The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-28
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
mr.. ErAklne Defends the Present System
md the Civil Service Commission.

SIR. ErAkIne Defends the Present System
and the Civil Service Commission.
To he Editor Of he Ateliigeaccr.
s1R:-I frequently notice in the head
lines OF your Washington correspond
ent's reports. statements that the Civl
Service law, or the Civil Service Com
mission has had some severe "raps,'
On looking down the column it gener
ally appears that it is case where some
body has INDUCED in calling namet
such as "humbug," Hypocrisy" etc.
without giving specifications. 1t used t.
be common to give little list OF question:
represented to have been asked at Civil
Service examinations, or represented to
be- like those asked; but repeated ex.
posures of the faIsehoods published
about the questions asked in Civil Ser.
vice examinations has caused little
more caution in that regard. The last
traps" l noticed were given by Senator
German, who is something OF rapper
when he is striking at anything that in.
terferes with the methods of bossism.
On Thursday you published, under
the head Of "The Civil Service Sham"
an extract from a diatribe by the Wash.
inpton Post. The language quoted from
Post has one conspicuous merit: It did
not require intellectual force to write it.
To say that a law is q "humbug," that
Il is IAN illegitimate brat" that 1t "lB
laughed at, ETC., ETC., may sound strong
TO the thoughtless, but as IN indictment
It lacks the important quality Of being
specific, and it surely will not affect the
Judgment OF thinking men. The Wash
ingtou Post is an ayowed enemy OF the
Civil Service law. Ithas heretofore been
specific, aud a thorough investigation oil
Tia charges, within the last year, by 9
Congressional committee, resulted in
the complete vin6ication OF the present
Commission and its administration OF the
law. They found one charge true-that
one Campbell, once a clerk in the Office
OF the Civil Service Commission, had
given out to Mrs. Smith questions used
In examinations, and that the former
Commissioners were at fault for not hav-
ing ascertained, on IN investigation OF
the case made by them, that some Of the
questions thus given out were not obao-
lete. The Pos! was useful as critic, but
the Congressional investigation EN-.
phasized the general value, efficiency
and fairness OF the system as conducted,
aud led to a more liberal appropriation
by Congress, 80 that the Commission
may hereafter have a fairer opportunity
to carry out the requirements OF the law
without the provoking delays which
were the most serious causes OF just
complaint. -
Il has been a common thing for dis.
appointed office seekers and political
bummers to make false statements about
the character OF the Civil Service exami-
nations; and the publication Of such
statements leads many persons to believe
that II Is really true that applicants for
positions are asked ridiculous questions
wholly irrelevant and not adapted to
test their fitness for the Office for which
they apply; as, for example,eto ask a
man who wants the position OF o postal
clerk or postofIice inspector, the name
or the height Of the highest mountain
in the United States, or to extract the
suuare root or cube root ola number, or
to give the distance Of the moon orsome
planet from the earth or sun.
For the last two or three years the
Civil Service Commission has in it's Off.
cial reports been CalliRg Tor the produc.
ton Of unfair or irrelevant questions
which have been asked, and meets with
no response. In contrast with the Posts
let me ask you to publish
the following extract from an official re.
port by the late Secretary Window.
SIT Ii my belief that the personnel and
efficiency OF the service have been In no
way lowered by the present method Of
appointments TO clerical positions in the
department. The beneficial influences
OF the civil ssrvics law In its practical
workings arc clearly apparent. Having
been at the head OF the department both
before and after Its adoption, lam able
to Judge by comparison OF the two sys.
tetns, and have no hesitation In pro.
nounCing the present condition oiatfairs
as prCieTablein oil respects. Under the
old plan, appointments were usually
made TO please some one under political
or other obligations 10 the appointee;
and the question Of fitness was not
always the controlling one. The tempta.
ton "a make removals, only to provide
places for others, was always present,
and constantly being urged by aLrongin.
and this restless and teyerish
condition OF departmental lie did much
10 distract and disturb the even current
oirouune work. Under instrumental.
itles which are now used to secure selec'
ton for clerical places, the department
hast some assurance Of mental capacity,