The Portland daily press., 1898-02-25
VICTORY FOR BlDDEFoRD.
Orators From the York County Metropolis
Score Against Portland,


Three representatives of the Biddeford
Debating club came to Portland last ey-
ening, and in Y NJ. G. A. hall won an
other victory from Portland in joint
debate The question this time was:
Resolved, that all employees of the
| United States government not concerned
| in shaping uhe policy of the administra
| tion should be appointed after competi-
tive examination, and hold office during
their efficiency"
| Tt was an exceedingly interesting de-
bate and the participants were showered
! with applause. Biddeford's representa-
tiyes were ex Mayor Charles S. Hamilton,
CITY Clerk W. P. Freeman and w. W.
Mcintyre. They had the negative side OF
the question. The disputants on the
affirmative side were F. I'll. Haskell, w.
II. Heokbert and H. u. Fuller. The pre-
siding officer was Mr., S. W. Bates, and
he momentous duty of deciding which
side was entitled to greater merit in de-
bate fell upon Register of Probate Joseph
B. Reed, Dr. M. f. Brooks and Thomas
D. Sale,
The debate was opened for the affirm
ative by Mr.. Haskell, who in a clear and
dispassionate manner championed the
cause of civil service reform. The old sys-
tenn of appointing government employees
without competitive examination he
declared to be spoils system, that
worked injury to the government. In for
mer years man $ ability to secure en-
ployment for the government depended
solely on his 'tpull' with influential
members of the administration. No re-
public on earth could endure with such
methods in vogue. Rotation In ONCE
tends to reduce the efficiency of force OF
employees. The system OF competitive ex-
animation, in vogue in SO many depart
ments of the government, teaches young
men that merit, rather than political in
fuence, is what counts in the awarding
of positions The system has worked ad-
mirably in England, and has been at
tended by success in our own country. ;
| Mr.. Hamilton of Biddeford opened the
negative side He said that the competi-
tive exam ination system is OF Englsn
origin. Its working in England has hao
the effect OF breeding arrogance. The
safety of this country lies in keeping the
people in close touch with the wheels of
governments The people should be the
hand on the lever to say whether man
shall remain in office. Mr.. Hamilton
ridiculed some of the questions embodied
In the examination of applicants for
government positions.
| Mr.. Heokbert, Portland s next speaker.
referred to the go vernment as business
house on gigantic scale, and said it was
advisable to have it's work performed by
competent hands, and that when an
office-holder has proven himself compe-
tent he should be continued in office. The
civil service tends to keer out lazy and
UNQUALIFIED men, and to give the rich and
| the poor an equal chance.
Taking up the thread of argument for
| Biddeford, where Mr. Hamilton had left
it, Mr.. Mcintyre denounced the clvn
service as a Mugwump product, and one
of the biggest humbugs ever inflicted on
an unsuspecting public. He referred to
the recent disclosures in the insurance
commissioner department in New York,
where competitors for positions were fur-
nished in advance with list of questions
and answers He accused President
Cleveland Of getting his friends into fat
offices and then extending the civil SER
vice to keep them there.
| Mr.. Fuller denied his opponents claim
that civil service insures a man office for
life. When an office-holder's efficiency
ceases he is dropped from the rolls. Mr..
Fuller admitted that while the present
working of the civil service plan might
be open to improvement, yet the princi-
pie is in the line of right.
Mr.. freeman of Biddeford. who had
seen many years Of service in q Washing
ton department clerkship, devoted most OF
his allotted time to reading some of the
peculiar and impractical questions in
cIuded in a civil service examination.
After man has passed the examination
he receives an official notification that his
name is on the eligible list, but the
chances are about one in a thousand that
he will ever get an appointment
| In his brief summing up. Mr. Hamilton
said that there are now nearly $4,000
on the civil service waiting list" He
argued that the competitive examination
tends to shut out the practical, in favor
of the theoretical applicant. He
denrecated the use of so much red tape,
formality and sealing wax, in the conduct
of government affairs, and incidentally
alluded to the time consumed in diplo-
matte affairs. When the battleship Maine
was sent to Havana we were told that it
was only friendly visit she was to make.
! There shoald have been no hesitation in
announcing that her mission was to pro-
feet the interests of Amreican subjects in
Cuba.
| After Mr.. Haskell had briefly and ably
summed up the arguments in the affirm
ative, the judges retired, and spent half
an hour in discussing the merits of the
debate, their decision being in Bidde.