The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-07
SHAM CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

| Competitive examinations for promotion as
conducted in the two or three divisions of this
bureau have given very unsatisfactory results.
The public service does not. as prime qualities,
demand that employees should be quick-wittei.
OF ali-around intelligence, able TO give peda-
gogic instruction on department and general
matters: it requires efficient clerical service.
Therefore the monthly record of efficiency 10
greatly superior 70 the haphszard results of the
competitive examination, which commands no
respect Of chIe.s or subord!nates in this Office.
But this record of efficiency only counts for
% per cent. while the competitive results count
50 per cent, in spite OF ell their defects from
chances OF com parative inequality of orpor-
tuElty, sometimes occasioned by length OF ser
vice and OF exclusive attention to Office work.
Gen. Rosecrans is quite right. The So
called civil service reform which rests on
competitive examinations and o for
ward to an ultimate Of life service for
petty officehoiders, is a sham and cannot
be too strongly condemned. There is no
force to the argument that because the
despotic government, indispensable to IN
army, demands life tenure during good be-
hav:or, the civil service therefore demands
life tenur during good behavior. The
soldier surrenders large freedom of per-
sonal thought and action in return for his
compensation OF life service; the civilian
retains all his unlimited freedom with his
opportunity to make himself an undying
red tape worm in the bowels of the body
polite.
The soldier makes extraordinary sacri-
fees, contracts to meet extraordinary re-
sponsibilities of life and death and can not
afford to be subject to the shifting caprice
- = ~
that be afford to make military service
other than permanent and absolutely nom
subject to the rise, fluctuations or
fall OF parties. Every sane American
sees this, and therefore c~heerfuliy
assents TO the life tenure of military
service, but in the civic administration of
the business machine every American OF
business intelligence knows that the per-
sons protected by the civil service act are
no more absolutely Indispensable to the
smooth and efficient workings of the gov
eminent machine thar the ordinary rank
ana file of employees in any line of bust
ness.
The vast army of men who are copyists,
inferior accountants, ETC., in the govern
ment service are not only not Indispensable
persons, but ~presump,iyely not desirable
persons to- pension IN the government.
Their places could be supplied on a days
notice from any great city or large town;
their quality, as Gen. Rosecrans says, is
not superior, for, Of course. nc man of
indispensable quality seeks a petty gov
place or stays long content with
it. He has no social standing in the sense
that q member of the German civil service
has, in which men of learning work for
small salaries because they are re-
spected for their knowledge and in
telligence without regard to the small
ness of their stipend; the average
petty officeholder at Washington City is
snubbed or prosecuted by his superiors,
chaffed or bullied by every illiterate, vul-
gar Or consequential congressman; he has
nothing to hope for even if promoted.
The salaries are very small, and even
when he rises to be chief clerk he does not
escape the offensive and humiliating OPP
preston ana insult that no man in the
government service escapes from his
superiors hort Of the cabinet officers and
the leading officials of the departments.
The average American says, II don't
want an office, but my neighbor, who
is both honest and intelligent, has
worked hard to put the government in
new hands; let us give the victors the food
and the freside, and the vanquished the
foul weather and the famine. The van
world is full of good fellows, they nave
had their turn, they are not essential and
let them stand aside and give our good
fellows q chance"
That is not heroic statesmanship, but it
ls the rule OF American business life when
business changes hauds-that is, the in
dispensabie and desirable stay. but the
non-essentiai and non%-iufluential go. In
business place and pay not seldom. like
kissing, go less by merit than oy favor;
and the American people do not believe
in business in doing something for moth
ing, and as long As they are of this opinion
the civil service act will be eiuded, evaded,
or boldly n~ullificd by the owe that be.
Given 4 good president you are sure of an
admirable administration with or without
& civil service law; given a weak or wicked
president and your civil service act is q
mere paper fraud, Tor the people do not
believe III it, since they do not practice it
themselves in their methods Of either
business or politics.
The mass OF mankind are swayed either
by the hone Of reward or the fear OF pun
ishment; 1t was the perception of this
fact IN human nature that makes q heaven
and 3 he'll IN every scheme of religion
from Greek mythology dow 10 the West
minister Confession.
Much IS said OF ''ihe methods of busi-
ness as exhibited by the reformed civil
service. No man OF business would hire a
man or woman upon such 4 test as that Of
our government competitive examina-
tons He would ascertain the reputation
of the applicant for integrity. scbriety, in
trial, keep him as long IS he was cornpe-
tent and necessary. discharge him when
incompetent and unnecessary. Whenever
a business, large or small; whenever a
railroad corporation changes its manage
ment, the change is felt all along the line.
Numbers of men are dropped to make room
for others, Or because they are superdu-
Gus; & change Of administration in BUSH
ness IS very ike = change Of administra-
ton in politics. Somebody gets Left"
A SENSIBLE
Gen. Hooker, member of congress. from