The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-04-06
CIVIL SERVICE
No. 2

SeTVlCe COIuIulsslOH Wde w P".
itself nnder the rules created by
itself and as it is the sole and ex-
elusive Judge of its own "behavior''
it is needless to say there has
seldom been a vacancy in the COM
mission except those caused by
death or resignation for a better
position. 1t is claimed that the
government service has been greatly
improved by this system. am
not authority on this subject but
/ do know that there was one de-
partment of the government, the
Census Bureau, that was not under
scivil service rules until its work
was practically finished, and in
dicipline, accuracy and amount of
work performed it excelled any
other department in the city of
Washington. The reason is
simple. 1t had business man and
not a theorist, at the head, and he
run it the same way a man would
conduct it if it were a private enter
prise and not a government institu-
ton.
1t is a matter of knowledge that
the Civil Service law was passed
in the first place by false pretenses.
Its provisions have been extended
in the "night time, it's permanency
has been perpetuated by cunning
manipulations, and it's administra-
ton has been marked by fraud and
hypocricy unparalleled in the
history of the country. 1t dis
eliminates in the most bald faced
manner between the different Sec
tons of the country, and the only
reason that it has not long ago
been abolished or modified in re-
spouse to public sentiment lies in
the fact that it's operations have
been skillfully hidden from the
public and it's workings have been
concealed from the people. 1t
seems strange to me that it is
necessary to keep measure of the
"greatest public benefit in closet,
or hide "merit'' under a cloak of
secrecy, for Truth loves sunlight
while Deceit can only thrive in
shadows; and the reason why this
course is pursued is because the
whole system is full of the most
palpable absurdities, subtle decep-
ton and self evident sycophancy.
When the law was first passed
the assertion was made by it's ad-
vocates that it was only intended
to apply to a few employer whose
duties required technical know
ledge that was only possessed by a
few. If it's present sweeping
character had been proclaimed at
that time it could no more have
passed Congress than law could
be passed detaching Minnesota
from the Union, declaring it
monarchy, and making the present
governor king and his relatives
princes of the blood.
Class after class of government
employees have been put under it's
provisions, care always being taken
to select those that came least in
contact with the public so that
gradually all the clerical force and
skilled labor has been put under
its ridiculous regulations.
What earthly reason can exist
why a nine hundred dollar clerk
in the Post Office Department at
Washington must pass competitive
scholastic examination in order to
discover his fitness for a place and
then be appointed for life, that
does not apply with equal force to
to the postmaster of a city. Of
all officers in the government en-
ploy there are more reason why
postmasters should hold their places
during "good behavior" than any
other officers for upon their ex-
perience, care and fidelity depend
the business interests of the
country, yet even the most ardent
advocate of s'civil service" does
not dare to propose to make them
offers" The only reason is that
postmasters come in direct contact