Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-07-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WnshinQtOn, Itlu 10TH.

WUSttUHtOts CuVJ Ac"''
If it has done nothing else, the
civil service law has put partial
stop to nepotism in the government
offices. Ten years ago man and
wife could work at adjoining desks
and their child could grow up and be
trained for similar portion. In
those days even the policeman raised
his boy to be hearty and strong, had
him enlist in-the army at eighteen
and serve five years and come back
and be a policeman, under the fossil
lied law providing that police must
be honorably discharged soldiers and
sailors. This law was excellent at
the close of the war and was intended
to favor the volunteer soldier return
ing to the duties of peace. Now
that the volunteer soldier is middle
aged old man, congress refuses to
repeal the law.
Three recent appointments have
caused great comment as instances
of nepotism. One of these appoint
ments by Thomas j. Morgan, COM
missioner of Indian affairs, of his
wife as his private secretary at gov
ernment salary of one thousand dol
lars. The second is that of the wife
of Mr.. Dorchester, superintendent of
Indian schools, as an inspector of In
dian schools at six dollars a day and
expenses. The third is that of the
daughter of Commissioner Tanner as
his private secretary at $1,000 per
annum. This last, the appointment
of school girl to a position that
many experienced ex-soldiers have
failed to fill satisfactorily, has the
additional objection of being in bad
judgment. The arguments against
the appointments of relatives to Of
flee are as old as the government.
Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, all
felt strongly on the subject, regard
ing it as dangerous movement,tend-
ing to create an aristocracy of office
holders. That such was not the re-
suit long ago is a mystery, though
such appointments as these three
show a re-assuring desire to grab ev'
erything in sight.
/ Abiding to the civil service law,
Hon. j. d. Taylor of Ohio states thai
he quite agrees with the commission.
ers in their statement that compare
lively few college bred men obtair
positions through the examinations
He thinks that they are evidently
correct in stating that the large ma
iority have received only common
school educations. The logic is easy
A college bred man, as Bob Ingersol
saws can not read with ease ten years
after graduation the diploma he won
His memory of earlier studies is dim
mer. The exact longitude and lati
tude of some unimportant Africal
cape is forgotten the date of th
battle of Jones' Cross Road is gone
accompanied by the rules for solving
many problems in arithmetic. Perhap
he could solve the problem by alge
bra. but the civil service authoritie
do not allow that. This college bre
man may be bright man, quick t
learn, rapid in execution and have
ready command of lucid English, br
, because he does not understand III
practicable questions in mathematic:
, he is barred bv the civil service rules
) and vet only one government clerk
ten has f. do with figures at all.
The successful are of the countl
t school teacher class-a slow, ,ploddin
: dense race, whose little knowledge
: always at finger ends. The few
i vegetables grocer has the less tro
e BILE he finds in displaying them OH Il
4 side walk in the morning. 'Bewa