The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-30
CIVIL SERVICE.

CIVIL SERVICE.
1t is rather hard for me to write
on political subjects or political
legislation. Financial matters and
financial Legislation l know all
about and l am perfectly at home
on those topics. l am a great
fnancier but not much of a
politician.
Government officials are divided
into two great classes:
Elective,
Appointive.
Appointive officers are classed as:
Military,
Naval,
Civil.
From the very outset of our
government the people were consti-
tuted the sole judges of the
qualifications of elective officers.
With the single exception of the
Office of President and Vice Presi-
dent, who were required to be
native born, and an age limit on
Senators and Congressman, a voter
may be too young but he can never
become too old to be Senator or
Congressman. There are those
who think the age limit has been
placed on the wrong end.
Any citizen qualified to vote had
the right and has now the right to
offer himself as candidate for any
elective Office with the exceptions
noted. Thus the millionaire and
the day laborer, the man who could
not read and write, the man who
educated himself by the faring
light of pine-knots, and the college
graduates were all placed on equal
footing, and every man chosen was
required at stated intervals to 90
back to the people, the source from
whence he received bis authority,
for a renewal of his license to act
for them-that is why this nation
is republic; any other plan would
make it a monarchy, or worse.
The military and navel officers
are in the first place selected by the
Congressman from the bright boys
of their respective districts, and
educated lat government institutions
at government expense for the
peculiar duties they are required to
perform. Then they are commits
stoned by the President and remain
in government service for life if
they so desire, or until accident,
disease, or old age incapacitates
them from service, then they be-
come pensioners and the government
pays them regular stipend as long
as they live. But it should always
be borne in mind that this life
tensure is not held out as an
ind,tcement but is made condition
of the government paying the
expenses of their education. The
military and naval authority is
subordinate to the civil except in
time of war. Army and navy
officers are neither legislative,
executive nor judicial officers.
They have nothing whatever to do
with the administration of the civil
affairs of the government. Their
duties are of technical character
requiring technical education and
cannot well be performed by
persons who have not been SO
trained, and as this education is
furnished them at the expense of
the government it is manifestly
proper that they should serve for
life.
The duties of the last mentioned
class of officers are purely civil, and
hence they are known as "Civil
Service Appointees." Until com,
paratively recent times these were
appointed by the President,
generally upon the recommendation
of the Senators or Members OF
Congress. They held their Office
at the pleasure of the appointing
power. As a matter of fact wher
the political complexion of the ad
ministration changed most of these
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