The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-04

4 ASl HuotunSen oAA ghot1LA hhbo09 ~
now publicly posted In the respecdy
offices, are also the ceEtidCatious for ap
pointments, The purpose Of the elyi
service law was absolutely 10 exclude
any other consideration Ia connection
with appointments under It than that o
merit as tested by the examinations
The business proceeds upon tue theOr!
that both the examining boards and thu
appointing officers are absolutely ignor
ant as 70 the political views aud assocla'
tons OF all persons on the civil service
lists, 1t ia not too much too say, how
ever, that recent congressional inyestiga
tons have somewhat shaken public con
fidence In the impartlality oil the selec
tions for appointment.
The reform Of tho civil service will
make no safe or satisfactory advance I'M
til the present law and It's equal admin
istrallon are well established in the
confidence Of the people, It twill be my
pleasure, as 1t ia my duty, TO see that
the law Is executed with hrmness aud
impartiality, II some Of it's provisions
have been iraudulently eYaded by sp,
pointing officers, our resentment should
not suggest the repeal Of the law, but re.
form In Its administration, We should
have one view ofthe matter, and hold II
with sincerity that Is not affected by
the consideration that the party Il
which we belong Is for the time In
power.
My predecessor, on the 4th day OIL
January, 1880, by an executive order "a
take effect March 10, brought the rail
way mail service under the operation oil
the civil service law, Provision was
made that the order should take effect
sooner in any State where an eligible
list was sooner obtained,
On the 18th day Of March, Mr., Lyman,
then the only member Of the com
mission, reported to me In writing that
IL would not be possible to have the list
OF eliglbles ready before May l, and re-
quested that the taking effect Of the or
der BIZ postponed until that time, which
was done, subject u the same provision
contained in the original order as To
States In which an eligible list was
sooner obtained.
AS result OF the revision OF the rules
OF the new classification and Of the
railway mail service, the work Of the
COmmission has been greatly increased,
and the present clerical force Ia found 10
be inadequate. l recommend that the
additional clerks asked by the Commits.
mission be appropriated for. The duty
Of appointment Is devolved by the con.
stitutlon or by the law, aud the appoint
ing officers are properly held to q high
responsibility in the exercise.
The growth ri the county and the
consequent increase Of the civil list have
maguitied this function Of the executive
responsibility. II cannot be denied,
however, that the labor connected with
this necessary work is increased, often 10
the point Of distress, by sudden and ex.
cesSiv0 demands that are;made upon an
incoming administration for removals
and appointments. But, on the other
hand, il is not true that incumbenCy IL
conclusive argument for q continuance
in office. lmpartiality, moderation,
fidelity to public duty, and good at
tainment in the discharge Of it, must be
added before the argument Is completed.
When those holding administrative
Offices 30 conduct themselves as to con.
viuce just political opponents that no
party consideration or bias affects in any
way the discharge OF their public duties,
We can more easily stay the demand for
removals.
lam satisfied that both In and out Of
the classified service great benefit would
accrue from the adoption Of some system
by which the officer would receive the
distinction and benefit TINT In all private
comes from exceptional
faithfuneSs and efficiency In the perform.
ance OF duty. l have suggested to the
heads Of the executive departments that
they consider whether q record might
not be kept IN each bureau OF all those
elements that ore covered by the terms
''ialthiulness" and deficiency, aud
rating made sho wing the relative merits
Of the clerks OF each class, his ratings 10
be regarded as q test OF merit in making
@
l have also suggested to the Postmau-
ter General that lie adopt some plan by
which ho can, upon the basis of'thU re-.
ports to tho department and Of frequent
inspections, Indicate tho relative merits
OF poStnasters Of each clues. They will
DO appropriately indicated In the Official
register and ~ the report OF the depart.
ment. That agreat Stimulug would thus
be given to the whole service do not
doubt, and such record would be the
best defense against inCousideratc 10.
tnovals frSm office.
NATIONAL AID TO EDUCATION.
The interest OF the general govern.
ment In the education OF the people
found an early expression, not only 10
the thoughtful and sometimes, warning
utteranCes Of our ablest statesmen, but
in liberal appropriations from the com.
mon resources for the support OF educa.
ton in the new States. Ne one will deny
that 1t is OF the grayest national concern
that those who bold the ultimate control
Of all public affairs should have the
necessary intelligence wisely 10 direct
and determine them. National aid to
education has heretofore taken the form
Of land grants, and in that form the
constitutional power Of Congress TO pro.
mote the education Of the people Is not
seriously questioned. l do not think Il
can bs successfully questioned when the
form Is changed TO that Of a direct grant
Of money from the public treasury.
Such aid should be, as Il always has been
suggested, by soMe exceptional condi.
tons. The sudden emancipation Of the
slaYes Of the South, the bestowAl OF the
suffrage, which followed, and the i'm.
pairment Of the ability Of the States
where these new citizens were chiefly
found to adequately provide educational
facilities, presented not only exceptional
but unexampled conditions. That the
situation hUI been much ameliOrated
there Is no doubt. The ability aud In.
tprtSt Of the States have happily In.
creased. But a great work reiIaius 10
be done, and | thlnk the general govern.
Inent should lend It's aid. As the sug.
ReBtlon OF National grant in aid u
education grows chiefly out OF the con.
dition and r1Ueds oil the emanCipated
slave and Ills descendants, the RELIEF
should, as far rs possible, while neCes.
sarily proceeding upon some general
lines, 10 applied TO the need that sug.
gested II. II Is essential, II much good
10 10 be accomplished, thatthe sympathy
aud active interest Of the people Of tho
states should be enlisted, and that the
methods adopted should be such as 10
stimulate and not TO Supplant local taxa,
ton for school purposes.