The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-11

Z
/ clerks copyIsts, and letter carriers un-
der the civil service law ere precisely
similar 90 their brethren. their cousins
o. their Friends who enter similar posi-
tions in private busn o. firms and
companies A mlllonairoa son o. nc
moro apt to become a lotter carr e. than
ho is % become O porter in a Wall street
banking house. Tho ,ecial positions
in which high technical knowledge Is
} demanded must ~ course lee filed by
people With tie necessary attachments.
II the congressman were 20 apply ms
idea logically oi course he would have
20 advance tho theory that we should
not employ as astronomer any man who
knows anything about astronomy, nor
az surveyor man who knows anything
about surveying, because one has % be
eduonted In order 90 learn about sur
veging and astronomy, and only a man
vita some little means can got tho edu-
cation. Moreover. az least 10 per cent
~ the positions under the civil iervice
law are filled by people who pnss exam
. nations such us every graduate Of our
public schools can pass, and it is these
public schoo, graduates who get the
great maj ,rty Of the places. There is
/ absolutely no excuse in this country OF
/ Tree public schools for any man not hav-
mg pa the knoSledge requisite 20 pass
( the civil service examinations. II he
does not have IL he simply shows that
DE has not availed himself Of the oppor-
tunity given him 10y the nation and the
state. In short he is unfit to hold any
position under the government, and il
is his own fault that he Is thus unfit /
The argument that our present system l
creates an "aristocracy" is equivalent 10 /
an argument that all common schools /
create an "aristooracy;" it is an aristoc-
racy which includes all people who are
able TO read and write.
As a matter Of fact the great bulk Of
the positions in the government service.
as elsewhere, are held. and must be
held, by men who work not only with
their heads but with their hands
Printers in the government service, rail
way mail clerks, letter carriers and the
like, belong to the class which makes
the strength Of our body polite, the
class Of men VI no have their own homes
and own home life, who work hard with
head and with hands for their daily
bread, but who are able TO afford time
and money for their private amusements
and FOR their public duties also, and who
can see 10 'ie comforts Of their wives
and the education Of their children; 10
short, who are good American citizens.
II is these men more than any others to
whom the merit system is really Of vital
moment. They are the men who are
crowded out Of public office by the poll
ticians and the heelers Of the politicians
wherever spoils methods prevail The
appreciation Of this fact has reen very
plainly shown by one division Of the
Knights Of Labor, that is, by the letter
carriers. The letter carriers have shown
by their repeated action in convention
that they are thoroughly awake to the
fact that the civil service law offers the
greatest, and we may say almost the
only, protection 10 the honest working
man who wishes 10 serve the govern
ment as letter carrier, and be appointed
on the ground Of fitness and retained
as long as his services warrant il. They
cordially the fact that but
Tor the civil service law each and every
one Of them would be at The mercy OF
my ffth-rate politician who desired
bis place for friend or relative. They
liso. ! am glad TO say, realize that the
'nly trouble with the civil service law
that IL does not go far enough. The
should have much more r
lower than IL is has now, so as 10 pre-
'ent dissmissals for partisan reasons.
md 10 allow every public servant
nance 70 see any charges made against
i'm and DO heard in bis own defense
'efore he is dismissed
Under the merit system we get on Z
he whole better set Of public SER
ants, and the public work is done bot
er But this rs not the chief good con- 4
erred by the abolition OF the old spoils
ystem. More important Than the bot
ttttNA+N va NtAN HNbAAN ntIh ICE lH 1IW IF
mite betterment Of public life which
he adoption Of the new system secures.
IN the whole, the spoils system is the
most degrading OF the various influences
hat work for evil in American public
iie. We wish TO get md Of the spoils
ecker, Of the patronage monger. ana
he political o1icehoider, exactly as We
Wish 10 get ria OF the bribe-giver and
he bribe-taSer, FOR 10 is almost as de-
noralHlng o. be- bribed with an Office AS
Is 90 be br.bed with money. We want
20 drive the mere heasians ont % our '
loiiticai life We want e. remove from
he arena of politics tho trained merce.
laries whose interest is not 20 secure
lecent government add sometimes no,
'ven party success. but who aim o. pam ,
10 the expense Of the public livelihood
.or Themselves and their friends. Tho
.ost way tp DIVE these men out II rul
ic iie is 20 secure ths rigid enforc.
mont oi the c.gil service Jaws and their 4
N'ensioa to every n1ice Which they mos. 4
Iny ca- cover 81 least nInet, nina
peg cent y no work done Tor tiepub
-n .s work which e DO. properly po!ti-
10. a. a- The railway mai clork. the
etter carrier the eapyst tie book