Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-03

ESQuOilC as the veterans, the Survivors
Of those who saved the Union. They did
the one deed which if left undone would
have meant that all else in our history
Wen for nothing. But for their steadfast
prowess In the greatest crisis of our his
tory all our ANAL would be meaningless
and our great experiment in popular free
dom and self government a gloomy fail
ure. Moreover. they not only left US a
united nation. but they left US also as a
heritage the memory of the mighty deeds
by which the nation was kept united. We
are now indeed n nation. one in fact as
we'll as In name; we are united in our de-
votion to the flag which is the symbol Of
national greatness and unity, and the
very completeness of our union enables
US all, in every part Of the country, to
glory in the valor shown alike by the
sons of the north and the sons of the
south in the times that tried mems souls.
The men who in the last three years
have done SO we'll in the East and In the
West Indies and on the mainland of Asia
have shown that this remembrance is not
lost. In any serious crisis the United
States must rely for the great mass of it's
fighting men upon the volunteer soldiery
who do not make a permanent profession
OF the military career. and whenever such
a crisis arises the deathless memories of
the civil war will give to Americans the
lift of lofty purpose which comes to those
W4OSC 1dluGTS nave SlOOu VdllauCly III inc
forefront of the battle.
The Merit System.
The merit system of making appoint
ments Is In its essence as democratic and
American as the common school system
itself. 1t simply means that in clerical
and other positions where the duties are
entirely nonpolitical all applicants should
have a fair field and no favor, each stand
ing on his merits as he Is able to show
them by practical test. Written compete
tive examinations offer the only availa-
BILE means in many cases for applying this
system. In other cases. as where .laborers
are employed, a system of registration
undoubtedly can be widely extended.
There are, Of course, places where the
written competitive examination cannot
be applied n others where it offers by
no means an ideal solution, but where
under existing political conditions it is,
though an imperfect means. yet the best
present means of getting satisfactory re-
suits.
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 postal service illustrate proba-
bly, better than any other branches of the
government the great gain In economy,
efficiency and honesty due to the enforce
ment OF this principle.
l recommend the passage Of a law
which will extend the classified service to
the District of Columbia or will at least
enable the president thus to extend it. In
my judgment all laws providing for the
temporary employment of clerks should
hereafter contain a provision that they be
selected under the civil service law.
1t Is important to have this system OBJ
tain at home. but it is even more impor-
70 ~ - w. ( III s-sLI - --,.
lar possessions. Not an Office should be
filled in the Philippines or Porte Rico
with any regard to the mans partisan af-
hliationS or services, with any regard to
the political. social or personal influence
which he may a at his command. In
short. heed should be paid to absolutely
nothing save the man own character
and capacity and the needs of the service.
The administration of these islands
should be as wholly free from the suspi-
cion of partisan politics as the admins
tration of the army and navy. All that
we ask from the public servant in the
Philippines or Porto Rico is that he reflect
honor on his country by the way in which
he makes that country's rule a benefit to
the peoples who have come under it. This
is all that we should ask. and we cannot
afford to be content with less.
The merit system is simply one method
Of securing honest and efficient admins
tration of the government, and in the
long run the sole justification of any type
of government lies in it's proving itself
both honest and efficient.
The Consular Service.
The consular service is now organized
under the provisions Of a Law passed in
1856. which Is entirely inadequate to exist
ing conditions. The interest shown by so
many commercial bodies throughout the
country in the reorganization of the serv-
ice is heartily commended to your atten-
ton. Several bills providing for a new
consular service have in recent years
been submitted to the congress-. They are
passed upon the just principle that ap-
ipointrnents to the service should be made
only after a practical test of the appli-
'cant's fitness: that promotions should be
governed by trustworthiness. adaptability
and zeal in the performance of duty, and
that the tenure of Office should be unaf-
fected by partisan considerations.
The guardianship and fostering Of our
rapidly expanding foreign commerce. the
protection of American citizens resorting
to foreign countries in lawful pursuit of
their affairs n the maintenance of the
dignity Of the nation abroad combine to
make 1t essential that our consuls should
be men Of character, knowledge and en-
terpr1Se. 1t is true that the service Is now
in the main efficient, but a standard OF
excellence ann be permanently main
tanned until the principles set forth in the
bills heretofore submitted to the
on this subject are enacted into law.
In my judgment the time has arrived
when we should definitely make up our
minds to recognize the Indian as an indi-
vidual and not as a member of a tribe.
TIL general allotment act is a mighty
pulverizing engine to break up the tribal
mass. 1t acts directly upon the family
and the Individual. Under it's provisions
some &C, 600 Indians have already become
citizens of the United States. We should
now break up the tribal funds, doing for
them what allotment does for the tribal
lands-that is. they should be divide into
individual holdings. There will be a tran
sition period during which the funds will In
many cases nave to be held in trust. This
is the case also with the lands. A stop
should be put upon the indiscriminata
permission to Indians to lease their allot-
ments. The effort should be steadily to
make the Indian work like any other man
on his own ground. The marriage laws
uf the Indians should be made the same
as those Of the whites.
Industrial Education of Indians.
In the schools the education Should be
elementary largely industrial Thu
need of higher education among the In
dams is very. very limited. On the reser'