New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-19
PAYN'S EYE ON THE SPOILS
TRUE HISTORY OF BLACKS CIVIL SER
VICE BILL.

THE Willy LOUIS PERSUADED THE GOVERNOR
THAT THD PUBLIC GOOD DEMANDED SOME
THING MORE "PRACTICAL"-FEw LEG
Is1AToRs AGAINST THE MEASURE
Albany. April is (SpeciaD.-Governor Blacks
hill TO take the starch out Of the present sys-
TEN of Civil Service examinations from all APP
pearances will be passed by the Legislature Ex-
ccpting half dozen Senators and Assemblymen
the 200 members Of the Legislature In their talk
about the bill favor its passage.
1t was in 1854 that the Civil Service Commits
SIGN was created and II was In 1894 ten years
later. that the people put provision in the Con-
sttution directing that admissions to the Civil
Service OF tho State wherever practicable.
sttuld be made after a competitive examination
Of the persons desiring to fill the vacancies or
all this Mr.. Black was seemingly unconscious
when he penned the somewhat surrng reference
TO Civil Service examinations in his annual mes
sage to the Legislature.
It Is an error TO suppose. however. that Mr..
Blacks purpose in suggesting that the starch
should be taken out of the Civil Service examina-
ton system TO lay the foundation for dead
ly attack on that system. Without much consid-
Grafton or inquiry on the subject, he had gained
the idea that the present system foisted upon
public officials -witted persons, who could
pass examinations but who had not sufficient
alertness Of mind to transact with efficiency the
business put upon their shoulders. Public off,
Gals. he thought, were thus hampered in the Sc
lection Of their subordinates, and the public suf
fered. Certain qualities in an applicant for an
office, he argued could only be Judged Alright by
the official at the head of tie Department con-
cerned
Mr. Blacks hasty conclusions as to the merit
Of the present system Of selecting persons for the
Civil Service artfully confirmed by Louis F.
Payn, Superintendent of the Insurance Depart
ment. Mr. Payn desires to make a clean sweep
of his Department, which is filled with faithful
officials who have been in the service for many
years. The Department is one which requires
much expert Knowledge OF insurance law and the
methods of insurance bookkeeping Mr.. Payn,
desiring to put politicians in the places Of these
expert clerks, finds not only the State Constitu
ton in his way, but also the laws of the State and
the regulations of the Civil Service Commission.
He could easily remove the efficient clerks. but
when he should desire to fill their places with
politicians the Constitution and the Civil Service
regulations would stand In his way, as both say
the examinations shall be competitive. and poll
ticians are not likely to be able to bear such
tests. 1t therefore became necessary to beat
the Constitution" by making the terms Of com
petltlNe examination Sucn tnat the POLITICIANS
could with certainty obtain the places.
Mr.. Blacks bill in relation to the Civil Service
lew may be considered the result Of Mr.. Payns
suggestions Mr.. Payn, in talking for publica-
tion has complained that he had n Department
with most responsible duties, and yet 1t was
filled with clerks appointed by his predecessors.
Could he give them his confidence? He did not
know. They did not seem TO be entirely open
with him. For some strange reason they seemed
Gistrustful of him. This was unfortunate. None
of his clerks ought to have any secrets from
t,1af
prevented him from dsplacng these PEOPLE and
putting in their places bold spirits from Chatham
-Four Corners who possessed good enough 1udg-
ment to examine an insurance company's books
and also were excellent company wher Column
bia County convention was to be carried.
Governor Blacks bill. however good its In
tcrtions. does abolish the present competitive
81 stem. What has been gained by long struS-
gle will be overthrow II tho measure becomes
q law ard the Court Of Appeals sustains It, 1t
can be said however. that the Court of Appeals
has already given several decisions upholding the
command of the Constitution thai examinations
for the Civil Service shall be competitive. The
state Civil Service Reform Association has al
ready given notice that If the bill is passed II
VIII be fought in the courts.
1t is easy to see why the politicians. who form
a majority in the Legislature, favor the BILL
Does it not open all the State Departments to
the m and their kind? The State now 81 nds ST.
100000 year, much of which goes for salaries.
Then there is Greater New-York with an annual
e> pendture of S10,000,000, and the other big
cltleS or tne SldIc-bulI hlDdIy, pNIuCuSt anu
Rochester-most OF which will hold their munich
ral elections this fall
William Cary Sanger is one Of the few Republ-
can members OF the Assembly who Will oppose the
Governors bill Il could not conscientously
support it," he said yesterday land must ex
press my amaZement that the members of the
Legislature should think Of passing il. Why,
right under their eyes here in the Capitol is the
strongest bit of evidence that they could wish to
have of the waste and extravaganza of the spOils
system. When Governor Black finds ii neces-
sary dismiss 100 men whom he found on the
payroll Of the Capitol for the sole reason that
they are not needed and when, we all know,
the work oethe Capitol has been done just we'll
since their dismissal before. think it unneces-
sary TO take any further testimony as to scan
dalous abuses under a spoils system. which would
be revived in this State by the bill now before us.
Assembyman Robbins will also attack the
measure. | shall have to re-enter the 1ndepend-
ent party" he said yesterday laughing. land ex-
press my sentiments about Governor Blacks bill.
more dangerous measure TO the welfare Of the
State | do not believe has been before the Legis-
lature in the last fifty years. 1t is plainly uncon
stitutional, and ! wonder that Governor Black.
who is good lawyer doesn't see that fact"
Senators Higgins and Mullin will also oppose
the bill, but most Of the Senator'S and Assembly
men seemed inclined TO support It.