducated
Will stand little chance under existing
tests with the rich and the highly
educated. To this we may reply that
the subordinate government posi-
tions are not sought to any extent by
the rich and the highly educated; nor
is it the desire of any citizen, having
the public good at heart, that places
of trust should be given to the low
and illiterate. The action of the
present Civil Service law-without
raising the scholastic standard above
that of 0tu grammar schools opens
up the government service TO high
~ respectable, competent, and deserv-
ing middle class, many of whom have
been debarred heretofore from enter
ing government employ owing to a
lack of political influence. In San
FranciscO the new law Is now fact,
and the reformed method Of appoint
ment is fairly inauSurated- Six or
eight vacancies have already been
filled under its workings in the Gus
toms and postal service, and the gen
eral character and efficiency of ap-
plicants thus far promises well for
the future results of the long deferred
experiment.