Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-20
THE MERIT SYSTEM
Views of Auditor Castle on Civil Ser
vice Reform.
ADDRESS BEFORE LETTER CARRIERS
The Law Declared to Be Both
Amor ard Shield.
SYSTEM HERE TO STAY

SY STE HERE TO STAY
The attitude taken by Sixth Auditor Cas-
| tie Of the Treasury Department on the
question of civil service reform, as ap-
piled to the 500 clerks under him, has
caused considerable interest in that Off
Gals views on the merit system in the
past. For about five years Captain Castle
was postmaster at ST. Paul, MINI. He was
then, as he has been here, civil service
reformer, and in February, 1896, before
retiring from that position he was asked to
deliver an address to the carriers Of his Of
flee. The occasion was made a notable one
in the history of that office, Captain Castle
delivering a carefully prepared address,
which is now of especial interest.
On that occasion he said in part:
Il am very glad to meet the letter car
r:ers of st. Paul and their guests From
| first to last my intercourse with them has
been pleasant. l shall carry with me into
retirement the happiest recollections of
their uniformly courteous treatment, and
| the approval of my own conscience as to
| my conduct toward them. l adopted as a
guide OF my management, when beginning.
the theory that the post Office should be
run Tor the benefit of the public rather than
the convenience of employees. Everything
consistent with that rule to impartially
| favor the employees has been done. l have
had no favorites except the men who did
the best work Only eight carriers have
been dismissed, and only seven others sus-
pended. on my motion recommendation.
l do not think my discipline has been loose
In good conduct and efficiency the ST. Paul
carriers are equal to any body Of men on
earth
Seni-Military Discipline.
Mr.. Castle then went over the postal his
tory of the country. and the Importance
Of the department, continuing:
You are under a semi-military discipline
with the highest possible motive for So
briefly, industry and obedience. There is
an esprit de corps about such an organiza-
ton which leads to the best results. You
should cultivate a high sense of personal
honor. Your uniform warrants it; your
position demands it. Nothing mean should
be tolerated. The sneak and the liar should
be reformed or driven from the service
No petty tale bearing should be encoura ged
But you are sworn officers of the govern
ment, and any willful violation of the law,
keVen when by one of your own number.
punishment Each of you has a record on
file in the department at Washington.
ON that record l hope that each will
1eel a special pride In ranking high for
personal honor. You are peculiarly favored
In your relation to the public. No other
class of people comes in such direct con-
tact with it. You get most of the credit
for the postal system. People who receive
letters from your hands forget the others
on whose accuracy and intelligence their
quick transmission mostly depends. They
are not seen by the public: you are. Hence
you get the lions share of the compliment
ana yet criticism you can easily throw off
on some one else. You are constantly I'M
der the public gaze, and the necessity of
exemplary conduct is doubly manifest. If
your uniform is seen in saloon or stag
RGrfng, in Quarrel bod
at once. The public naturally measures
the whole department largely by their OBJ
serVatlon OF your character and conduct.
Organized Labor Class.
TO one large element CT the public you
bear relations of special significance and
Importance. Fer what is termed the or
ganized labor class of our country YOUR
experiences have peculiar value. You have
an association which is to the various or
"a. tons of wage carriers in Inherent
neids both an example and encourage
ment You have demonstrated that enough
good work can be done in an eight-hour day
TO satisfy any reasonable demand and vol,
have not abused the privilege
You are impregnabiy intrenched in your
position unless through il-advised demands
Tor too much you cause reaction IL public
sentiment. But you never would have
reached your present position Withou Or
canned effort. l confidently predict that
courage from your success and make a
model OF your conduct. AS trusted officers
OF the nation you can and will set your
fellow workers example of respect for
authority and obedience to law which will
be of inestimabe value to them and to all
Liberty without license, freedom without
anarchy, labor without degradation are the
WatchWords of true Americanism Through
rational organization, if at ALL American
laborers are to be elevated
Mr.. castle then referred to the RESPONSE
biiity of the postmaster to the government
and his dependence on those under his di-
rection, and referred to the surveillance
practfced during the preceding summer as
follows:
The method was startling in its novelty.
ana very severe as a test. That the letter
carriers or the country in general and
those of St. Paul in particular, stood this
TEST SO well, is triumphant vindication OF
their character and efficiency. That the re-
suits of the espionage have been a marked
improvement In the service no one can
deny. Whether it is the best system Of in
spection or even a proper one at all, is a
question Tor Congress and the department
10 settle. II that system is abandoned some
other will be substituted, l think-perhaps
less obnoxious, perhaps also more exacting
Since l am about to leave the service |
speak a warning, not a threat, when l say:
BE We also (and always ready! Do your
iul duty all day and every day, and you
have nothing to fear I"
MI. Castle referred to the possibility OF
improving the service through house-to-
house collection, street cars bicycles. pen-
sion FOR veterans and other details and In
conclusion said:
Missionaries of Reform
one more urgent parting admonition
Each one of you should be at all times a
Jealous missionary of the gospel of political
salvation through civil service reform To
the civil service law most of you owe your
appointments and all of you owe your
secure official tenure. To the conscientious
enforcement of this law and the conse-
quent divorce of the postal service from
partisan politics, much of it's phenomenal
emclency Is due. To do it's current work
| would require at least twice the number Of
men now employed, IL appointed and dis
missed under the old spells system That
the civil service law has been conscientious
| iy enforced under my administration, as IT
was under that of my worthy predecessor,
you are my witnesses, and the department
| at Washington has been my Judge. For
three years I have held this office in SUBJ
ordination to officials at the capital with
whom have not had or pretended to have
particle of sympathy or affiliation on the
political issues Of the day. Yet in no single
Instance during all that per::ou has po-