Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-08
Now the people Of the capital are told tina

the District OF Columbia The threatening
announcement is made that without reference
to length or faithfulne.s OF service, without
reference TO fitness for the performance Of
the routine work in which they have for
years engaged or to unhtness for other
employment due to stiffening in the govern
meut treadmill, they are to be expelled from
Office as rapidly possible, under some retro
active application Of the apportionment of
Offices law to make room for the quota of
Alaska or Hawaii or perchancs Kentucky. The
STAR hesitates to believe this report, for the
act foreshadowed would, being applied to the
politically helpless, be both cowardly and
cruel, both unjust and inhuman.
The apportionment Of Offices law should be
abolished. or restricted. not extended in its
application. The advantages of reasonably
staple public service, appointments to which in
al but the highest positions are secured
through merit shown in competitive exsmina-
tons and are retained by efficiency and good
behavior, over the shifting. uncertain and IN
reliable service secured under a spells system
BY which the Offices distributed As
plunder to politicians are fully recognized
BY this administration. The purpose OF the
civil service reformers and OF the law as con-
strued by the civil service commission is to
make Office holding dependent, not upon party
service, but upon merit and good behavior"
But the civil service law is in some re-
spects inconsistent and the apportionment
Of Offices among the states is in con-
fict with this principle. Office holding
Is not made dependent simply upon merit
Under the absurd apportionment law which
keeps alive the bad principle of the pat
rouage system in distributing offices like spoils
among the states and territories according
to population, residence in certain locali-
ties ia now a more important essential to
appointment that merit. Under the legal
lied ''diyyy" Of public trusts the District
Of Columbia is entitled according TO the
port Of the civil service commission to a minute
fraction of the appointments. Many citizens
of the various states who have from time to
time secured government employment in Wash
ington have. not understanding the effect of
their action. incautiously permitted themselves
to be assigned to the District and lost their
citizenship elsewhere. The result is that the
District quota is full and overlooking. The
government cannot avail itself OF the home ex-
pert labor and cross examines applicants for
Office to be sure that no wretched resident of
quota is full secures position under false pre-
lenses. The special injury is of course 20 the
government which. in theory, seeks the best
material available. but in fact may be limited
to selection from the oaice seekers of
remote section of the country. IL in truth
the elerkships were no longer used as
spells for division, TO be quarrelied
over BY politicians or states, the govern
ment work shops would be conducted on the
same principles which govern other great fac
tories. The absurdity of advertising COMPETE
tive examinations TO secure expert workmen
from which the men of ones own and the
neighborilg states are shut out and only candi-
dates from remote states examined, would not
then be permitted. The youth OF the city
in which the great WORK shops are situated
would not be excluded from the principal
occupations Of their fathers and be driven
from home 10 earn living in other call
ings, or to renove the faint of residence az the
capital and to gain that Nevadan or Oregonian
citizenship which may enable them to return
and secure government employment. The ap-
portionment Of Offices law shuts out from COM
petition for cierzships without regard to merit
or fitness. residents OF the divisions of the re-
pubic, naturally those nearest to the capital,
Of which the 1notas under the law are full. Geo
graphical reInoteness, unacclimation and COM
paTatiye familiarity With the capital city and
its government workshops thus become the
requisites Of present eligibility to government
service. displaciug considerations of merit. If
il is the intention OF the nation 10 remove its
elerkshirs from the category of spoils to be di-
yided and 10 secure the performance Of its rou-
r-.ase IN aAsc M
manner ard On the ordinary business princi-
pies. then in selecting employees II should regard
merit and fitness alone and should pay
10 more regard 10 the state in which the
applicant lives than to the political ticket which
be votes Otherwise government positions are
still spoils. favors to be divided among the
states if not among politicians. The STAR sees
no reason why i resident OF the District, if best
fitted for the work. should be denied the oppor-
tanity to earn living in the government ser
vice in his native city, or why appointees
from outside the District should not be per-
mitted TO make homes and become residents
here without danger to their positions II
a conspiracy had been formed TO depopulate
the capital. 10 render il impossible as a pernla-
nent hAbitation. this conspiracy would have
developed itself in acts differing not much from
those which have been imposed upon the Dis
trict in the shape OF certain laws, court decis-
ions ard departmental regulations. The con-
stItuiion forblds to the permanent resident
here self government and participation in
national politics. Recent laws in certain
states aim TO curtail the privilege for
merry enjoyed Of treating residence in
this NO-Man s-Land. as not interfering with
TIE claim OF citizenship in a sta:e. The purpose
OF these laws 3 10 cause residents of the Dis
trict TO lose voting citizenship in the states
which have enacted them. Then the appo--
Torment Of Offices law shuts them out of en-
ployment in the capitals great local Industries
for the future, and now comes the alleged ef-
for; to e1pel Wholesale those who secured en-
pioyment before the bars were pu: up.
This great and glorious republic is the only
nation the face of the earth which instead Of
sxalting and honoring residence at its capital
Furnishes those who, voluntarily inv olnntariiy
I've there by degrading them in citizenship and
black listing them as workmen.
Now tina. Georgetown College has beaten
Harvard at base bail, all tha: remains for it to
do Is to get no q foot ball team next fall tha,