The leader., 1889-12-07

| the yardmen and brakemen A petition
signed by nearly ten thousand railway
| brakemen was presented to the commission.
| asking that steps might be taken to bring
| about the use of automatic brakes and coup
| lers on freight cars.
During the year ending on June 80
| 1888, over two thousand railroad en-
| ployes were killed in service, and more than
| twenty thousand injured. 1t is competent, /
| think, for Congress to require uniformity in
| the construction of cars used in interstate
commerce, and the use of improved safety
appliances upon such trains. Time will be
| necessary to make the needed changes, but
an earnest and intelligent beginning should
be made at once. 1t is reproach to our
civilization that any class of American
workmen should, in the pursuit of neces-
sary and useful vocation be subjected to a
peril of life and limb as great as that of a sol
| dier in time of war.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The creation of an executive department,
| to be known as the Department of Agricul-
ture, by the act of February last was a
wise and timely response to a request which
had long been respectfully urged by the
farmers of the country. But much remains
to be done to perfect the organization of the
| department so that it may fairly realize the
| expectations which its creation excited. In
| this connection attention is called to the sug-
| gestions contained in the report of the Sec
| retary, which is herewith submitted.
THE WORLDS FAIR.
The proposition to observe the 400th an
niversary of the discovery of America by the
| opening of a worlds fair or exposition in
some one of our great cities will be presented
| for the consideration of Congress. The value
and interest of such an exposition may well
claim the promotion of the General Govern
menU.
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
| The purpose of the Civil Service law was
absolutely to exclude any other consideration
! in connection with appointments under it
! than that of merit as tested by the examina-
| tions. The business proceeds upon the theory
| that both the examining boards and the APP
| pointing officers are absolutely ignorant as to
the political views and associations of all per-
sons on the civil service lists 1t is not too
much to say, however, that some recent Con-
gressional investigations have somewhat
shaken public confidence i'll the impartiality
of the selections for appointment
| The reform OF the civil service viii make
no safe or satisfactory advance until the
present law and its equal administration are
well established i'll the confidence of the
people. 1t will be my pleasure, as it is my
duty, to see that the law is executed with
| firmneSS and impartiality If some of its
| provisions have been fraudulently evaded
| by appointing officers, our resentment should
not suggest the repeal of the law. but reform
| in its administration. We should have one
| view of the matter and hold it with a sin
cerity that is not affected by the considera-
| ton that the party to which We belong is for
| the time i'll power.
| The duty of appointment is devolved by
| the Constitution or by the law, and the ap-
pointing officers are properly held to high
responsibility in its exercise. The growth of
/ the country and the consequent increase of
the civil list have magHifed this function
of the executive dispropOrtionallv. 1t can
not be denied however, that the LABOR con
nected with this necessary work is increased
often to the point of actual distress, by the
/ sudden and excessive demands that ere
made upon an incoming administration for
removals and appointments. But, on the
other hand, it is not true that iHcumbency is
a conclusive argument for & continuance in
office. Impartiality, moderation fidelity to
public duty and good attainment in the
discharge of it must be added before the
argument is complete. When those holding
| administrative Offices so conduct themselves
as to convince Just political opponents that
no party consideration or bias affects i'll any
way the discharge of their public duties, we
can more easily stay the demand for re-
mOvals
/ am 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 that. in all private employments,
comes from exceptional faithfulness and eff
cheney in the performance of duty.
| have suggested to the heads of the eXecu-
tive departments that they consider whether
record might not be kept in each bureau OF
all those elements that are covered by the
| terms 'faithfulness" and efficiency" and a
rating made showing the relative merits of
the clerks of each class this rating to be re-
| garded as test Of merit in making promo
! tions.
| have also suggested to the Postmaster
| General that he adopt some plan by which
| he can, upon the basis of the reports to the
| department and of frequent inspections, in
| dicate the relative merit of pOStmaSters of
| each class. They will be appropriately indi-
| Gated in the official register and in The re-
port OF the department That great stim-
! ulus would thus be given to the whole ser
! vice do not doubt, and such q record would
! be the best defense against incOnsiderate re-
moyals from Office.
| THE EDUCATION OF QUE PEOPLE.
| National aid TO education has heretofore
| taken the form of land grants and in that
! form the constitutional power of Congress tor
promote the education of the people is not
| seriously questioned. | 10 not think it can
be successfully questioned when the form is
| changed to that Of direct grant of money
! from the public treasury.
! Such aid should be, as it always has been,
suggested by some exceptional conditions.
| lhe sudden emanclpdrlon OF the slaves or
the South, the bestowal of the suffrage,
which soon followed, and the Impairment 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 has been much amelio-
rated there is no doubt. The ability and in
| terest OF the States have happily increased.
| But great work remains TO be done, and
| I think the general government should lend
! its aid. As the suggestion of a national
| grant in aid of education grows chiefy out
/ of the condition and needs of the enanci-
| pated slave and his descendants, the relief
| should as far as possible, while necessaril
| piled to the need that suggested it, 1t is es-
! sential if much good is to be accomplished,
that the syrnrat.1- and ac-i... inta.:ast of the