Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-11
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
DOES IT PAY AYoUNe MAN TO TAKE
GovERnMsNr CleRK5HlPi
IL lou Are Ambitious Doo't Run AFTER
one-some Observations by one Who
Has Experience in This Line.
rcorr..pon ionce Of tne R!ohnond DIspstch.l


WASHINGTON, d. c.. December io.-Now
that change of administration will bring
so many ofice.seekers 10 Washington, IL
would be we'll for many who are go eagerly
seeking desk in one Of tho big DEPART
ment buildings here TO stop and question:
Does 1t pAy2"
There is an inherent desire In the Arneri-
can people TO hold Office. 1t is righ'
guaranteed 10 every citizen By our Consti-
tuition. A child born under the American
flag has before him boundless possiblIitles'
The boy in rags of to-day may be resi-
dent Of the future. There 10 no eneoSs
upon his ambition for Office on account OF
race OF creed. Tho humble negro can anu
does hold positions Of trust and honor;
The most jealous Christian and the inhuei
each may have q hand in the adminlstrh-
ton of public affairs. The desire for pup
lie Office IA so great that men will, often az
great pecuniary sacrifice, strive TO gam
the distinction and honor.
THIRST FOR OFFICE.
No wonder. then. that when the Civil
Service Commission announced through
out the country that they had ofhces 20
give those who would present themselves
and pass an examination that thousandsot
H.
eagerly seized upon this opportunity anu
presented themselves for examination
without a single thought of the future
benefit or without an idea OF what TINS
kind Of Office life means. Fresh from tnelE
school books, II was an easy task 10 pass
successfully the ordeal or en- eHatnlha-
ton, and since 1894 the department vacan;,
cIes have been filed by young men ana
women who came in with light hearts anu
bouvant hopes for their future success
Soma-perhaps mauy-were doomed 10 DIS
appointments. They found hard work be-
fore them and often little hope OF advance
ment M the grades Of the service. Truly
a rushing, active young man who enters
the civil service with the intentions 0t
making il his life work is TO be pltieu. Al
the roads that may lead to fortune or non
Ors barred against him, he dies as mel iVeu,
only government clerk"
MS INEVITABLE END.
The West Point cadet may become
general. The naval cadet may some dsy
he an admiral. Even the ordinary citizen,
IL he il lucky, may be elected President OF
the United States but the classified gov
eminent clerks may, after long years OF
service. get promoted to $3.50 per month,
and there his ambition must end.
There is little honor in being On Sl,SQO
government clerk. 1t gives him no stand
ing. He is not respected the more; even
the work he does may be plain-simple
copying or its equivalent. He gets into
deep rut which gradually and almost I'M
consciously 10 him grows deeper. lie does
not come into contact with men be-
vond the half-ioZen shut UP with MN
IN the overcrowded room (all the depart-
ment buildings are overcrowded). ms
clock-work round Of life may suit an old
man whose desires and ambitions nave
been crushed or stihed, but to an active
young man it IS CALLING in the extreme.
NO PLACE FOR HIM.
Therefore. il is no place for an ener-
getic. active. and ambitious man, except
as means towards an end, for gaining
a profession through night study or for
some such purpose, by remaining only
two or three wears IN Office. But these
are tho men the government has need
for-the young, the active. tho Intelligent.
Why should the government service he an
asvlum for broken-down politicians?
Why should not inducements be given to
attract those who would prove most eii-
cient?
A DETECTIVE LAW.
The ciyil-service law only appoints
clerk and then drops HIM. His advance
meut should depend on his abilities alone.
But does It? 10 il feared tnat very often
meritorious labor does not bring 'ts re-
wards. but that the congressional delega,
tion or pair Of senators are the all-powerfui
Iaver which boosts the constituent TO
higher salary. But even then the highest
salary clvil-service appontee can draw
IL 800 per annum. With few eX-
ceptions all salaries over that
are reserved for party favortees. sun
there are go few places at even tins salary
that q clerk rarely gets beyond the Si,6OO
Grade. no matter if his mental capacities
or experience ft h'm for higher place.
He cannot scalethe wall between the CIVIL
service clerk and q chief of division with
out at once landing on uncertain GROUNDS.
The result Of the very next election may
blast all his hopes. or even lesser changes
NAV cause hun to lose his oihce. .,..
The removal of the present Limitation
upon promotions would be q great stride
towards more perfect clVll-servlce sys-
tam. II would broaden the field for adj
yancement to the young man who enters
the Governments departmental service
and open 10 him career unchecked by any
arbitrary rule.
PROMOTION NEEDED.
There il no good reason why all mans
homes end ambitions should end when he
enters the civil service. There should be
n possibility OF bis becoming chief OF
division or the head of a bureau. Inc
field for Advancement should present no
barriers: self-merlt should be the starting
point 10 success. With such incentives
and possibilities before hun, naturally he
would work harder to win and tho gov
eminent thereby would gain even II no
should not succeed IN his ASPIRATIONS. ..
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