The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-26
GOVERNMENT EIPLoYES.
THE CIVIL sF.ryrca COMMISSION
MAKES AN IN7oa -E:ir CHANGE.
Hereafter the Liz. o. -''- bls Applicants
for Appointmon. % tho Federal
Service and ..ei- strading
Shall 30 Ncds 9ab.io.

WASHINGTON. May c1..--ho Civil Ser
vice Commission hss ma % sn imporlan.
alteration 10 one OF rs .uci by providing
that hereafter tho ~; O clieiblcs .or ap-
poinlmcnt 90 the Got-nrent service and
their standing snail . n dc public. This
action Of the Conn a.on viii DO ap-
proved by the rrrs.. 'a' In nn inter.
view with an Assor.r.,t rsces reporter 10.
day, Commissioner slo cyclt. speaking Of
this change In tho rae. said II was rc-
ycrsil oi the Comm.s.o.'spolicy hitherto.
For what were then deemed excellent
reasons tho Commission. wicn Il was lirst
ostablis he'd. had W." eligible list kept 70.
crci, the idea bs.nr that this secrecy
would prevent politicians from bring.
Ing pressure to orfr mrun any public
Office to SECURE tho appointment oi a giycn
man on the eligible U.s.. ID has, hoWcIrE
in practice, hc said, resulted very Nc
qucnily that politicians we're ahlo TO Fc.
hold ol tho standin 0l applicants on ia,
list, while the outside pub q and all but
thc favored applicants the nsclyci ~.
mnincd ignorant oi 10; tiit the comuiis.
sion are now Inclined in thnk the rcgula-
ton has not produce lhr tciulis intended,
and which at the tmr. there seemed ex.
crllcnl reasons TO think }, would produce.
The commission believe tia, In our form
oi government publicity "a good thing,
unless special fpas1ls 90 iLr contrary can
be- shown; aud they arn now going 10 ap-
ply Ii fully in thc s- Yi the eligible lisi.
The commission tees that Il u. above all
thinp, uccc.sary % duli into the minds Of
lhc public belief in ;hr absolute honesty
and fairness oi the present system OF clccs-
ing public employees. and OF tie way In
which h Il carried out The commis-
sion wants 10 give tho public conf
drnco la lho law, aud II icols that tho
brst way 10 bring about that result
J. 10 have the work OF the commission
perfectly opon aud above board and per-
ircily simple. Of course, said SIR. RoOsc-
welt, while ! believe implicitly that tie
merit system was opposed the old 6poils
system has c0inc 10 stay. | rvaliEe that
.rnany oi our methods are more or less on
trial even yet, and the commission has 10
make experiments all the time, and Il Il
absolutely inevitable thnt there should bc
occasional mistakes. When We find
wo have made such n mistake We
shall simply reverse our action. Now
u n exactly W In this ease. II was be-
licycd, with what seemed gool reasons by
tho original commission, that secrecy IN
tlio nai,rr Of the eligible lisi would work
we'll Now We are inclined 70 think that
ON the whole il has worked injustice, ani
the Commission IL go.ng therefore, 70
make the eligible lisi and the standing OF
each applicant public, aud Try how !,
works, rcscryngio ilsoli foil liberty 10 alter
the course II Il Is found 10 work badly. We
rccosnse at the outset that there are Ger
tam disadvantages IN connection with
publicity, whilo tho ccfiincation for
appointment includes three name. At
time. There Is chance that people viii
bring pressure 10 bear upon The appoint
inc powers 10 have them choose some
particular favored one Of the three. Bus
oven when the lists were kept secret ~
loo often happened that the politicians
found ont what 'hv public remained ignof-
ant oi, aud brought pws urc TO bear any
how.