Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-03-26
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

It has been said that the mex
extension of the civil servic,
system by executive order will
include the fourth-class post.
masters, and the remarkable
thug about this statement is
that it excites no little surprise
and very little comment. Wher
the civil service law first wen
into effect thirteen years ago ii
applied to less than IA, 900 posi-
lions, Or not one teuth of the
whole number in the sci vice y.
the United States, yet this be-
ginning of the reform nearly SCI
the spoilsmen wild. There Was
a public sentiment in it's favor,
or it would not have been tried
but this sentiment was not very
emphatic and was for a time
somewhat skeptical. A dozen
years have made a wonderful
change.
Mr.. Proctor, the president of
the Civil Service Commission,
made some significant remarks
on this subject the other night in
speaking to the reform club at
Boston. The act referred tc
gave authority to the President
to extend the list of classified pc.
sitlons at his discretion, and Mr.,
Arthur made a start by adding g
few hundred to the number. Mr..
Cleveland, during his first term,
extended it by 1889. This was
regarded as rather violent e
form. but before Mr.. Harrison
went out of Office he added $500
positions to the classified list.
By this time not only had OPP
position subsidized, but people had
become impatient for still fur
Their extension of the system,
and Mr.. Cleveland, during his
present term has, in fact ex-
tended it to include IL, IA addi-
tional positions. Thus, Mr.. Proc
tor pointed out, about Sc, 900
places in the government SER
vice have been removed from
the operation of the spoils sys
TEN. They include, in effect,
nearly all clerks in the various
public offices, letter~carriers and
other subordinate employees, ex~
cept in a few special branches
which are likely to be the subject
of the next executive order
Although the extension of the
system has been greater in the
past three years than ever bes
fore, it has hardly attracted no.
tice, or has been generally ac-
copied as a matter of course, an
evidence not only that the reform
is sound in itself, but is SO recog~
nized by public opinion. In the
cities, at least, where the abuses
of the spoils system were most
felt and the gain from it's curtail~
ment is best recognized, public
opinion is certainly quite abreass
of the advance that has been
made and would entirely support
the utmost extension of the class
fled service. How it's extension
to the country post offices would
be received can only be conjeo-
tured.
There are some seventy thou :
sand of these, or about as many
as of all other kinds of civil ser
wants. and they r and always
have been the mainstay of the
spoils system. To bring them
under the rules, giving appoint
ments by merit and tenure during
good behavior, would be a very
extensive undertaking, though il
seems to be within the range of
the civil service act, and it's eff
feet on party politics. would be
almost revolutionary. The mag
nitude of such a step probably
would not intimidate Mr.. Cleve-
land if he believed it practicable
and timely, but it would test the
popular attachment 10 civil SER
vice reform as it has not been
tested yet.