The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-31

hdlt, put OH hllllTlSn airs ana nlue tno
family record.
Very properly, an applicant for gov
eminent position must be physically, as
we'll as educationally qualified for the
place he seeks; must be a citizen of the
United States, not a habitual user of in
toxcants, and-at least, by Implication
not an infdel, as he is required to take
an oath, which would be null il he did
not believe in the Bible. 1t is also pro-
vided by law that no person is eligible
to civil service examination who has been
dismissed from the public service for de-
linquency or misconduct; who has failed
after probation to receive absolute APP
pointment to the grade for which he again
apples, within one year from the date OF
such failure; who within one year has
taken the same kind of examination for
which he wishes to again apply; who had
made a false statement in his appllca-
ton or examination, or who has been
guilty of any disgraceful conduct. Within
the last year it has been several times de-
cided by law that cheating in civil service
examinations is a punishable offense.
Heretofore a dishonest applicants papers
were simply confiscated and he was dis
barred from further eligibility to exami-
nation. Not long ago a case came up in
Philadelphia illustrating this point. A
man had filed a sworn application for
examination and was notified to appear
before on examiner. But fearing his in
ability to pass, he engaged another man
to impersonate him and to take the ex-
animation for him. The latter filled out
a blank given him and signed the orig
inal applicants name. Now, this blank
intended to identify the examined person
with the original applicaton-was ex-
pressly constructed for the detection of
frauds and is used in all civil service ex-
aminations When the two were COM
pared, of course, the conspiracy was de-
tected. The commissioner in Washing
ton was called up by long distance phone,
and the examiner in Philadelphia was in
strucICd 70 hold the man in the eXamiia-
ton room until furter orders. Later both
men were arrested and Jailed, charged
with conspiracy to defraud the United
States and with presenting false writ
ings.
There are many people who pass muster
for honesty In everyday transactions but
would not hesitate to play trick on I'm
Gle Samuel, il they could, to obtain office.
That IS why the system of using differ
ent papers on succeeding days was es-
tablished-because II was frequently
charged that a man who took the exam
ination In one city and thereby learned
the schedule OF the examiner. sent copies
of the questions he had answered TO a
friend in some other city who wanted to
take the examination. From $50 70 800 diff
ferent examinations are held each year;
and this means that from 250 TO 800 differ
ent sets OF examination questions are pre-
pared each year. This work alone and the
marking of examination papers keeps
busy forty-hve well salatied men. As to
allegations OF favoritism on the part of
the examiners, and political influence in
helping some persons to pass and the lack
OF II In turning others down-a very
slight knowledge OF the inner workings
OF the system will convince the most
skeptical that the charges are inbound
ed. The commission Is composed OF three
men, selected by the President and con-
frmed by the Senate; and these are as
sisted 10 che details OF their duties by q
very large force OF examiners and clerks.
Thus II Is simply an impossibility for all
che details connected with the eNamina-
tion. markings, ana grading OF papers.
csrtincation ana appointment Of n candi-
date 20 b. kept IN the hands % any one
man IN each case these details pass
thTouah ~ least nfly pairs Of handA-and