The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-04-28
The Fallacy of our Civil Service Reform
According to l. j. Jamison.

EDITOR COLUMBIAN,
DEAR SIR:--In our eight years ex-
perlence as post master we observed
some crooked things which we deem.
ed big enough and frequent enough
to be worthy of reporting to our Gov
ernment officials in hope of their cor
rection. This we deem not only the
privilege but the duty of every public
official, whether his observations and
complaints are needed or not.
We shall endeavor in this letter,
Mr.. Editor, to show you how and why
we failed to get these crooked things
Strengthened. Had there been more
rotation of Office among sub-heads of
Post Office Department; we mean the
assistant postmaster generals, we GER
tainly think there would have been
some chance for the desired reforma-
ton. We refer to heads of depart.
ments who have held their Offices for
probably quarter of century and
who, being securely hemmed in with
red tape and the Civil Service notion,
are liable to conclude they own the
Government; and in MEASURE they
do, because everything pertaining to
mal-administration, innovation refor-
nation or rotation IS generally referr-
ed to them by the Cabinet officers for
settlement.
These long-llved heads of Depart
ments may either correct or neglect
reported mal-administration or abuses
of trust, it appears. Being quite po-
litic and conservative in action they
are very apt to white-wash both COM
plant and complainer. They are in
fact the executive force of our rotative
Government, and are doubtless them
selves opposed to outward rotation.
| If the founders saw the virtue of
changing President and all elective
officers so frequently, what is the use
of it, as a purifying process, if there is
to be no limit to the tenure of such
lappointive executive officials. and con-
sequently no change for the ''new
broom to sweep clean," as the phioso-
lpher well remarked about the broom
| Under the Harrison Admin stration
we observed the propensity of the pub
lie to steal postage in various ways.
We complained about it in vain. A
common way for the unscrupulous to
beat the Government is to take stamps
that are family cancelled and there
are thousands of them-erase the
marks with rubber or acids, and use
them over again. If stamps are worth
counterfeiting they are also worth
washing for reuse, as the Post Office
Department well knows through faith
| full officials.
| Post masters who put on stamps for
the public may also easily put on
those already cancelled if they choose,
and make the price of the stamp every
time. 1t is largely matter of con-
science, for the temptation and op-
portunity are always there under the
present system. The niggardly pay
OF fourth class post masters is the
great incentive for the false cancella-
tons returned. l do not claim that
higher pay would make the unscrupu-
lous honest; but I hold that the op-
portunity to steal can be removed and
should be.
If they are honestly conducted these
little 4th class post offices are gener-
ally more trouble than they are worth,
and the Government knows it, and
hence their laxity in prosecuting offen-
ders, or petty thieves within.
The responsibility for the universal
petty thleving along the lines mention
ed rests upon those still in authority
who know of it and make no effort to
put check upon it. They are to
blame before God and the American
people for much money wasted, and
the millions required annually over
and above the pretended postal re.
ceipts, as verify believe. The cor
rect postal receipts would no doubt
bury the annual postal deficit out of
sight The thing is to get correct re-
turns of cash under the prevailing ina.
dequate system, especially with old
officials still retained as executiv
officers who opposed both innovation
and reformation. Otherwise our
Government purides itself through ro
tatlon and "new brooms."
For slashing among the quids old
brooms will do, but for clean sweep
ing new 5rooms are best.
We regret to observe that Wana-
maker favors the retention of these
old executive officers, so does the
Civil Service reform notion, and so
does every such official now secure in
his Office against all aspirants. They
all favor retention and permanency of
Office, of course. They declare that
change is demoralizing, and that in
competents work in through political