Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-05
THE SHAM CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
Bill,

some of its provisions would be even
greater in the house than in the senate. II
appears, however, that no one had the
| courage to state the objections to the bill
lest they should be accused of being op-
| posed to true reform of the civil service
We cannot but regard this action of the
house as cowardly in the extreme. While II
has'been foregone concl aston ever since the
last election that some sort of a bill regulat-
ing appointments in the civil service OF
the government would be passed at this
session of congress, it was hoped that some
measure that gave promise of being more
effective than the one in ques-
ton would have been matured.
The press of the country
has clamored for a law which should re-
form the giant abuses that have crept into
the service, and the people at the polls
have :. emphatically condemned the prac-
tees in vogue of late years. But neither
the press nor the public will be satisfied
with the bill as passed. 1t is but ia half
| way measure that lops off some of the
| minor branches of the tree of corruption
but carefully avoids striking at the roots.
1t provides for competitive examinations
of applicants for the lower grades of Off
GERS in the future, but leaves in their places
all those who at present hold Office, and
| who are the chief source of the corruption
of which the people complain. A man may
be ever so honest when he enters the pub
lie service at the foot of the ladder, but he
will be more than human if, after asso-
eating for long period of years with his
seniors in Office who arc literally soaked in
the slime of dishonesty, he shall not be-
come as corrupt as they. Then the result
will be that young men will be introduced
and educated in school of official vice,
under teachers of long experience, and
when they shall have become adopts
| they will in turn become the
teachers of those who follow after
wards. This system will prove far more
pernicious than the one lately in vogue.
4 surgeon does not attempt to cure can
Ger by cauterizing the outer edges of the
sore, but plucks it out by the root. So
congress should have sought to purge the
body polite by radical change in the
service from top to bottom. The barna-
cles who have been fastened upon the de-
partments for a quarter of a century
should have been turned out, and honest,
capable men placed in their stead. An
tolest chief of bureau or department
will always take care that his subordinates
| are of the same character.
Another objection to the bill as passed
is that it does not permit the head of a
bureau or department to say who shall be
selected to fill vacancies under him. If a
vacancy occurs he is bound to appoint the
man who has passed the most satisfactory
| examination before the commissioners ap-
pointed under the provisions of the act.
This person may be totally unfit for
the particular duty to which he may be
assigned, or his character and conduct may
not be above reproach, yet he can retain
his position as long as he commits no
overt act while in Office which shall rem
der him subject to removal "for cause"
The season of probation is well enough as
far as it goes, but lazy man can easily
get up steam enough to work faithfully
for few months until his tenure becomes
permanent, and ever after be drag upon
| the service.
Again, there is too much machinery
about the methods by which appointments
are to be made. thorough business man
can form a better estimate Of the quail
fcations of a!man for particular branch
of the service in days trial than COM
missioners, unacquainted with the routine
of an Office, could form in score of COM
petitive examinations. The machinery as
4 wholeIis cumbrous, results will be dis
appointing, and in the end the wole system
thus inaugurated will have to be aban-
doned.
There is one good that will be accom-
plished by the bill, however imperfect it
may be. 1t furnishes precedent for leg
islation for the reform of the civil service.
The present measure may be an utter
fail ure, yet there is a probability that its
successor will be an improvement, and in
the end we will have such laws as will eff
fectively reform the service by requiring
of incumbents the qualifications which
business men require of their clerks. 1t
will also demonstrate the folly of devising
bill which shall be based upon partisan
e1igencies. No measure can be successful
which aims to keep Republicans in Office
and Democrats out, or rice rersG. The
civil service law OF the future must be a
purely business bill, concoctod without re-
gard for the demands of Que party or the
other. The time will come-and that in
| the near future-when those who had a
part in the passage of this manifestly in
adequate and superficial measure, designed
as blind to deceive the public claror for
real civil service reform, will be ashamed
of their action and call upon their constit-
uents in vain to condone and forgive their
ofense. tils
| = q igse
| THE GOPERNORiS MESa EGE.
The first message of Gov. Hubbard was
delivered yesterday. 1t is lengthy, but is a
complete and exhaustive review of thdEaf-