New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-03
EXPERT GOVERNMENT.

President McKney's new amendments TO the
! Civil Service rules are universally regarded as
mari.ing The final establishment of the principle
that tie Government OF the United States Is
10 be conducted by trained and expert talent, in
stead Of being left to the bunglng of ignorant
tyres In the face Of all the pressure or the
srnilsmcn he has not only extended the require
,,cnt making merit the test of entrance into the
service but has also set mp safeguards for the
p,,tcctiou of competent employees in the SER
y,c, |, is hardly possible that anything can
ocrrr hereafter 10 reverse this tendency. We
nay look forward confidently TO the day when
the defects of detail incident 10 the growth of
tie system shall have been corrected. and when
all Government functiOnaries. except those hav-
iny 10 do with the determination OF policies 10
make them responsive TO the peoples will as
expressed from time 10 time, shall obtain and
hold Office solely because they can do efficient
work.
70 shut of and kill once for all the great mass
of officp-seekers means an almost incaculable
benefit TO the public business. report has just
been going the rounds that Senator Mason, of
Illinois has received no less than three thousand
letters in one day asking his help to get office
No doubt other members of Congress are hav-
ing corresponding calls on their attention. and
the pressure on appointing officers from Pres
dent 10 posimasters is tremendous. No man
can give even passing notice to this food of
applications ana have any time or strength left
for the legitimate duties Of his office. The
patronage broker shines neither as an admins
TRAITOR nor a legislator. So true is this that
thouglitfully ambitious officials who scOrn
amateur notions Of politics and are thoroughly
practical in their views. have concluded that
the ineri, system Is their only protection. Con
gressmen often say that the demands on them
for compensation for inestimable party and per
sonal service come in nine cases ont OF ten
from men who were utterly useless to the party
TO drive these fellows ont Of business is as
much of a relief to the official as to the public
But more important fhan this relief is the
putting OF business into expert hands. In the
day OF small things anybody who was honest
could look after public affairs. Our Govern
ment was administered Oh that plan for a long
time The National bookkeeping in Jackson's
day was not such as TO do credit TO a country
store of our time. When II was proposed 10
have doubIe-eniry bookkeeping in one of the
Departments the chief said: why. the Gov
"ernmen, will never Ply for two sets of clerks
80 keep two sets OF books and single entry
WAS used for many years thereafter. But the
Federal Government Is no longer an overgrown
town meeting. and methods which did well
enou Oh in town meeting do not suit the com
pick business of continent. Every private en-
terprise east them of long before the Govern
ment awoke to the necessity. Now, however
we are realizing that trained experience is as
much needed in the affairs of 70OOO.OO0 people
rs in those OF one man. That conclusion means
that hereafter the men elected TO put I'm force
nolicips are 10 have the aid of subDr1n atps WIN
know how 10 carry out those policies without
bunglng and loss. The people will not the less
govern. but they will govern through an organ