The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-28
SMASHING CIVIL SERVICE.

The attitude DOIne. by the auIHlilISlid-
ton of President Mckinley toward the
civil service laws and regulations, un-
less 1t Is speedily and substantially
changed, is certain to work lastingly in
furious results to the federal public serv-
ice. Regarding the problem of our ma
tional civil service far as possible
from the purely partisan standpoint, 1t
is a subject Of grave concern that, after
a succession of seven administrations
covering a period of twenty-four years,
the unyielding hostility of political lead
ers toward the reform movement retains
most of the virulence and influence for
wrong which distinguished it at the out
set
The reported coming resignation from
the civil service commission of the Hon.
Mark S. Brewer brings out In strong re-
lies the unfortunate effects which are
following from the attitude of positive
hostility assumed by our national au-
thorities toward the civil service reform
movement. 1t is stated, apparently on
we'll informed authority, that that gen
tleman is about to withdraw from his
position, and that the. grounds on which
he will rest his resignation are likely
to be the unfriendliness of the national
executive toward the body of which he
is now a member.
1t would not be just to say that those
who have labored for the establishment
of the merit system in national official APP
pointments have encountered only the OPP
position of the Republican politicians.
The exigencies of political contests have
seemed to demand. on one or other pre-
text, unfriendIy interference with civil
service reform by those who have been
for the time being high in the councils
of the existing administration. The re-
cent scandalous developments in this
direction IN connection with the cam
paign in Ohio will find their more or
less complete counterpart at the critical
stages Of all national administrations
since the days Of Gen. Grant. With the
exception alone of Mr.. Cleveland there
has not been a president in that period
of time who evinced a sincere and .ag-
gressive disposition to enforce the civil
service regulations according to their
plain tenor. Even he must be said to
have yielded but In a much less scandal
Gus manner than the head of the present
national administration, to the demands
Of his political advisers in this direction.
Commissioner Brewer, we are told, is
now convinced that the civil service reg
ulations are but a puppet or plaything in
the hands of the present administration;
that they have been stultified and per-
verted to the most abject and basest par
tisan ends; that they can be violated with
impunity; that no redress, is possible or
practicable and that to all intents and
purposes no such thing as the civil serv-
ice commission really exists. This is
surely a severe Indictment of the admin
istration of Mr.. Mckinley; but no citizen
who has observed the progress Of events
within the past few months will deny
that it IS too severe, or in any respect I'M
founded. Indeed the only service to the
cause of civil service reform which any
mar entertaining the views with which
the name of Commissioner Brewer is
identified can now render is to resign his
office and make it plain beyond misun-
Outstanding the grounds on which he
rests such resignation.
Patriotic men of every party should
unite in compelling the politicians of the
administration to bring their assaults on
the civil service system to an end as
speedily as possible Never before in the
existence of the country was the need
so sorely felt of trained corps of men
in the various departments of official life
The demand for faithful, Jealous and in
telligent service on the part of our rep
resentatives abroad, which the needs of
our growing foreign commerce are daily
by all Americans. We are at present
placed at a serious disadvantage toward
all other nations by the operation of
what is known as our spoils system. The
single qualification of active and effective
political service is today in as great a
u0Sloo "9 II eNeI HdS peen the main re-
quirement to assure appointment to i'm
portant consular and diplomatic office.
This will continue to be the case so long
as the spirit and true purpose of civil
| service reform is ignored. And that they
will continue to be so ignored is quite
plain, unless the American people can
succeed in making their protest heard
and needed by those who are responsible
for such a deplorable state of affairs.