The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-04

AGL udS DSell SuDSldHNldily incompetence
The improved conditions In the Philip
pines have enabled the war department
materially to reduce the military charge
upon our revenue and to arrange the
number of soldiers SO as to bring this
number much nearer to the minimum
than to the maximum limit established by
law. TheSe Is. however, need of supple
mentary legislation. Thorough military
education must be provided and In addi-
ton to the regulars the advantages OF
this education should be given to the Of
ficers of the national guard and others In
civil life who desire intelligently to fit
themselves for possible military duty.
The officers should be given the chance
to perfect themselves by study in the
higher branches of this art. At West
Point the education should be of the kind
most apt to turn out men who are good in
actual field service. Too much stress should
not be laid on mathematics, nor should pro-
ficiency therein be held to establish tho
right of entry to a corps delite. The typ
ical American officer of the best kind need
not be good mathematician, but he must
be able to master himself, to control 9TH
ers and to show holiness and fertility Of
resource in every emergency,
Action should be taken In reference to
the militia and to the raising of volunteer
forces. Our militia law Is obsolete and
worthless. The organization and arrna-
ment of the national guard of the several
states, which are treated as militia In the
appropriations by the congress. should be
made Identical with those provided for
the regular forces. The obligations and
duties Of the guard in time of war should
be carefully defined and system estab-
lished by law under which the method of
procedure OF raising volunteer forces
should be prescribed In advance. 1t Is
utterly impossible in the excitement and
haste of impending war to do this salts
factorlly II the arrangements have not
been made long beforehand Provision
should be made for utilizing in the first
volunteer organizations called out the
training of those citizens who have al
ready had experience under arms, and es-
pecially for the selection in advance Of
the officers of any force which may be
raised; for careful selection of the kind
necessary is impossible after the outbreak
of war.
That the army is not at all more In
strument Of destruction has been shown
during the last three years In tbs Phil
ippines, Cuba and Porto Rico 1t has prov
ed itself a great constructive force. a
most potent implement for the upbuilding
Of a peaceful civilization.
The Veterans.
NO QLu6E GlLlZGI1b ubSoINt ~ WNAA VI tho
republic as the veterans. the survivors
of those who saved the Union. They did
the one decd which II left undone would
have meant that all else in our history
went for nothing. But for their steadfast
prowess in the greatest crisis of our his
tory all our annals would be meaningless
and our great experiment In popular free
dom and self government gloomy fail
ure. Moreover, they not only left us
L,.4 IaFt oil s..
heritage the memory of the mighty deeds
by which the nation was kept united. We
are now indeed one nation. one in fact as
well as in name; we are united in our de-
votion TO the nag 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 50 well 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 its
fighting men upon the volunteer soldiery
whe do not make a permanent profession
Of the military career. and whenever such
q crisis arises the deathless memories of
a@e-hAN
lift of lofty purpose which comes to those
whose fathers have stood valiantly In the
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 tho 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
can be widely extended.
There are. Of course, places where the
written competitive examination cannot
be applied and others where it offers by
no means an ideal solution, but where
under existing political conditions 1t 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 tho 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 law
which will extend the classified service to
the District Of Columbia or will at least
enable the president thus to extend 1t. In
my judgment all laws providing for the
temporary employment Of clerks should
hereafter contain provision that they be
selected under the civil service law.
1t is important to have this system OBJ
tain at home, but 1t is even more impor-
tant to have II applied rigidly in our insu-
lar possessions Not an office should be
filled in the Philippines or Porto Rico
with any regard to the mans partisan at
fliations or services, with any regard to
the political. social or personal influence
which he may have at his command. In
short. heed should be paid TO absolutely
sSge the mans 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 edninis-
tration of the army and navy. All that
we ask from the public servant in the
or POI O Rico Is that he reflect
honor on his country by the way In which
he makes that country's rule 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 Its proving itself
both honest and efficient.
The Consular Service.
The consular service is now organized
under the provisions Of 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 new
con srllar servfca have In recent years