The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-04
CIVIL SERVICE AND COLONIAL
GOVERNMENT.

The last annua report of the C1vil-service
Commission is the first one in which any al
fusion has been made to the operation Of
the system in connection with newly-ac-
quired territorial possessions. Heretofore 1t
has only applied to domestic offices. mainly
clerical appointments In the departments at
Washington. in the postal service and In
different government offices throughout the
country. Its probable effect on the govern
ment OF our new possessions opens UP a
new and interesting field. The Importance
of making a right start in the government
Of these possessions cannot be overestima-
ted. Colonial government is a new business
for the United States. and while our expert
ence in territorial government and in local
government generally win stand us I'm good
stead, there will be some difficult problems
to solve. We are not yet in as close contact
with these problems as we shall be later
on. but it will probably, be found that the
difficulties of civil government are fully as
great as those OF military occupation. 1t
is Of great Importance. therefore, that we
should establish right principles and lines
of action at the beginning, and one Of these
should be recognition Of the merit system in
all appointments for the government Of the
new possessions. The merit system Is the
cornerstone of all good government. No
matter what may be said against the rules
or practice under the civil-service law, the
merit principle, on which 1t rests, is right.
That appointments to and promotions in the
public service should be based on merit and
qualifications alone, ascertained by Compel
tive examination or otherwise. is now too
well established and too generally admitted
to need any argument. And if this prin-
ciple applies to domestic appointments it
applies with still more force to official APP
pointments in newly-acquired possessions
where the honor of the Nation is pledged to
establish good government. 1t would be a
terrible mistake to make our new posses
sions a field for reviving the discarded polit-
ical doctrine that ito the victors belong the
spoils." That has been the keynote of
Spanish rule in Cuba, Porto Rico and the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the islands for
official profit and plumber. The result was
visible in failure long before the islands
pdocCu Out Va Opdilion pOcoCSciVA' ~ ~
Icy is one that carries the seeds of inevitable
failure under any circumstances Colonial
government can only succeed If based on the
merit system. The recent report of the
Civil-service Commission has an appendix
containing an authentic account of different
colonial governments. Summarizing the
conclusions from this statement the report
says:
We will learn the f~ollowing valuable les
sons from a study of these governments:
Ffrst-That they are not disturbed by po-
litical changes in the home government, the
tenure being determined by good and efi-
cient service only.
~Second-That the men sent to govern COL
onies are selected because of special fitness
and are promoted generally from the small
er colonies to the larger, after demonstrate
ing ability to deal with difficult problems.
Third-That the officers charged with the
collection of revenue. both internal and GUS
toms duties. are promoted to those places
after faithful and efficient service in minor
grades, and are never appointed as a re-
the clerkships in the customs and other
services are filled by open competitive ex-
aminations: that the pay Is commensurate
with the duties performed. and that persons
I'm the colonial service are prohibited from
engaging in business enterprises in the col
onies.
All who ave made any study of the prin-
ciples of civil-service reform or watched its
operation in the public service of the United
States will recognize the soundness of these
conclusions in reference to colonial govern
ment. To make American government in
our new possessions successful 1t must be as
different as possible from Spanish govern
ment in every respect. In other words, it
must be based IN the merit system alone,
with a complete ignoring of the patronage
and spoils systems. To quote further from
the report:
If the positions in our recently-acquired
territory are given as a reward for political
service at home. We may expect discomfort,
misrule and expensive administration. If,
on the contrary, men are selected because
of their ability as administrators, and the
service is put upon a basis of ascertained
fitness for the duties to be performed. and
tenure and promotion are made dependent
upon efficiency and honest service, then we
may expect our administration TO be q boon
to these islands, and we will have cause TO
be proud Of our share in s~upplanting the
misrule of Spain with a government in ac-
cord with the aspirations Of modern civil
ization.
Unless these views are adopted and firmly
adhered to we cannot expect to succeed in
the experiment of colonial government on
which we are about entering.