The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-28
CIVIL SERVICE ~ REASON.

TIE principle OF the civil service system
N the correct one. The deal form Of gov
srnmsnt Is that n shah be composed Of
officials most competen, 70 perform the
duties OF their Offices. IL h prineip.s
which shoalc never be last sight OF. BAT
b. Is hardly necessary 20 remark Tat IL
does not always govern. One reason is
THAT life is too snort 20 sift and sort the
ten millions OK men Nho periodically seek
once IL order that We may adjust every
candidate 20 the work % be performed.
Not only must the technical ability of an
applicant De sscertsinsd. but his personal
Character must De vouched .or. otherwI-e
Nc are liable 70 have many distances OF
chose two Democratic oflcesseaers made
famous BY Congressman CrosveroT. siIo
sala that II rae found each one va. en-
etlcd 20 and bore ITO certificates. orc Of
eligibility from the elyil service coGas.s;s-
sion and the othsr OF discharge from the
reastentiary.
The systsrn OF merit is very desirable in
the public service. bur K should Fave Us
limits. We want efficiency 10 special de-
parsmsnis. but there IL large proportion
OF the details which can be Just as we.i
performed By men without special expert
enes ss with It. What "a most essential
Is that no man shall be appointed 10 office
who r. united for II or whose character Is
bad. That L. the best that can De in
sared. and 81 should be insured
There Is a vide difference between the
policy Of President Mckinley. that merit
shall be recognized both ia appointing and
retaining public officials. and that mock
cry Of the system presented BY rules that
typesetters must De OF = certain height
and weight IL Is equally foolish TO put
policemen or hremen 20 such tests. A
strong. ssocky fellow OF ave foot four"
would be fully as servlceabie as one six
feet nigh Strength. not height. is the
requisite In this case. Nor Is il necessary
for policeman to be able to spell hypo-
dsrmlc in order to arrest morphine nend
or be able 10 do algebra" IN order 10 catch
thief
II the ciyll service system "a to be a sue
cess. IL viii depend upon the good judy
msnt with which IT Ii promoted. Railroad
are based upon eommon-sense require
ments. Color blindness Is Objectionable 10
an engineer o. conductor. but Il is not a
test for 6ookkeeper. Arithmetic Is need
sd BY the clerks. bat no, much by a
brakeman. The railroads are an excellent
guide for civil service commissions. for
there Is no system ia tho world where
merit is 80 dls,inctively recognized and
wherein so many men have been promoted
stsp By step from the lowest 20 The high
est positions.
The highest otiiees In the aft Of the peo-
pie are act given out solely on the score
Of merit. Cleveland never had any expert
ence Ia tha affairs OF tbe state when ne
Was elected governor Of New York. and
his Acquaintance with the Affairs OF the
nation was extremely limited when he
srranE ny a bound over the heads Of men
who we're laauitely his superior Ia expert
enoe and Ia Intellectual power.
United States senators are not always
selected hy legislatures on account OF
their pre-eminsnce in ability. The ways
az ihe Norld are different sines those days
when the aaelents selected as thclr trust
81 counsoiors the wisost and beS, IN the
land. And In this aliesian. We veil ne
sarcasm upon riches. II al o.her things
were equal ~ should 30 eisposed 70 .ufos
th.s man whe sas been successful ia his
own Affairs would 81 a saors reliable aa-
wiser thaa one Who rad always failed
The popularity which carries a man iuts
congress IS net always matched hy hls 81.
refieFity a. ssw-n iak.r. ana May mea
plunge in;o animated eisessxion Of seb-
1eets thsy scarcely had hcstd % uulu az
accident os poAdcs faag them into TIE
arens-
I, is scarcely necessary. therefore. e
keep permanently in oflce clerks and il-2e-
keepers and tAs host 81 minor efHelals
wao happened % - there when tbe al.
nsiaissrstlos. taken rem tie party tc
which they belonged. gave theu cor.
tlnslAl grant % pawoE.
II party organization Is % De e1ectualiy
preserved sas rsaie OF civl service shaata
- the government insls.s ppon lawns
sbs most espaA,e msn 20 hs found-la .as
ranks 81 ia oSn party"