Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-15
The President and Civil Service
Reform.

TIC ANoAAEnN ana
Reform.
There was a slight effort made immedl
steiv after the late elections to create the
Impress on that there would soon be q
change in tue poll yof the administration
vita respect to civil service reform. Ger
tain journals when claim 10 represent
Democrat sentiment in their respective
locaNtie, asserted tust tue election Of the
. Democratic ticket in New York, without
the aid OF the Muywumps or the Mug
wump press, indicated desire on the
! part of The masses Of the Democratic
party for more rapid removal OF Repub'
Leans from Federal Offices. 1t is
clear that the President does not under
81 md that there is any such desire. His
understanding is that his party and the
people are satisfied with the course he is
pursuing, and that taey indicated their
satisfaction by sustaining the party OF
which be is the recognized head.
That there IL to be no step backward
n civil service reform is shown by the
appointment Of Dir. O'Brien as weigher
at the New York custom house for the
Al pointed 10 this place by Collector
Hedden without a COM etltye examina.
ton. The appointment, at the direction
of the President, was cancelled, and an
| examination ordered and held. There
were lorty-hye applicants examined. or
! this number thirty passed the examina-
ton. Mr.. OBren stood Grst on the list
9 FIJI Mr.
twenty-tourth. Mr.. O'Brien was with
out mucn influence, while Mr. Sterling
was supported by some OF the strongest
local politicians in Brooklyn. MIR.
O'Brien was appointed, although all OF
those who passed the examination sue
aessfully were certified to Collector He'd
den by the Civil Service Commissioners
az qualified for the place.
Another reason for thinking that the
President proposes TO do all he can to
firmly establish civil service reform. is
found in the character of the new civil
service commissioners. They are men Of
such standing that the enemies Of civil
service reform find that they can make no
Roadway in their efforts to ridicule it. 1t
was clearly the purpose Of the President
10 increase the respect TOR the civil ser
vice law by appointing men 20 administer
II who would command respect.
A lew days ago the Albany Argus, Sec
rotary Mannlng's paper, published sig
nificant article on civil service reform.
President than any other member of the
Cabinet. What his paper says on this
subject may be taken as expressing the
sentiments Of the administration. The
following is an extract from the article:
Civil service reform has come to stay.
There will be no halt, no backward step,
under the present administration. The
Offices have grown to such an extent and
the desire to hold office has become 90
general that some barrier has become
necessary to protect the appointing
power. The represent system may have its
imperfections. Time and experience will
correct them. The proper course for all
Democratic newspapers to pursue Is to
encourage bright young Democrats to at.
end the examinations. II they do this
and pass, they are sure to receive ap-
continents. The publication Of the public
service can only be accomplished by the
presence Of capable, proved officials, not
mere political workers, who regard the
Offices OF the government as theirs on ac-
count Of partisan services"
If other indications were needed to
show the determination Of the administra-
ton TO give civil service reform a hearty
support, they could easily be found.
Those to which we have directed atten-
ton, however, ought to be accepted as
sufficient.