New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-05

nositions for which experience has SHOWN COIL
petition is not only practicable but peculiarly oe
during last autumn when the scope Of the order
was in some degree anticipated many protests wsr
and by individuals The protest Of this League ar
submitted under date of October q, WIS 1871,
named nv statement Of the arguments agans.
specific changes, arguments that have not M 'e'
been refuted. 100, % Tho
positions In view Department officers wh0 hau w.
tried the merit plan had testified Publicly ,b to st
the Civil Service Commission had held some OF
the most satisfactory of IT'S examinations IT "%S
shown that officers accepting minor hdueity PHI
tions may be required to furnish bond, IN adu,
ton to the passage OF an examnation lot IN
ment or promotion. as Is already the ptac,I tIi
many OF tire most important branches of the classi.
fed service. The speclOusness OF me claln l,h 5
personal selections for positions of confidence or
trust shown by reference 10 inc Ii,t , tlat
filled in violation of the law the appointees had
been selected generally for poteal reasons Visi
agents and in many cases with so little regard 10
fitness that the conduct OF the public business ha
the exemption Of large classes Of positions anaB-
gous in character To other classes remaining co,n-
m nds and precedent for further concessions,
petrn@radn movement in the development Of
administrative system would he peculiarly ui-
fortunate ana n06p9rune at t IN distant Wngn de-
tendencies and to offer the ADVANTAGES OF a stao'e
ana compS,Snn Srt bowever had little weight
The order is more comprehensive than had at any
grave offences and in doing reduces materially
the area OF the competitive system, put u opens
the way widely for practice that may make com com
petltlve examination I'm the future the exception
rather than the rule ,.
that " nasmuch as President Cleveland, in MAY
1885 EXTENDED the rTes were and
partisan advantage thereby gained some cor.
the attempt to apply the rules I'm these cases had
been attended by embarrassing friction ana
II should be said IN fairness to Mr.. Cleveland
that not third Of the offices classified by MN on
frequent change, and that no person holding any
of these was protected from removal on IN any
perior officer. Until the order OF President NC
k Of July 49, was sSnsq tns poT Ths OF has re
been shown repeatedly In the public press and on
the floor Of Congress; it should hardly require
has been shown quite clearly that 18th the fpG
were due for the most part to outright opposition
TO the law the part of officers whose duty II
taken as sufficient for exceptions 1t is to
he feared that no class of positions Whatever woud
The argument in this particular is met completely
I'm fact nv tho following testimony of the civil Ser
vice Commission contained in its recent annual re-
port 49,. 49,. to-
NOT AZ ali times been that corporation and effort
on the part of officials in carrying out the
II has been found that in all cases as soon
as the officers in charge give unqualified support
to the system ana uI,e anncotion Ilte en-
barrassment difficulty has been experienced and
decided benefits TO the service have been demon
strated almost from the beginning
Although. for the first time since the passage OF
the Pendeton act important ground has been lost,
If is hoped thai the recovery of that ground will not
be long delayed The attempt made to take the
starch out OF the law in NewYork, with which
( this backward step is TO be classed, has already
resulted in reaction that has placed the reform IN
that State I'm a more advanced position than ever
before Tho League expects confidently that the
enlightened public opinion of the country which or
hnu vic
favor of the .deve opment and extension of the merit
system will not only prevent the restoration or the
newod efforts TO carry the Civil Service reform
. movement to It's final consummatOn.