Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-03
WHERE WASHINGTON GAINS.
MIR. Eaton Says a Return to the Spells
System Would Damage the City.


THE LOCAL BESEFITs OF THE CIVIL SERVICE sYs-
TENTS EFFECT on THE CHARACTER OF THE
POPULATION OF THE cIrY-rHE DISTRICT Gov
ERSNESr AND THE MERIT SYSTEM.
Ex-Civil Service Commissioner Dorman D.
Eaton is at Wormley's. He has lost none OF his
interest in the civil service. Speaking with a
STAR reporter today he said no city had been
SO much benefited as Washington by the civil
service examinations. 10 return to the spoils
system" he said. would be a great damage to
her interests and prospects. 1t is but truism
to say that the attractions, prosperity and
honor of n city spring from the character and
capacity of her citizens. In no other city are
those in the public service now SO numerous,
or in the future likely TO be so numerous,
compared with the whole population. as in
Washington. No intelligent citizen of the fed
eral district car be Indifferent as to the char
acter Of these officials or fail 10 see that they
exert "a vast influence upon its morals and
reputation. Ii the many thousands in the civil
service. below the few who hold high office are
to be the mere prize winners in the lottery OF
Official favCrl.Isn. or the most cunning and TN
scrUpUlous contestants who triumph in the
contests for Office under the spOils system the
low capacity and moral tone they will bring to
Washington. will strongly tend to debase the
general character and good name of the city
But II these places shall in the future be filed
as they now are by those who, In a free and
public competition of merit all over the Union,
have demonstrated y character that could not
be lmpeached and capacity superior to all
other competitors, then lt Is plain that WASH
Ington Will secure the most worthy and The
whole nation will share in the advantages of
having at the national capital-which is more
and more becoming great social center-thOse
VINO VIII 90 credit to Its moral tone and its in
telligence.
THE OLD AND THE NEW
"While it was true" said Mr.. Eaton, 'that
the old system brought many worthy persons
to Washington, it was not less true that it also
brought many who would have shrunk from
the test OF character which the civil service
rules apply and who had not the ability to pass
the examinations they require.
1.-The fiunkies and buliies of party politics
to which the old system was favorable have
now IN large part ceased TO besiege the depart
me1ts for service at Washington, however
much they haunt the Capitol to clamor for
places elsewhere, to which no examinations aD-
ply. This IS the reason why the patronage
mongers and the low politicians oppose civil
service examinations and the best minds of the
country suppo-: them.
Imagine that notice were now given that
the $500 places at Washington now filed
through the examinations were to be made va
cant and refilled according to the methods of
the old spoIls system. Can any one doubt that
that there would be q general rush there OF the
-
and Nandals of poiitics-and the scenes that
would epsue would not only disgrace Washing
ton, but would result in an official service far
inferior IN moral tone and intelligence to that
which she now has?
The more certain and stable tenure of Office
which the examinations secure are great and
obvious gain Tor Washington. Those in the de-
partments are no longer mere birds of passage,
are no longer tempted 10 be loungers at parti-
san headquarters and anxious suppliants at the
doors of patronage mongers and great politi-
Clans, by reason of the daily uncertainty of
their official life. They are now able to respect
themselves, to cultivate the virtues of family
life. and to feel real interest in the city to
which they are credit.
THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.
sit would be great gain to the District of
Colurhbia,' said Mr. Eaton, IF the examina-
tons were applied to the whole District gov
eminent, they are to the city post Office to
the police force, board of health, the bureau of
taxes, to the whole clerical force, as they have
been applied with vast advantage in the city of
Boston There should be no party patronage
as there are properly no party issues in connec-
ton with those Offices.
A city that is not allowed to govern itself
ought not 70 have its official service made the
prey OF place hunters and scheming politicians
from ali parts of the Union. Proper exGmina-
tons, free to all residents of Washington for
Its local administration would bring the most
worthy into Office and prevent SO many appro-
pflatlOhs iOr the city Deing complicated in Con-
gress with questions of local patronage If the
District would make a resolute effort for this
end should expect the President would make
appropriate rules under which party politics
and vicious patronage would be excluded
from the local government and real tests of
merit enforced Washington would thus gain
as much in independence and self respect as it
would in character and capacity on the part of
her officials. The severance of party politics
from administrative work and the enforcement
OF an educational test for Office would also aid
the school system of the District and make it
much easier to secure the national university
which ought to be established at Washington
but never can be until the national capital
shall cease TO be the great battle field for Office
seekers
Such change would give Washington much
larger influence in its own effairs than il now
has without impairing the constitutional su-
.premacy of Congress. The losers would be the
spectators IN appointments and the partisan
Intermediates and office seekers who try to
make their influence profitable and press for
places IN the District service. Washington has
Just claim to NIL its own places of all grades
MONTGOMERY COI-NTY NH