The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-04-19

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dtshsso~ss system In tho public s.rvic~. There
y serono rcason IN bslisve that . majority %
both the great political parties are very well
0asis0ssf with the present system. anil our
valued Contemporaries who sr. In the civil
services reform bssiDess unconsciously do In
3ustios To the opinions and the motives OF
great number II their countrymen.
The theory OF both the Estonians and the
anti Eatonisns 10 "that people should be
selected for their fitness To perform the dn.
siss Of the ofYlcea" Nobody wants the Offices
% b filled with unfit men. The point Of do
bate 10 not found th.rs. But ono theory 10
that At men. politically 10 sympathy with
the party that Is In power. should be ap-
pointed TO once, and that they should not
hold their Offices for life or by long. perma-
nsot tenure. which would remove them from
the Immediate power OF the Administration.
and tend TO build up q bureaucracy. This
may Do called the popular theory Of the civil
servics, both because 1t IL the one most gen.
orally held by the people and because It Is
most consonant with the general principles OF
popular government.
The main objection to this view seems to
be that It commends itself to that despised
and unfortunate body Of men. the politicians
but as every American who does not neglect
his duties As . citizen L. more or less Of o
politician, perhaps this objection Ia not so
very dreadful after all. The theory doee not
propose that the offices should be divided
- spoils among the politicians OF the sue
csssful party" 1t insists that, when the peo-
pie have determined that the executive
branch Of the Government shall be placed In
the hands OF q certain party. that party shall
actually hold majority Of the administrs-
tive onlces big and little, and be held respon-
sible therefor. The filling Of the offices In this
view Of the matter, with adherents OF the
Administration. is not q dividing OF spoils.
It 10 rather . necessary incident In getting
control OF the Executive and all the ap-
purtenances thereto.
The other theory, dear To the sad souls OF
all the Mugwumps, holds that considerations
Of politics should have nothing to do with
appointments to the ordinary administra-
tive Offices; that appointment to these should
be determined by tho result OF certain lite
rary examinations; and that when a man
gets In he should stay In. II he doesn't mis-
behave, as long as he wants to, or till death
removes him. "Once public officer always
q public officer Is the motto Of the Eatoninns.
There is no more consideration OF fitness in
this theory than In the miscallcd spoils
theory. Indeed. there isn't as much, for the
tests Of fitness, tho literary examinations, are
Tor the most part vain. delusive, untrust-
worthy, and altogether Improbable.