The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-01-10
rHE CTHTL sERYToE BLLL.

THE CIVIL Sen dOb DILL
What is known as the Pendleton
Civil Service reform bill passed the
House of Representatives last Thurs
dav bv a vote of 155 to A, and is
now a law. Had it not been for
Cox. of New York, the House would
have plunged into a debate that
wouId have lasted a week certainly.
Ambitious men would have aired
their views, and then the bill would
in all probability have been sent
a shattered wreck back to the Sen
ate. Cox, like a great many others,
has no great faith in the Pendleton
bill. he best men on both sides
regard the bill as feeble, and one
that does not touch and cannot
reach the real evils of civil service
But the House Republicans, under
Kasson, were going to pose before
the country as reformers, and then
try to pass a bill like Kasson's
which is not only weak but vici Gus
Cox headed them of, drove them
into a corner, and whatever credit
there is in the bill he and the Demo
Gratis who followed him will get
The bill will create q great revolu-
ton in appointments, taking all
subordinate officers from the present
appointing power and giving them
To three commissioners. hese
commissioners are to be appointed
by the President, two of them from
his own party and one from the
opposition The New York Star,
democrat, thus speaks of it:
"Of the bill itself it Is not nee $
sary to say much. 1t aims to take
all the subordinate offices of the
government out of politics altOgeth-
err. leaving them to be filled by the
fittest men, as determined by 8
competitive examination under a
commission appointed for the pur-
pose. And among the questions to
/ be put to candidates must be such
As relate to the practical duties OF
the office to be filed. The magni-
tude ofthis change can hardly be
I taken in at once. 1t takes all the
subordinate offices out of the hands
of political parties and restores them
to the people without regard &c
politics. II does not thrust the
successful candidate at an eXamina-
ton directly into a government
vacancy and lock the door 1t puts
him on probation for six months
and not until he proves his com
potency aud fidelity does he secure
/ the place against removal. 1t pro
vides the promotion shall be on the
basis of merit and by competition.
| The best man shall win. The
favorites of congressman or cabinet
: officers, OF a president, stand no bet
ter chance than a bod carrier. Not
birth and favor, but brains and
fidelity, are the conditions Of sue
cess.
"This is the democratic doctrine.
Ii is Jeffersonianism developed into
a system and reduced TO practice.
Of course, everything depends upon
how the system is carried out. The
bill does not compel the president
to appoint a commission to frame
rules and determine the details OF
the system; il does not forbid his
overriding the measure by toisting
his favorItes into places that may
become vacant; it puts no letters on
his hands. But should the system
once be established and put in Oper-
alton. il is hard to believe that a
president would violate his regula-
tons. Itrequires that of three com
missioners appointed by the Presi-
dent only two of them shall belong
to one political party, thus making
it as nearly partisan rs possible
And it forbids political assess ments
under severe penalties.
I