The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-22

Goes show The applicant possessed Of Vvze-
S1cs-a A1cx2sage Of the duties hs may %
called On 20 perform and rot tie uossesss-
o. lot d ornamental beck larnsn,-
n4- Nnel an applicant FOR position IN
the lighthouse service Is asked as Bar
spsFlinS was. 10 describe the system
or lighthouses Ga the canals % Mars. ana
al sf51iES n for the post Ct blacksmith On
an i2a2an reservation Is ask%5 about tne
temperature u Central 4A1r7c4. Il wcu.a:
seem RAJ speculative ana gCs practical
An@s ledge IS The highway 10 Il place III
oer me soxerngnenL II al. applicant for a
pace as farmer on an INDIA sess.sr US
Questioned as 20 his knowledge OF The E.f-
Ference between the uses OF EaSrIn9 and
hydraulic ranzs and zor as % a4S ahsiIy
% extract ts9 s@cctlz rsgF matter form q
Greek root. there would os less cause fa-
complaint over the actions q me eva
service commission OF course. / d nes
say EaAI the questions / aave ssven haxs
actually been asked applicants Tor a.t1ea
~ Sne commission. but / 10 not hesitate
10 declare thar questions no mere designed
% test the qualifications ~ applicants lar
place ara asked by tue commission every
day IN the year
One OF the great objections TO the law IL
found n The fact that H. 10 ali inteass ana
purposes. gives each appointed cftlcsEoider
LIE tenure That is directly opposes. 20
the fundamental principles OF a Repuhsi-
can form OF government. When the ia
thefs framed the constitution ghey pro
weed Tor frequent changes IN o.fice They
restricted the presidency 10 four years
ana the hawritten Law has prohibited the
same man from holding the Office more
than two terms. or eight years in all Be
HeEing that the judiciary forms the basis
or the rights of tie people and that the
Judges should be removed from the elarnor
or the multitude. The fathers wisely.
think, provided that they shall hold office
Tor life. All other offices are subject 10
the changing viii Of the people. All state
constitutions provide for frequent changes
N ONCE. all charters 10 municipalities con-
lain the same sort OF provision. Frequent
changes in the office-hciders is the founds-
Ton OF American liberties. Abolish the
system OF frequent changes and tire COM
ing OF the man OF horseback" will be
Only few years distant
When the head OF tie government. holds
ofscs fo- life, as does Queen Victoria, it is
reasonable TO expect all appointed 10 Of
fee under her Ia hold their places as long
as she does. VIII any American insist
that the English system OF life tenure
BY the head Of The government is better
than the American system Of four or
eight-yea- term? I trow not
Under the English system Of civil ser
vice there is a civil pension list that rivals
IN expense our military pension roll. This
IS made necessary by the fact that the
man who spends years as a department
clerk. small cog In the maltitudinous
wheels OF the government. becomes IN
able to earn q living in any other way.
and when age CT disease renders him un-
able 70 iongeg- perform his duties he must
either be pensioned. sent 10 the poorhause
or starye.
Already the civil pension idea has ap-
peared in congress in the shape OF pro-
pt sails TO create a pension fund for gov
ernmen. employees by dedncting a per-
centags from the monthly salary Of each
appointed officer, thinly disguised means
OF taking the necessary civil pension funds
GU. Of the public purse. For what prac-
teal difference Is there between deducting
10 per cent. from the pay OF clerk to
create fund to pension him and r1duc-
ing his salary and using The difference as
pension fund. or between Increasing his
salary by agreeing 10 pay him certain
SUM each month as a pension when age
or disease has rendered him unable 10 per-
form his duties?
With the continuance Of the so-calicd
civil service laws the creation of a evil
pension list is as certain as snow exists
on Mount Rainier. Are the American peo-
pie ready for that burden? Il does not
seem possible.
A few years ago the Democrats got into
power for the first time in quarter OF a
century. by the repetition OF the cries:
The hooks must be examined" Turn the
rascals out" Why were these cries 80
effective? Not because any considerable
body of the American people actually be-
neved that the books were fraudulent and
thar the offices were full o. rascals but
because the majority believed there should
be 8 change in the Offices from president
to charwoman. They got the change, the
rascals were turned out and the books
baing examined were found to balance -
a cent. The ballots that put the Demo-
Gratis in power were merely evidences OF
a hearty reaction against the system OF
Hfe tenure in office which was growing up.
inspired by the cries of the civil service
reformers. men who IL they had any bust
ness Of their own 10 manage that required
many hands n it's conduct would no
sooner surround themselves with men
they could not discharge from service AZ
pleasure than they would seek the seciu-
sion granted by the walls OF an insane
hospital.
In a government Of party like the gov
eminent OF The United States the offices
are never held for life The fathers made
only one exception to rhe rule OF frequent
changes in office. the Federal Judiciary.
Why should their sons seek 10 srhv.rt the
constitution by giving a life tenure 20
appointed officialss II The people arc com
peteni 70 change the elective Offices every
few years the officers they elect should
be regarded as competent to change TIE
aUpniuttve offices rs frequently.
f r JOHNSON.