Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-24
SEWARD'S FAILURE
Some Ancient History About
Civil Service Reform.
An EXPERIMENT WITH THE CoNsULs

In which the War Secretary Was Prompt.
Iy ssTurned Down" by tho Statesmen in
the House-Curtis Makes Some Obserya.
tions in Engiand-view Of the walle,
Case That Puts France in q stin worse
Position.
WAsHINGToN, July e4-The plan 10,
extending the civil service to United
states consuls in order to stop the scram.
Die Tor consular offices will, in the opin.
Ion OF many, como to naught. They base
their opinion on the fact that Secretary
Seward tried to bring about this reform,
and after struggle Of many months
finally abandoned 1t as inpracticable.
The state department people appear to
have forgotten the experience of Seward,
and number Of them who were asked
about it expressed surprise to hear that
any such experiment had been made.
When Seward took hold of the state de-
partment ut the outset Of the Lincoln
administration there was tho Same
scramble for Office that exists today. It
was particularly harassing to O man Of
Sewards breadth and character, for
he wished to givo his best energies to-
ward the great war questions then i'm.
pending.
Thought the Old System Wrong.
lie was satisfied that the old spoils sys.
ten By which consulships were passed
around to the politicians was altogether
wrong. He devised a plan, therefore,
by which q trained force Of consular off.
GERS should be put in charge Of the work
and should hold their places without
reference to the shifts Of politicians 1t
was necessary. however, to get the con.
sent Of congress in order that some as.
suranco might be given that the new
officers would have permanent tenure.
The change Of law was accordingly made
Mt the request OF Seward, and under
1t he began his permanent civil service
system Of consuls.
To begin with Seward appointed
twelve consular students" The pur.
pose was to tako bright young men and
send them to the largo capitals abroad.
where they might learn the details of
consular work, and once being instructed
they would be in line for promotion in n
permanent consular system. Seward had
no difficulty in picking out the twelve
bright young men, and they were dis
patched to London, Paris, St. Petersburg
and ether points at salaries of 81, 600 each.
1t was not considered advisable to make
any general shift in the consular service
till tho results Of his first experiment
with the students had been tried. The
students did very we'll at their foreign
posts ana soon became proficient in con.
sular duties.
Aud How the Scheme Failed.
They were advanced from one minor
post to another and were gradually
worked into consular service. But as
soon as the change in administration
camo there was demand for places held
by these young men. Pressure was
Drought To bear ON congress- and as a re-
suit the diplomatic and consular appro-
priation bill contained on item doino
away with consular students and with
any tenure of Office in the consular ser.
vice. Ii Is matter OF record that not
one OF the twelve students" created by
Seward is in the consular or diplomatic
service. One after the other went down
before political influence and the scramble
for oiiicc. And yet they were the only
trained consuls that this country eyer
sent abroad.
Assistant Secretary OF the 1ra=sr=z
Curtis has just returned from London,
where he went to deliver some bonds TO
the Rothschilds. Speaking of the polit.
ical upheava, in England he said: a
point which struck me very forcibly was
that tho change of the government made |
no change i'll the daily business of the de- |
partments, and though l was in the |
treasury the morning after the announce
incnt of the now ministry taking office |
there was no attendant line of oflicc |
seekers, and tho heads Of the bureaus and |
divisions had no anxiety as to any pros.
pcctive dccnpitation. In fact l was told |
ly u member Of the new government |
that the total patronage, including OF |
Course the highest officers, only amounted |
10 about sixty places.