Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-06

| slon.tl Flen OF all kindS-not only. mer
chants, but bankers, doctert$piaaufac
turers, professors, travellers, and tn,
| like-should be encouraged to com,
| here and treated on precisely the same
footing that we treat students. bushes.
men, travellers, and the like, of Other
nations. Our laws and treaties should
be framed, not SO as to put these people
in the excepted classes, but to state
that we will admit all Chinese, except
Chinese of the cOolie class, Chinese
skilled or UA1skilled laborers. Their.
would not be the least danger that any
such provision would result in any re.
| taxation of the law about labOrers
These will, under all conditions. be
Kept out absolutely. But it will be
more easy to see that both Justice and
courtesy are shown. as they ought 10
he shown, To other Chinese, if the law
or treaty is framed as above suggested
Examinations should be completed at
the port Of departure from China. For
this purpose there should be provided a
more adequate consular service in
China than we now have. The appro-
prIations. both for the offices of the
Consulates, Should be increased.
A people we have talked much of
the open door in China and we expect
and quite rightly intend to insist upon.
justice being shown US by the Chinese.
But We can not expect to receive equity
unless We DO equity. We can not ask
the Chinese to do to US what we are I'M
willing to do to them. They would
nave Il perfect right to exclude our
laboilng men if our lahoring men
threatened to come into their conn
try i'll such numbers as to LEOPARD
iZe the "eli-being OF the Chinese
population; ana as. mutatis mutandis.
these were the conditions with which
Chinese immigration actually brought
inns people lace to face, we had
ana nave Il perfect right which
the Chinese Government i'm no way
contests. to act as we have acted in the
matter of restricting coolie immiera-
ton. That this right exists for each
country was explicitly acknowledged in
the last treaty between the two conn
tries. But we muSt treat the Chinese
student, Traveller, and business man in
spillt OF the broadcast justice ana
courtesy if we expect similar treatment
to lie accorded to our own people of
similar rank who go to China. Much
trouble has come during the past sum-
mer from the organized boycott against
American goods which has been started
III China. The main factor i'm produce
ing this boycott has been the resent
ment felt by the students and business
people of China, by all the Chinese.
leaders, against the harshness OF our
!aW toward educated Cinnamon of the
professional and business classes.
rms Government has the friendliest
feeling for China and desires China's
Well-being. We cordially sy1npathi2c
with the announced purpose of japan
t" stand for the integrity of China
Such an attitude tends to the peace of
the world.
TIE CIVIL SERVICE.
The civil service law has been on the
statute books for twenty-five years
livery President and vast majority
OF heads of departments who have been
III Office during that period have fay-
ored Il gradual extension of the merit
system. The more thoroughly its prin
clples have been understood. the great
er has been the favor with which the
law has been regarded by administra-
tive officers Any attempt to carry on
the great executive departments of the
Government without this law would in
e'ltabiy result i'll chaos. The Civil
Service commissioners are doing cy-
cellent work; and their compensation
Is inadequate considering the service
they perform.
The statement that the examinations
are not practical in character is based
Oh misrepresentation of the practice of
the Commission. The departments are
invariably consulted as to the REQUIRE
ments desired and as to the character
OF questions that shall be asked. Cen
eral invitations are frequently sent out
10 al hcaGS of departments asking
whether any changes in the scope or
character of examinations are required.
In other words, the departments pre-
scribe the requirements and qualifica-
tons desired, and the Civil Service
commission coOperates with them in
securing persons with these uualifi-
cations and insuring open and I'M
partial competition. In Il large number
or examinations Gas for example those
for trades postions) there are no edu-
catlonal requirements whatever and n
person who can neither head nor write
may pass with a high average Vacan-
cieg in the service are filled with rea-
sonable expedition and the machinery
of the Commission, which reaches every
part of the country, is the best agency
mat has yet been devised for finding
people with the most suitable uualifi-
cations for the various offices to be
filled. Written competitive examina-
tons DO not make an ideal method for
filling positions. but they do represent
an unreasonable advance upon the
"spoils' method, under which outside
politicians really make the appoint
ments nominally made by The executive
officers. the appointees being chosen by
the politicians in question. in the great
majority of cases. for reasons totally
unccnnected with the needs of the serv-
ice or Of the public
Statistics gathered by the census
bureau show that the tenure of office
i'll the government service does not
differ materially from that enjoyed by