The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-09-15

| A measure more indefensible from most
arbitrarily retire all Government employees
upon reaching the age of 20 has seldom, il
ever been presented to Congress. 1t was
about as vicious a bit of generalization as
can be imagined and as inimical to true
public policy as mercilessly ungrateful.
1t was vicious in it's generalization, be-
| cause of assuming that the age of 20 in
evitably brings marked diminution of
mems mental powers. This is not borne
| ordinary walks of life. While it is true
| that many men show a marked mental de-
cay at 20. still larger proportion show
an intellectual decline at 60. still more at
so, and still more at 40. In any given
thousand of men a very large percentage
will show a strong mental decline as soon
as the first flush of youth is passed. Very
many men lose their quickness, alertness,
energy and readiness of comprehension as
soon as they turn 30. This is because they
flabby, dull and listless. Others do not do
this until they pass 40, and others as they
turn the half-century mark.
1t is the same way with their physical
vigor. Of every 1000 children born go
die before reaching the age of six, one half
before reaching the age Of Is, and only
one in 10 lives to be 65.
Take De Moure's famous law, for in
stance, which is the basis of all life in
surance calculations. This is that of every
Sc children born on the same day, one
will die every year until all are dead.
Therefore one-half of them have de-
Fundamentally and physically-and died
by the time they have reached 43. Conse-
quently, if the hard-and-fast application of
Mr.. Gillett's age rule is made, one-half
of the Government clerks ought to be per-
emptorily retired at 43. If they are not
already dead they are suffering such men
tai and physical decay as to render them
unfit for Government service.
At the age Of so there should be but 36
of the original SO retained. and so on.
Every observing man will say that this
| is absurd, for at 40 and so men are at
their very best for mental work.
AS a rule. long-lived people have un-
usual mental activity, and this does not
share in the body's slow decay, but rather
seems to ripen and improve with age.
| Evidence of the truth of this can be found
| in any community where there are septua-
genarians and octogenarians who are
! counted the brightest and shrewdest in the
| neighborhood.
| The best proof of it is afforded by the
Cabinet, the Supreme Court and the Con-
gress Of the United States, all of which
are firmly controlled by men who are very
near or past 10, and whose vigorous in
| tellects hold their mastery in spite of the
fierce competition of younger men.
In the civil service Of the Government
the confessedly ablest and most valuable
men have as rule passed their third
score. In very many cases their long ex-
perience and training have made them
almost indispensable to the Government.
Their years Of service have given them a
great advantage over younger men in their
thorough knowledge-intimate familiarity
with every possible phase and feature
| of their official work. They accomplish
| much more in day, because they know
at once what to do and how to do it, while
newer corners have to study out or be
| laboriously informed what to do. In the
| examinations in the Departments at
Washington-conducted with no friend
| illness, to say the least, toward the older
| men-there are always numerous aston
| ishing instances Of old clerks making q
percentage of from 95 to 100. where much
younger men fall from 10 to 20 per cent
below that efficiency rating:
1t would be manifestly very bad public
policy to turn out summarily clerks and
others whose knowledge and experience
are essential to the rapid and correct
| transaction of business in the lines in
which they have become experts.
1t wonld be still worse public policy
| to turn out men who have been in public
employ for years, for no other reason than
they have reached 70. This would con-
denim the Government to get it's clerks
from an inferior class of men than seek
employment on railroads and in other
great corporations. To retain his place as
long as he does his work we'll is one of
the greatest inducements to a man in de-
| termining where he will offer his services
If he is not going to be treated as well by
the Government as by q corporation, he
will go to the corporation, and the Gov
eminent will have to put up with a less
| desirable man.
All other civilized Governments have
long ago settled~down firmly to the rule
that a life-tenure- with a retiring pension
when incapacitated is necessary to get the
best men and the best service out of them.
Mr.. &illetts bill simply slaps in the face
the civil service ideas of every other Ma
ton.
Our most particular concern is for the
veterans of the war of the rebellion. and
their widows, who would be more imne-
diately affected by such law than any
other class. 1t ought to be termed "A
Bill for Wedding Union Veterans and
Their Widows Out OF the Public Service, !"
for that would be its chief result. By the
time it would be in operation a year or
!, two, the dissatisfaction with n wouId ho