National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-10-16
CIVIL SERVICE EMISSIONS.
The Law Itself is Good, But Its Ad'
ministration Ia n Democratic Fraud.

The Law Itself is Good, But Its Adj
ministration is a Democratic Fraud.
The civil service act was passed Jan. 10,
1888, and went into full effect on July is,
1883. II reads: "The President Is author
lied, by and with the advice and consent OF
the Senate, to appoint u ~ 4" three per-
sons as civil service commissioners, and
they shall constitute the United States civil
service commission. He may remove any
commissioner; and any vacancy In the posi-
ton Of commissioner shall be SO filed by
the President
The above quotation shows conclusively
that the President alone Is responsible for
the success or failure Of the administration
Of the civil service act. Idem, Sec. 2, de-
fines the duty Of said commission: "First,
to aid the President, as he may request, In
preparing suitable rules for carrying this
act into effect, and when said rules shall
have been promulgated 1t shall be the duty
of all officers of the United States, In the
departments and Offices to which any such
rules may relate, to aid in all proper ways,
In carrying said rules and any moditica-
lions thereof into effect.n
The intention Of the civil service act was
to purify the future appointments to the
executive public service, except the Senate
combinations, heads Of bureaus, chief
clerks, certain cashiers, and "any person
merely employed as laborer or work
man''-mind you the law, not the civil SER
vice rules, but the law does not say "any
person merely classified as q laborer or
workman" So much for the intention.
Now will the seven department authori-
ties each publish to the world the number,
names, classification, and actual employ
ment Of its employees appointed from Q)
civil service and ~ other sources since July
10, 1882 But, OH how many dapper-
dressed treasury clerks would face the
public photographer as "laborers.n What
o sweet contrast Of law and evasion those
seven departments are maklng
Listen sit shall be the duty OF all OIL
GERS of the United States in any of the de-
partments to aid mot hinder nor defeat in
carrying said rules into effect,n
VIII the commissioners or the President
dare assert that 10 their sole source of au-
thority there is the least hint Of any age
limltS There is none. The age limit was
an English DEVILS connections; our laws
make none such distinctions. VIII the
President show his authority for sending up
four names By so doing the President
forces meTitorious ability TO stand one
fourth Of q chance of selection, and the
real effect Of which is to enable corruption
in the selection Of that one name. Don't
you see 1t
NOW, LneH, why uOnL Tue ETeblueuJ ueal
honestly by all candidates, and that one,
other things being In order, having the
highest grade be appointed to the vacancy
That would be simple justice to all. Again,
the law says the examinations shall be
practical, but candidates who have leaked
at their papers since examination clearly
see that constructions are placed upon the
questions that they never dreamed of. Each
question should be followed by the points
OF graduation, and be SO clear ami practical
that the candidate would clearly see what
record he had TO make. II would show his
ability Enthusiastically. Why don't the civil
service commission publish all OF their once
used questions and get the benefit OF n
fusillade OF public opinion, and thereby
enable them to demolish their antiquarian
conundrumsY / am sure that the news
papers alone will hestir them TO find prac-
tical questions with points of graduation.
Let them advertise for lists Of 100 practI-
cal questions, with points of graduation, on
each subject from department clerks,
teachers, newspapers, and Others, without
limit, and then the civil service board could
easily pick out enough good, clean, clear,
sensible questions for each examination.
Its effect would be intensely educational.
A new rule should be made that ''all pro.
motions should be made from one grade to
the next higher, but In all cases as though
the promotee Were an original appointed
Demand merit all the way through
The Jeifersonlan tests for Office were: ()