Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-04-24
SCATRlNG ARRANGEMENT
Of the Existing Civil Service
Law and Its Votaries.
SPIRIT OF THE FATHERS INVOKED


thing Like Life-Tenure In Office.
To the Editor OF the Herald.
Feeling proud that the Republicans
of the Second District ia their Con-
gressional Convention last fall ex-
pressed themselves as being opposed
to civil service, and seeing that you
still have the courage of Your convic-
tons by giving the iniquitous and
abnormal features Of the thing blow
from the shoulder, encourages me to
add nv mite to whatever may be
said in opposition to measure that
has grown up without father and
without mother, and seems to have
an unnatural and experimental life.
OF Democratic origin, fostered by the
Republican party, hated by all, taken
advantage of by those who may be in
power, it lives because its iniquity
and enormity has not been felt nor
observed by the great mass OF the in
telligent citizens of the country.
Civil service was designed as its
friends claim, to purify the govern.
ment service. At the adoption of
civil service this government had
existed for 90 years and her servants
had been chosen fresh from the people
every two and four years by election
or appointment. Our system of gov
eminent was the model of civiliza.
ton, unprecedentedly successful in
all of its departments, with an alb
horrence to anything like life-tenure
in office.
There are two classes oil citizens
detrimental to any country, one of
whom are never satisfied unless try.
ing experiments at the expense of
the public, and those who are design
ing and INSCRIPTIONS. These ele
ments have given to civil service its
greatest impetus and strength. II
civil service is good as applied to one
class why not good in all? II the pri
vate secretary and all the subordinate
positions under a cabinet officer be
under civil service. why not the cabi.
net officer HIMSELF Why draw the
line between those holding high pc.
sitions and those holding smaller or
minor positions? Why make this a
government of a privileged class? If
a three. thousand dollar appointment
is open to merit and not subject
to the rules of the civil service
board, why not a two-thousand-
dollar office? The rule subjects the
lower grade of officers to an examina-
ton of technical questions, illogical,
and no test or qualification or fitness
for business. Even guards and mes
sengers are placed under civil service.
Couldn't the old soldier who scaled
the rugged heights on Lookout Noun
tain and destroyed the enemy, or
those who for so long and so heroically
defended their entertainments around
Richmond, be trusted as guards at
the treasury department, or at least
be placed upon an equal footing with
the youths fresh from school and
whose only qualification would be to
tell upon what waters craft would
sail from given point on Holly .Riv-
er to Vienna, or the distance from
Jupiter to Mars? This is the mode of
testing mems qualification for office
by the board of examiners. If this
method had prevailed in the days of
the past and had extended to the
White House, most certainly two of
the most illustrious patriots and most
loved by their countrymen, Lincoln
and Jackson, would have been kept
in obscurity and America and civili-
zation would have been deprived of
their inestimable services.
Again, the present system doesn't
admit of taking the appointees with
any system of equality from all sec
tons Of the country; but those living
near the seat ofgovernment, watching
the vacancies as they occur, and
through agencies who advertise to-
assist applicants in learning the ways
of the queer, foster and build up a
system OF dishonesty, making mer-
chandise and lottery of what of
right belongs to the citizens. The
New England States, whose educa-
tional advantages are superior to
"a