Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-12-11
Civil Service.

Mr.. Edgerton, chief Of the civil se5yice
commission, says:
"Civil service reform is being pushed To
on unhealthy development The iatrodUc-
tion of the methods of the civil s9l gico com
mission should be OF slow and deliberate
growth. The commission is costing the
government an immense amount Of money
entirely incommensura,e with the amount
OF good derived from it. Fully three
federal departments are tnen who were
there in 1888. Is not that confession.
Were it not for that fact, Mr Cleveland
would still be president after The 4th Of next
March, instead OF giving up his p!sCe 10
the civil service, and who will probably
fully reward ell bis friends 1 confidently
expect that in few months after the III
auguration the mass Of appoiniess under
the civil service rules will looK as If struck
By very cold and windy blizzard. AS
president OF the civil service commission, I can
hold out no hope whatever to them Three
fourths of the men in cfice are those who
were there in 1883. Does not this chow the
vast uselessDess of our civil service oommis-
sion, when 1t is shown that Sc have placed
on our eligible lies year,, fully four Atha
OF the number OF people holding Offices.
After being on these ists year. the eli
pibes are rslroaded 10 the cemetery,
as we express it technically, mean
Ing that they are dropped from the
eligible list In order to gain place
there again it is necessary for them to take
another examination, thus taking their time
and attention from other pursuits. The
idea prevails among those who obtain q
place on he eligible list. that appointment
is sure TO follow, and the attention being di.
rected in this one chanoe. he necessarily
causes an injurious lack ofattention to other
matters. In this way grea. injury is done
these people, and they become malicontents
and the greatest enemies of the commission
and everything connected with the service.
Civil service reform should grow Glow.
IL, as the needs Of the government require
1t. As 1t IT, it 10 like potato vine growing
in dark cellRr-t comes up white and ten
der, and after 8 few days drops down and
dies so 1t will be In this case. A perpetuity
OF tenure Of Office can never obtain in this
country, as 1t is in the fret place, directly
opposed to the constitutional principles of
the government. Then, logically consider
ed, it is equality fallncious. Why should
stay there till his hair is Whitened With age,
and keep out younger and better men9
What argument can be made to keep in Of
fee certain men, while others just aH good.
and perhaps better, sro kept outp The man
on the outside is capable of just as good
work as the man who is inside, end
why should't he be there? Look at
the matter as you may, it only
becomes the more. and more evident
that federal Offices will always con.
tinue to be given as rewards for party work.
ers Here is sample of the good work the
commission ia doing. Here is lady who
has regularly occupied place at the head
of the list of eligiblee in Pennsylvania her
marking was above that of any candidate in
that State or any other. Is not this evil
dence that the civil service commission does
not make its selection on the grounds Of
merit2 This lady has for three years regu.
larly been placed on the eligible list by e1-
animation, and at the end Of each year
dropped, as she had been selected to fill
none of the vacancies that have occurred.
So, what Is the use of extending the scope
of the civil service commission, when we
have such cases constantly before US. This
matter of increasing the ecope Of the ser
vice is being carried too far. Not long ago
they included ninety six girls at the Bureau
of Printing and Engraving, whose only duty
IL is to take up sheet of paper and lay 1t
under press now they talk of including
the Government Printing Office. Why, if a
rat runs across this floor, they'll want to in
clude him in the civil service. Civil service
is hollow, extravagant fraud, and 1t will
bankrupt the Treasury, if it gets chance" "
Baltimore Ameriedn.
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The race of life has become intense the