The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-01-13
The Civil Service Bill.

The bill to reform the civil service by Sen
ator Pendleton, which passed the Senate on
December 9th, and the House last week, is not
a bill to suit the demands of the times exactly.
1t provides that the President, with the advice
and consent of the Senate, shall appoint
three commissioners, to constitute a civil-ser-
vice commission, not more than two of whom
shall be of the same political party. These
commissioners are to aid the President i'll
forming rules for the guidance of the commits
sion in carrying the act into effect, and the
bill provides that the rules shall provide and
declare
First, For open competitive examinations
for testing the fitness of applicants for the
public service now classified or to be CLASH
fed hereunder. Such examinations shall be
practical in their character, and SO far as may
be. shall relate to those matters which will
fairly test the relative capacity and fitness OF
the persons examined to discharge the duties
of that service into which they seek to be ap-
pointed.
Second That all the offices, places and en-
pigments so arranged or to be arranged IN
classes shall be filled by selections according
to grade from among those graded highest as
the results of such competitive examinations.
Third, Appointments to the public service
aforesaid in the departments at Washington
shall be apportioned among the several states
and Territories and the District Of Columbia
upon the basis of population as ascertained at
the last preceding census. Every application
L. flnr
things, statement under oath setting forth
his or her actual bona fide residence at the
time of making the application, as well as how
long he or she has been resident of said
place.
Fourth, That there shall be period of pro-
baton before any absolute appointment or
employment aforesaid
Fifth, That promotions shall be from the
lower grades to the higher on the basis OF
merit and competition.
Sixth, That no person in the public service
is for that reason under any obligation to con-
tribute to any political fund or to render any
political service and that he will not be re-
moved or otherwise prejudiced for refusing to
do so.
Seventh, That no person in said service has
any right to use his official authority or infu-
ence to coerce the political action of any per-
son or body.
Eighth, There shall be non competitive ex-
aminations in all proper cases before the COM
mission. When competent persons do not
compete after notice has been given of the
existence of the vacancy under such rules as
may be prescribed by the commissioners as to
the manner of giving notice, competition may
not be found practicable.
Ninth, That notice shall be given in writing
by the appointing power to said commission
of the persons selected for appointment or
employment from among those who have been
examined, of the place of residence of such
persons, of the rejection of any such persons
after probation, of transfers, designations and
removals, and of the date thereof, and re-
cord of the same shall be kept by said COM
mission; and any necessary exceptions from
said nine fundamental provisions OF the rules
shall be set forth in connection with such
rules, and the reasons therefor shall be stated
in the annual reports of the commission.
The commission is authorized to appoint a
chief examiner, who shall be paid $4,000 a
year and his necessary travelling expenses.
The President is to appoint secretary, whose
salary is to be $1,000, and the commission
may employ stenographer, who is to be paid
while actually engaged at the rate ofSl, 600 a
year. and messenger, who is to be paid at
the rate of 5000 year.
The commission is required to sit at WASH
ington and at one or more places IN each state
or territory, when necessary for examinations,
and they have the power to appoint examln-
ing boards, who are to sit at places convenient
and inexpensive for applicants. The bill also
provides heavy penalties against any commits
sioner, examiner, cOpyist, or messenger, or
any person in the public service, who shall
willfully and corruptly defeat, deceive, or OBJ
struct any person in respect of his or her right
of examination, or who shall wilfully, cor
ruptly and falsely mark, grade, estimate or
report upon the examination or proper stand
ing of any person examined hereunder, or aid
in so doing, or who shall willfully and cor
ruptly make any false representations concern
Ing IHe saint VI COHCClhliS7 IhS PSASO' N-N""A
ined, or who shall willfully and corruptly
furnish to any person any special or secret in
formation for the purpose of either improving
or injuring the prospects or chances OF any
person so examined, or to be examined. The
penalty is a fine of from 500 to 81, 900 or i'm
prisonment from ten days to one year, or BOTH
Within two months after the passage ofthe
bill the Secretary of the Treasury and Post
master General are required to arrange the
clerks and persons in their employ into classes,
and six months after this arrangement no per-
son shall be admitted to any of these classes
or promoted from one to the other until he
has passed an examination. No recommen-
dation of applicants, beyond that of good
character, will be received. Preference, in
all cases of appointment, must be given to
persons honorably discharged from the army
and navy, other things being equal.
There are two objections to the bill quite
prominent. Present employees, among whom
there are many VIGOROUSLY incompetent, and
who only hold their positions by reason OF
political favoritism, should also be required to
pass examination, and the provision giving
preference to honorably discharged soldiers
should be stricken out. The provision is con-
trary to the spirit of the constitution. There
should be NO favored classes in this country;
besides. about half billion of dollars have
already been paid out of the treasury to SOL
ders and sailors of the last war in bounties.
Many states, too, have been quite generous to
their citizens who served during the last war.
The United States Signal Service must be
more epgrossed on the transfer of the Service
from the Army to the Department ofthe late
rior than in the weather On Monday and
Tuesday ''warm waves were announceda ap-
preaching, whilst the mercury was steadily