The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-23

it is shown that the peculators were those
who, in evasion of the merit system, fur
lively crept into the post offices through
an unfastened basement window.
The semi-official plea that the scam
dals occurred in the Rural Free Delivery
Division, which had been packed with
favorites, outside the Civil Service act;
that no one of the officials whose in
tegrity is questioned was appointed
under the Civil Service act, but they were
all appointed by methods repugnant to
the act and which the act seeks to REM
edy,' and that no scandals have arisen
in any part of the service where the act
has been in full operation, is to be tested
by inquiry into the reasons why the in
culpated chiefs of divisions officers Of the
Department of Justice, and two or three
clerks in those divisions, were not put in
the classified service if the full opera
ton of the law of 1889 contemplated the
classification. If the competitive test
will surely insure the Government against
breaches of trust by officials in order TO
gain filthy mcre, it should be applied
throughout the entire civil list. But will
il? Each man believes in his own watch.
Who will supervise the civil service Off
Gals? The plan is defective! Nothing
else than viglant surveillance OF sub
ordinates by superior officers who are on
the spot can faithfully execute the laws.
The officials in the suspected post office
bureaus are more in need of good talk
ing to by the President than is the crew
of the Sylph.
The semi-ofiicial explanation frankly
cOnfesses failure to enforce the Civil
Service legislation of 1888 according to
the obvious intention Of Congress, and
plainly wishes to be taken as intimating
that the Civil Service Commissioners
have not been at fault.
The failure can but inspire genuine
pity for the President,
His first executive office was that OF
Civil Service Commissioner, given to him
by HARRISON in 1880 He held it during
six years, until, in 1895, when he at
of New York. 1t was after two years OF
that effort that he took hold in Wash
ington of the affairs of the navy. As an
independent New York Republican and
as an opponent of the Presidential aspira-
tions Of Mr. BLAINE, he was in New York
active in measures OF administrative
reform, national, State and municipal
He advocated the civil service legisla-
ton of 1883, which was urged because its
faithful enforcement would everywhere
promote integrity and efficiency in the
execution of all other laws confess
sion of failure faithfully to execute and
adequately to enlarge the area of COM
petitive examinations, as each President
has had the power and is bound to do,
and the presence Of such petty larceny
devices as are now revealed, can but
press all earnest and devoted friends Of
civil service reform down into the depths
of the valley of humiliation.
The presumption that the President
retains unchanged his devotion to, and
confidence in, competitive examination
as test of fitness for all inferior execu-
tive officers. gives especial significance to
semi-official confession Of failure to en-
force such examination, as a lesson OF
stern admonition TO those who urge
transfer to Washington Of legislative and
executive work which the trainers of the
Constitution left, and intended to leave,
with the several States, which can be
better done either by individuals, or by
forty-five cooperating Legislatures and
Governors, than by an overworked Con-
gress and President,
The business Of government al Wash
ington, even under rigid Interpretation
of the Constitution, has increased so
tremendously within a century that no
President could in these times faithfully
execute, day by day, all the Federal laws,
even if the earth were ten times as long
as it il in making revolution on its axis,
and if he need not give half or three
quarters, of that day to eating, sleeping
and requisite out-of-doors exercising.
The injudicious advocates Of putting
new labors on the Washington Govern
ment, Of requiring it to exercise control
of private capital devoted to exploiting
our material resources, are, consciously
or unconsciously, promoting the erec-
ton of new departments in that city
which will in the end usurp jurisdiction
in our country like that of French
Ministry Of the Interior.
II the President has broken down in
the faithful execution of the civil service
laws he sincerely advocated, believed in,
and swore by, and has broken down SIM
ply because he had not the time needed
to overcome the active opposition, or
the inertia, or the venality Of subordi-
mates who would evade them, or were
willing to countenance evasion by others,
how can he hope to execute new and I'M
necessary laws?
The COrkmen's DAY on