Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-14
lions changes and amendments have been
bought for.
Bills Pis,eon-Holed in Committee.

Every one OF these bills has been sent to
the committee on reform In the civil serv-
ice And. strange II may appear to a
representative. not one of them was ever
reported You talk about sitting on the
lid. II ever there was a lid that was fas-
tened down and has strangied the fntelli-
gence OF the American Congress on this
hnighty question It was the lid that has
been sat upon by the committee on civil
service reform of This House OF Repre-
seutatives since 1883, for not one bill was
ever brought out.
Limited Tenure the Basic Idea.
IF you keep men in office until they De
come seventy years of age and upward and
Become worthless. comparatively so: IL
there Is humanity IN the government we
must create a vast civil list and That us.
must go on and grow-grow as this list
- growing. What will be the effect now
OF Topping off the proportion of these clerks
ttat - proposed by the processes OF tnis
bill? Why. you would turn back and dissl-
spate the pillows and the waves that are
crushing out decent reform here for year
o. two years. but II will keep coming-con-
dns from the boundless resources of life
tenure OF office.
This government is founded upon the
idea of rotation IN office and we have TO
70 before a competitive campaign every
two years and the President every four
years and the senators every six years,
and all through our whole mighty system
OF free government the idea OF limited
terms of Office is the controlling principle,
and yet there is elected into this govern
ment principle that is Numerically and
wholly and utterly opposed to the principle
thus involved.
Now / have said that no man on this
noor or in this House for twenty years has
ever attempted far as can remember
70 go back to what is called the SPOTS
system There is only just this much
spoiIs system left in this country. and that
Undoubtedly Will be wiped out in due time
ard the civil service commission with their
bugology and astronomy and chemistry
will operate on those lines.
Thus far there has been left to the IN
telfigeuce and patriotism and wisdom OF
the American congressman the primary
nomination of cadets at West Point ana
Indshpmen at Annapolis, and IT must De
said that out of the product OF these con-
gressmen's wisdom and patriotism there
Ias come some pretty good men to the front
In America. Phil Sheridan was appointed
in the district / represent, little irish
lyoy carving water to his fathers men
working on a canal contract, by the recon-
incubation of congressman. He conid
NOT have passed a civil service examination
for an elevator in one of these public build
ings Ulysses s. Grant was sent from Ohio
by old Harmon, and so on all along the
line.
And George Dewey and Schley and samp-
son, and coming on all the way down
through the ma gnificent galaxy of men who
have distinguished themselves and not DIS
graced themselves, this government mas
been I'm its military arm represented by the
spOilS system. 1t has all gone but tnat, ana
that Is as rapidly going possible, for con-
xressmen will find out that there Is
very earnest suggest on made every ume
YOU nominate cadet or midshipman that
sou send him before the civil service COM
mission.
Would Not Go Back.
81 have said. and I stand by it, that the
opinion of this House. that has been so
-or.Y,c
expressed. has never been in favor of over
throwing all that is valuable in the civil
service system of the United States. 1
would scorn to hold myself up as a man
VINO desired To go back to the situation that
congressman might nominate and appoint
rs It were clerks in the departments here
in Washington.
Nobody has ever thought of 1t. but it
has been taken up and falsely and vicious
IL and wickedly and Crtminally and libel
odSly hurled at the men who have stood
here and fairly sought an opportunity to
present to the American people their views
upon this subject. l say no man in the
twenty years OF my service here has ever
uttered such proposition that. and yet
constantly and everywhere we have been
trIluced In this way.
Now. Mr.. Chairman, some years ago in
The Fifty nth Congress- when the troubles
that are now rapidly before US were
coming in every direction, wise men
that something must be done, something
ought to he done. so this disssraceful con-
Gition would be arrested. and after a con-
siderable consultation something over one
hundred members OF this House on the re
publican side held conferences one after the
other and discussed fully possible the
views of each member as to what ought
to DE done with the civil service of the
government.
Il have said that these evils had been
pr0phe tically declared, and in order to pre-
sent our views. to assure the American
people hat the so-calied spoilsmen OF the
House of Representatives had meyer
dreamed Of any proceedings such as was
being characterized. finally after full dis
Cussion we prepared bill, which in
PRODUCED by MIR Evans of Kentucky, now
judge OF the United States district court.
The Matter of Experience.
Too much attention and consideration"
said Mr.. Grosvenor. lis given TO the mat
ter OF a clerk experience. How long would
IL take college graduate, or even high
school boy. to become an efficient clerk?
JUST about one day! You would merely
have TO SHOW him what to do, and he would
do it. There Is mighty little IN the govern
neut departments that requires great
amount of skill and training. No greater
injury said Mr.. Grosvenor impressveiy.
could be done to nine out OF ten American
young men than to give them a place in one
OF the government departments. Cap
plause.)
i know | speak with more than ordi-
nary feeling on the subject. and many of
the members of this House know the rea-
When sou put a young man In a gov
eminent department III tell you what YOU
do In the case OF nine out Of ten young
men you make them into mere automatfc
machines They expect 10 remain in Office
AL their lives. II becomes their life work
L. do Just as little as possible
! have often heard il said that there is
nothing 10 keep these young men in office
That IS true but how many Of them get
OUT They say TO themselves Well. il |
resign l must hunt a new place for my
sell. aud they stay until they die.
! know of no more pitiful object than a
government clerk who has grown old IN
The department service a superannuated
clerk with threadbare coat and Struggling
locks. hanging on to his desk because he
has no other place to go. lie has actually
become pensioner on the government
II Is not the fault OF the clerk who has
grown old living under tile inducements
held out 10 him. He is assured OF a life
job He IS beneficiary OF this so-cti'ed
merit system.
Story CT Two Young Men.
Not many years ago there were two
young men In my district who competed for
a position under the civil service one or
them came cut ahead by about point and
Halt IN 100 That fortunate man Is now