The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-12


the central board of eXamin-
ers Of the United States civil service
commission has been assigned to duty
in the Philippines. for the purpose of
preparing a system OF examinations
calculated to develop the qualifications
of applicants for office under the Phil
ippine civil regime, the Indianapolis
Press continues
president McKinlcy's attitude on
the subject of appointments to the
civil service in this country has not
been calculated to inspire confidence
in his COOL intentions with respect to
our new possessions; but, as soon as
1t can be definitely ascertained that
the popular apprehension of the devo-
tion of colonial offices to the spoilsmen
is Eroundlcss, and that the president
is sincere in his intCrtion to adhere
rigidly 90 the merit system in making
appointments, much criticism of the
administrations colonial policy will be
completely disarmed, and at the same
time much of the anti-cXpansion sem
timent will subsido. tine of the most
fruitful sources of opposition to the
retention of the Philippines and colon
ial expansion generally has been this
dread on the part of citizens who
feared the effects of Il rule by the
carpet-bag boodlcr and party spoils-
man"
We don't know why President Nc
Kiniey's attitude on the subject of ap-
pointments to tho civil service in this
| country has not been calculated to in
spIrc confidence in his good intentions.
1t Is of a nature we'll designed to do
that. He has weeded out a good deal
of the humbug in the paper system
of civil service reform that obtains ir
Washington and has made possible in
many ways a closer accountability be-
| tween responsible chiefs and their
| subordinates. Eoth in the example
| which he mas set by his own appoint
ments ana in the measure of scrutiny
which he has caused to be placed upon
| the recommendations of others for APP
| pointments, he has shown very
| praiscworthy intention to keep the
personal standards of his adninstra-
| tion high and to give the people Off
cials in whom they can have conf
denCe and respect. There have been a
| few mistakes and a few disappoint-
ments out of the many thousands Of
| names considered, but a smaller pro-
portion than during any preceding ad-
ministration within our memory, and
| 1t i'll becomes friends of good govern
ment to find fault at the few littla
| blemishes without giving just recogni-
tion to the high character of the Nc
| Kinley appointments as whole.
Coming to the subject of the colonial
civil service, it is gratifying to observe
that the same sensible policy has pre-
vailed. First we had war conditions.
when the general who could handle
| troops effectively was the foremost
consideration. They were good gem
erals for that purpose and they did
| their work well. whether in Cuba,
Porto Rico or the Philippines 1t was
the merit system as demonstrated in
| real life rather than on formal eX-
| animation papers that put them on the
| w
Chaffee and Lawton; Anderson, Greene,
| King, Merritt, Otis, Macarthur, Bates,
| Funston-and when the fighting was
over it was not chance that sent Leon
ard Wood to Santiago and Havana,
| and that chose Judge Taft to head
the permanent Philippine commission.
These appointments were all in con-
| formity with the sensible and neces-
sary policy of putting the right man
in the right place. and it is the policy
that must become permanent if the
| colonial experiment is to succeed.
| There is no assurance that the civil
service examiner can evolve any
scheme of queries which will exhibit Il
mans fitness to do the big work that
Americans must do in the new depend
| encies in order to bring order and
progress and contentment out of chaos.
| Examination papers are an exceed
| ingly crude test of intellect and no test
whatever of character. The men to b.
kept will have to prove their merit In
their everyday life and justify in works
the confidence represented in their ap-
| pointment We cannot succeed il our
responsible heads in these distant
islands have their arms tied and their
mouths gagged in civil service red
tape. The problem there like most
executive problems here at home, is to
find the right man for the top place
and let him have his way in the work.
ing out of details through his sub q.
ordinates. Merit must be proved in
service and priced when found; we
have very little hope that it will be
evolved through any pencil and paper
hocus pocus on the part of the grand
high examiner of the civil service COM
mission.
"Divine Healer" Frances Truth, OF
Boston, has just paid fines amounting
to $500 for practicing through the
United States mails. If Truth crushed
to earth. rises again In this instance,
he will probably conduct his hocus
pocus healing operations by long dis.
tance telephone or express.
A cork plank or two might prove Of
service in Mr.. Bryan's platform when
It encounters the whirlpool near the
finish of the campaign.
In the race with Porto Rico pros
perity the Democratic orators bid
| fa,r tn Iacop,a Nuip1 "A ,arI,y In ba