The San Francisco call., 1901-12-04
MERIT SYSTEM
SHOWS GAINS
Go0er1ment Has Greatly
Benefited BY the Practice
Which Permits Only Per-
sons of ability to Occupy
the Federal Positions.

The merit system of making appointments
is in it's essence as democratic and American
as the common school system itself. 1t SIM
ply means that in clerical and other positions
where the duties entirely non political all
applicants should have fair field and no IA
vor, each standing on his merits as he is able
to show them by practical test. Written com
petitive examinations offer the only available
means in many cases for applying this sys-
tenn. In other cases, as where laborers are
employed a system of registration undoubted-
Iy can be widely extended There are of
course, places where the written competitive
examination cannot be applied, and others
where it offers by means an ideal solu-
ton but where under existing political con-
ditions 1t is though imperfect means. yet
the best present means of getting satisfactory
results.
Wherever the conditions have permitted the
application of the merit system in its fullest
and widest sense the gain to the Government
has been immense. The navy-yards and pos
tai service illustrate. probably better than any
other branches of the Government, the great
gain in economy, efficiency and honesty due
to the enforcement of this principle.
1 recommend the passage of law which
will extend the classified service to the Dis
trict of Columbia. or will at least enable the
President thus to extend it. In my judgment
all laws providing for the temporary employ
ment of clerks should hereafter contain pro-
vision that they be selected under the Civil
Service law.
1t is important to have this system obtain
at home but it is more important to
have it applied rigidly in our insular posses
sions Not an office should be filled in the
Philippines or Porto Rico with any regard to
the mans partisan affiliations or services,
with any regard to the political social per-
sonaI influence which he have at his
command; in short heed should be paid to
absolutely nothing save the mans own char
acter and capacity and the needs of the
service.
The administration of these islands should
be as wholly free from the suspicion of par
tisan politics the administration of the
army and navy All that we ask from the
public servant in the Philippines or Porto
Rico is that he reflect honor his country
by the way in which he makes that country 5
rule a benefit to the peoples who have come
under it. This is all that should ask. and
we cannot afford to be content with less.
The merit system is simply one method Of
securing honest and efficient administration of
the Government; and in the long the sole
justification of any type of government lies
In it's proving itself both honest and efficient.
The consular service is now organized under
the provisions Of a law passed in 1886, which
is entirely inadequate to existing conditions.
The interest shown by so many commercial
bodies throughout the country in the reorgan-
ization of the service is heartily commended
to your attention Several bills providing for
a new consular service have in recent years
been submitted to the Congress. They are based
upon the just principle that appointments to
the service should be made only after prac-
ticaI test of the applicants fitness, that pro-
motions should be governed by trustworthiness.
adaptability and zeal in the performance of
duty, and that the tenure OF office should be