The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-05-18
THE CIVIL SERVICE HUMBUe.

Notices are posted in the Canton
postofflce, fixing date for an examtna-
tion of candidates for the postal
service. Similar notices are posted in
all the presidential offices of the country.
The civil service law ESQ called), re.
quires certain Offices to be filled by
persons cabable of answering certain
list of questions, propounded by COM
mission appointed by the President,
and paid out of the public treasury by
taxation of the people. There are q
certain number Of people, located
principally along the Hudson river, and
lust west of Cape Cod, who assume to
think that mans character and tit-
ness to serve his country in q civil
Office can be determined by asking him
q series of questions In arithmetic,
geography, astronomy and English
grammar.
We happen to be Of that larger class
of American citizens who do not be-
lieye this. We do not believe the sys-
tenn is Democratic, neither do we
believe is based on patriotism or
good common sense.
If it is based on good sense, 1t
certainly commends itself to business
men and corporations, that employ high
salaried men for places requiring high
order of intelligence and capacity.
But did you ever hear of the
Standard Oil Company, for. illus
agent. or a financial agent, on the basis
laid down by this so-called Civil Ser
vice Commission. The Standard Oil
Go. is one of the ablest managed and
most successful corporations ever
known in our history, and 1t employs
none but high salaried officials. Who
ever heard Of Board of Examiners, or
a Civil Service Commission to examine
applicants for positions In the Standard
Oil Co. on the basis laid down by the
silly rules of our worse than
useless U. s. Civil Service Commission.
1t is conceded that Chauncey Depew,
who is at the head of the Vanderbilt
system of railroads, Is man Of brains
and a high order of business capacity
yet we venture the assertion that he
could not pass civil service examina-
tion for a 5000 route agent, on one of
his own railroads.
And did you ever hear of rail road
corporation, that desired a first class
man for general passenger agent, or
superintendent of q division, employ
ing dude commission to sit on the
technical acquirements of the appli-
cant, in q series of questions on log
arithms, locomotive technics and the
theology Of telegraphy.
There Ia not a corporation or business
association any where, on either side
of the Atlantic ocean, that has ever
adopted anything like this civil service
machine for ascertaining the fitness OF
men for places Of responsibility and
trust. And IL the most successful and
sagacious business men can see no
merit In this system, why should the
government tax the people for It's
adoption, when the expense Is 30 large
We believe there are reasons why 1t
should not be adopted, outside OF its
utter uselessless and expense.
1t Is an unpatriotic device.
In q government Of the people and
by the people those, who In times OF
peril render valuable and valiant ser
vice, should be recognized in the dis
| tribution of official favor5 and honors.
This Civil Service Commission is a
cold blooded body of dress parade
dudes, who see no merit In patriotism
and who count integrity, moral char
acter and civic achievement as nothing
Nothing wins in this inner realm of
trivial and triturating technics, but q
special knowledge of matters in6ntes-
sinai, such as the idiots of an idiotiC
asylum are drilled with, In the fruitless
effort to develop sparkle of intelli-
gence that the unknown God of ouI
mysterious misunderstanding with
held at birth.
In free government, where public
officials should always be selected on
account of integrity, character and pat
riotic service, there is no fitting place
for this Civil Service Commission.
It Is humbug, without the shadow
of an excuse for its existence, save to
make places for supercilious and super
abundant dudes.