National Republican., 1883-06-06
CIVIL SERVICE CRITICISMS.


The Selection OF the ExnmInors-Rcc-
ormption, Not Perfection, Expected.
Mr.. Dorman B. Eaton of the civil service
commission, makes the following statomentin
reply to criticisms which have been made
upon the commissioners in selecting
examiners from officers already in
the public service, and in answer to doubts
which havo been expressed with regard TO
the justice and impartiality of examiners so
selcctcd
"such criticism" Mr.. Eaton says, "is super
fetal and largely based on misrepresenta-
tiOn of facts"
The third section of the civil service law
requires all the examiners to be selected from
among those in the official service of the
United States which is all that need be said
about one branch of the criticism. Salaries
would have been necessary for examiners, If
not in tho public service; and ten years
might have elapsed before public opinion
would have forced congress to vote such sala-
Ties The competitive examinations already
held, not only at Washington, but at the New
York custom house, naval office, and post
office, the latter of which especially having
been the educating and salutary examples by
reason of which in large measure the enact
ment of the present law was made possible,
have all been conducted by examiners selected
from among the officials of the Offices where
the examinations were conducted. IL was
tho reform thus achieved which first con-
aSinced the friendly critics that any reform was
sesibie, and which first convinced the hostile
critics that their spoils system was in peril.
A common criticism from two such opposite
quarters is at least amusing. The merits of q
theoretical criticism which thus distrusts the
future only by ignoring or slandering all that
has been good in the past seems to be appar-
ent.
ptt asido from, all nncnaeitv and pra ctica1
justification of it there are great advantages,
intrnsically, in selecting the examiners from
the officials at the offices to be reformed.
Who as well rs they know the secret abuses,
the defects of character and capacity among
their associates, or the better qualifications
required in those offices? Who more than
they have pride and interest in improving
the Office with tho character of which
their own regulations are identified? Re-
formers have been charged with doing injus-
tice to the public service by reason of not
admitting that many examples of worth
and ability are to be found in every large
office But the criticism referred to goes
much further; for 1t denies TO the public
service not only the sense of justice toward
those seeking TO enter IL, but all patriotic
aspiration for better system or moro COM
petcnt officers; even raising a presumption
of fraud and favoritism upon the bare fact of
the examiners being taken, though as the
best, from that service. This charge is too
sweeping and damnatory to be raised, even
against the disastrous effects of the old spoils
system.
If that system has done much to screen
abuses and to suppress the expression by ofi-
cals of those sentiments which demand re-
form, it has yet neither extinguished such
sentiments nor made the abuses acceptable.
In every large Office there are competent,
high toned officials, who are humiliated aud
indignant, even if sometimes silent when
al Il
give to hunkies and henchmen the places
which are due to capacity and char
acter. These better men at least
welcome the new rules. In the safety
which the rules assure and the courage they
inspire, such officials sec the first opportunity
of cooperating effectively for higher stand
ards in that vast public service of which they
are part and to reform which they hold to
be patriotic duty. Shall such men be de-
MED participation in the work of reform 2
Shall they be condemned by inference, and
strange examiners be put over them? Are
they to be utterly rejected because scheming
islators, who fix their salaries and
threaten their removal have made all
expression of their disgust and aspirations as
pcrilous as it would have been useless Are
we to forget that il has been those serving at
the postoifce, naval Office and custom house
Gt New York who have conducted the ad-
mirablc examinations there which the nation
has approvcd2 IL was for the purpose OF
hOnoring this worthy class Of officers, by So
lecting the examiners from among them, that
the commissioners have visited all the offices
where the examinations are to take place
and have had interviews with those who will
be made examiners.
No sensible man supposes that all prejudice
or favoritism can be eliminated. 1t is not
perfection but reformation, which is ex-
pectcd. Stringent penal provisions in the
new law forbid examiners favoring appli-
cants Any discrimination by them on political
or religious grounds is declared cause of re-
moval-an effective force for justice which
could not be applied to non official examiner
The examiners have no liberty for selecting
favorites. Every one must be examined
in tho order of his application overy one
must be graded in tho order of his merits, as
disclosed on his application papers and
every one must be certified for appointment
in the order of his grading; and each act is a
matter OF record. These papers remain on
file, and tho marking can be revised and
corrected as we'll year as day after the
examination. Any person examined who
tice to the civil service commits
sion, upon which both parties
are represented. The number of partisan
henchmen and official favorites who will
reach the higher places on the competitive
lists will be very few; 1t is they who excel
upph any ls"i ''So Va 'ioiA', "hoio thoy "ie
not found there Is small inducement, as there
is small opportunity, under the merit sys
TEN, for any discrimination on political
grounds in making appointments, AL
experience has shown that competitive
examinations mako en- end Of political pro
scription and partisan favoritism. 1t is rarC
in the New York offices that the politics o
those appointed are ever known, A collector
or postmaster cares little for the politics o
those he appoints when he can no longer picl
out flvorites or convert subordinates int
henchmen.
The civil service commissioners and tn,
chief examiner will probably leave Washing
ton about the middle Of the present month
aud make visits to n number of cities in va
rous parts Of the country, each officer takinI
particular circuit, for the purpose of super
visng the examinations made by the loca
examining boards.