National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-12
us 1T A HUMBUG?"
A Sharp-Eyed Critic Finds Fault With the
Civil Service Law.
He Appears to Regard IL rs subterfuge
and n Fraud.


No one doubts that il was too hurriedly
brought into being. Its supporters may have
had, and perhaps yet have, an implicit con-
fidence in its budding possibilities; but in
common sense view of the results thus far |
apparent, Is there anything extraordinary or
extra good in hescheme so far as the applied |
machinery 80 to speak, is concerned2
Let us take o cursory Wow Of the situa- |
ton. Six OF eight months have elapsed since |
this machinery was put in operation with
great flourish of trumpets and apparent zeal |
Examinations were held at stated intervals |
in various sections Of the country-that at
Washington tax ing the precedence-and |
promises made OF fair dealing and exact jus
tlce to all concerned. These examinations have |
been continued from time to time, and proba- |
bly, two-thirds or three-fourths OF those OK
'amined have passed the minimum, and, &C.
cording to the supposed impartialtty of the
civil-service rules and the expectation of the |
applicants, all those passing the minimum
are entitled in their order Of grade and date
of examination TO appointment as vacancies
occur in so far as tho ratio of states and the
soldier-preference clause will allow. Appli-
cants have been given to understand that this
is tho intention. Now, what are the facts in
the matter?
Probably two-thirds, IL not three-fourths of
those who passed o satisfactory examination
in July last and were placed on the roll for
appointment IN the order of their merit, have
not received appointments, and are to-day,
apparently, as far If not farther from the
goal as when examined; while 1t is known
fact that many who have passed later exam
nations in this city have been certified for
positions by the commissioners and have re-
ceived appointments. Where is the fairness
and consistency in such q working of the
system? What encouragement is there for
the hundreds who were at pains and expense
IN ana fu1 fna NH
are thus certified over their heads?
Where is the authority for such action and
what faith can be put in the certifying2 Are
all the eligibles of tho various examinations
Jumped togetherP
Then take another example. Probably
more than 100 appointments have been made
in the various departments since this law
went into effect. or this number, up to the
present time (if the newspapers are correct),
but three females have been selected lone Of
them already in Office, and this in the face
of the fact that large proportion of those
who passed examinations were ladies, many
of them with high markings. To be sure the
first appointment made was that of o lady.
But was not this blind, one other only
having since been appointed from the list of
cligiblesp
1t is we'll known that the chief clerk of the
civil service commission has been, and is,
opposed to appointing females, and that he
previously held an important position in the
treasury department Now, there have been
more designations Of females from the treasury
department than from any other, and, with
one or two exceptions, all these vacancies
have been filled with males OF course, the
commission falls back upon the plea that it
has no power Of choice; that acquisitions
must be filled according to the sex asked for.
True. But does not this acknowledgment
show that Partially. favoritism, and unjust
discrimination may just as easily be resorted
to under the civil service rules as under any
other rules? What else does 1t mean? Open
competition is courted, and both sexes are al
lowed examinations with supposed view to
equal rights and exact justice
Where are these if the heads of bureaus
are allowed, through prejudice, malice, par
tiality, or any: other similar'c cause, to freeze
put the female sex from their share of posi-.
tions under the government as promised by
the honest intent of the civil service act?
If women are believed to DO untitled for
positions of this kind, and the intention is
merely to deceive them and bar them out Is
not the reform in this respect humbug?
Would it not be better to be honest and
tell this class of applicants that 1t is not
wanted?
Tho writer is not now discussing the fitness
or unftness of women for departmental SER
vice. That is another question. But, if on
technical or baseless action, they may BIO de-
prived almost entirely Of that which tn y
have merited by open competition, where is
tho justice of such reformW
Another injustice manifests itself under
the new reform, viz, the barring out of those
holding inferior positions in the service from
merited promotion, except by competition
with outsiders. Many OF these have been
diligent and fnithful in their duties and have
learned by long service and experience the
routine of higher duties to which they had
expected promotion in the event of vacancies.
Many have served their country in its wars,
or are wives, sons or daughters of the fallen
IN d, kknt,
position of underlings, unless perchanoe they
may be able to compete successfully with some
whippe r-snapper just from college, generally
some rich mans son, or other relation, who
has the freshness of youth and college stufing
on his side. The latter can tell you all about
sines and cosines, the measurement of cubes,
and the elements of physics, algebra, geome-
try, &C. And yet when he takes his desk and
becomes an employe OF the government, nine
chances out of ten the old messenger or under
clerk is by far better fitted for tho task.
A few supposed experts half tho time or
more the commissioner and their chief clerk
conduct these examinations and evidently,
for want of timo and help, loosely and hur-
riedly mark up the degrees of those exam
ined. The outside public, except those
examined know little and care less how the
tests are applied or reckoned. More than
this, they know not how fairly or honestly
the candidates are certified for appointment
nor how much Partially, prejudice, or inhu-
ence Is or may be brought to bear in the
selections.
The writer is not impugning the honesty
or ability of those charged with this care.
He is only showing that no law or test, now
existing, is in the way of the selecting OF
candidates except as to sex, and hardly in
that case.
And how easy it is to have an understand
ing with the heads of departments or bureaus
relative to any appointments, male or female
if 80 desired.
The whole system as now presented will
evidently follow the example of its not very
illustrious predecessor. e.. find an untimely
grave
Glaring defects exist throughout this ab.
normal creation, and not until something less
theoretical and more sincere, just and prac.
tical is injected into its vitals can we hope for
a betterment. This seems to be impossible
under the present outlook, hence we may ex-
pect an early demise. Practical tests by
service in the departments, with proper eX-
aminations by bureau officers connected with
the special service in which they are en-
ployed, seems to be tho best method of Sc
curing good employees.
Imagine Chief Clerk Lyman sitting down
at one of these test examinations to compete
for the position he now occupies Who knows
but that some college greephorn from Oregon,
Michigan, or Texas could outstrip him by
twenty-five marks Should the greenhorn be
appointed?
Think of Arson G. McCook or George Cor