New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-01
cyvy1 SERVICE Reform AT Albany

CIVIL SERVICE REFOhh ~ dLDhNi'
Dmglas Jerrold is credited with remarking
relative to young man Who was referred to IN
his prescEce as being very promising Inc
trouble with him is that he is always likely To
be promising"
This Democratic Legislature is certainly
very promising Civil Service Reformer. But
there il reason to fear that IL will never ad-
vance from promise to performance. IL prom
ises well and il promises much. In addition I'd
the iml ortant bill based on that OF Mr.. Pendle-
ton. 10 which THE TRIBUNE has already di-
rected attention, several other measures OF re-
lated interest are pending. One of these pro-
vides for Civil Service Commission which is
to report to the Legislature of 1854 whether
the public interests can best lie served by pre-
scribing competitive tests, what the standard
of appointment ought to be to secure the best
servants and what the existing abuses in the
Civil Service are and how they are to he rem
edied Another Of this group Of reform bills
provides for regulating the subordinate Clvll
Service of this city. There Is to be non-parti-
san Commission. and the employees OF the vaIl-
Gus departments of the municipal government
are TO be selected in accordance with rules to
be laid down by the Commission. Still another
hill prnyides fer regulating the Civil Service of
Brooklyn by means of similar machinery.
All this. as we have remarked, is uncom-
monty promising. Aud If the full frdltlon OF
Civil Service Reform was conditioned simply
upon the introduction of Civil Service Reform
bills. then Mr.. Eaton, Mr. Curtis and the rest
might well shed tears of JOY rs they surveyed
the course of this Democratic Legislature. But
these bills are simply so much superline bun
combe unless they are passed and are signed uy
the Governor. j. there any Intention oil pass
inc them CD the part of the majority We are
compeled TO answer this question i'll tho mega
five The two general bills which we have Just
mentioned have been pending for "A long time,
and thus far no effort has been made to get
them out of committee. This delay regarding
GREAT pubic measures can only be accounted
for on one theory The Democrats OF the SEN
ate and Assembly have determined to do one OF
two thingo-either to let these bills die in COM
mittee or else to take them up ut so late a day
of the session thai, although one OF the legls-
lative branches may pass them, the other will
be unable to do an for want OF time. The trick
is "a shallow as it is old and i'll deceive no
one.
We believe that the majority OF the Repub-
lcan members of the Legislature are sincerely
in favor OF Civil Service Reform. They OBJ
viously are If they reflect the dominant sentl-
ment of their party. Why would it not he we'll
FOR them at an early day to compel the majority
TO show their hands ON this subject The IN
PRODUCTION of resolution to discharge the
committee having in charge, say the bill
modelled after the Pendeton bill, from
its further consideration and referring it
10 the Committee of the Whole, would
necessarily reveal the true inwardness OF DEM
ocratic Civil Service Reform calculated Tor the
meridian of New-York, particularly If the vote
we're taken by yeas and noes. just now the
Democratic legislators at Albany are posing as
ardent Civil Service Reformers. Ii is the logic
Of the passage of the Pendleton bill at WASH
ington that they should do so. 1t only remains
for them either to pass wcll-considercd, thor
ough Civil Service Reform bill, or write them
selves down as carefully prenedtated hum
huOs