Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-26

| "S"iiSt me SpoliS system to the clima>
reached by the death of President Gar
field ut the hands OF Il disappoiutcd ont
half-crazcd New York Office seeker il
iHNl. and to the passage in 1SS:; of "Ar
| Act to Regulate and Improve the Civil
| Service of the United States" thus. ..
| Years ago this month, the national prons
| We're taken from the spoils system and
the merit system stood out in bold relief
We accept the definition of another Of
the merit system as opposed to the spoils
system winch Is characterized a political
pull, and under which," says Hon. Carl
SchurZ. "a great many public servant
have done their duty and have kept tEcir
integrity intact but they did this NOT
owing to the prevailing system. but in
spite of its demoralizinS infuencesf'
The Merit System comprises: First
that plan of appointment to public ntfic.
which is based upon the merit o,. fitness;
OF the applicant to perform the duties of
the csition applied for. asccrtaincd be
open competitive examinations or tests.
Second, that method OF promotion in the
public service which is: founded upou
proved efficiency and ability in the dis
charge of duty and service. Third. if in
cludcS removals, which are based unou
actual inability or incttcicncy to perform
the functions of the position occupicd .
and 1t is Il system in which appoint
mcntS. Promotions ana removals are alike
tisln considcra tious"
S,tnI,
law as IT, scope.
There are more than 600 classes Of no
SitionS under the government, profession
I'll. scientific, clerical and mechanical. and
the tests are made as nearly rs possible
to vt each case. The solicitation of mon
eN Tor campaign purposes from any en-
plny", one of the features of the old
regime. is made Il criminal offence.
We can only suggest for your discus
sion the scope of tic educational yorI,
that coulG be carried on under the M
rlication Of reform methods. There should
be a distinct separation between politics
and school life. city and rural.
Favoritism in the appointment of teach
erS should not be tolerated. If as George
W illiam Curtis said. tho alphabet is the
ally of liberty and in any accurate ac-
count of the forces that have mad.
America, the public school must stand
first it is lmportan. that the leadership
should be of the best
They may be named as follows: The
civil service commission of the United
States, the commissions of New York
~ u
Service Reform League. the civil service
reform associations Of the different states
the womon's auXiliarcs of Nuy- York
Massachusetts, ard Maryland, the COM
mittccs connected with tic associations
of collcSi;lte aiumrac, patriotic societies
and the National Municipal League
These. with the civil service reform
committees in II stat, and territorial fed.
crations. and those at work in this line
in connection with other committees in II
additional states ana territories. conyti-
tutc Il working force recognizing no party
affiliations bu, standing for merit alone.
Let our national chairman OF this de-
partmcnt Of work answer:
The world has ever looked To woman
as the homc-maker and the home keeper.
Can She not become the reg. nc.ator and
keeper of the nation?
v nj" 81" cannot do I'll. she can do
much. She can inform herself with re-.
gard to tn" conditions about her she can
urge the study Of good citizenship and
sound government. she can watch tn.
life IF the community in which she lives.
she can add her strength to tho forces
Ill" race. she can study into the force,
that block necessary reforms ana Ill. can
follow the Investigations Of great public
frauds. Above all she can ts" her in
Thence towards :hc formation of that in
tclliscnt public opinion which must al
ways be the foundation Of any concerted
action. and without which reform Of any
kind is impossible
There are many thousands of women
in America organized for club work. They
may be a great power in raising the
standard of national life.
They have different political opinions,
but common ground is found in This sub.
l,ct considered in non-partiSan spirit.
Seli-cllturc may well go hand in hand
with Il broad spirit of hclpfulncss
Sine" W" have no knowledge Of work
done i'm this line by Maine clubwomcn. ".
must depend on that attempted ana ac-
complishcd iii other states as suggestions
to ourselves.
According to the last annual report in
the Federation Ballctin, at least 300 club
meetings in the interest of civil service
reform were held last year. The program
for the majority Of these meetings was
furnished by club members. As n res,,l,
great interest has been awakened in what
would otherwise have been an unattrac-
tive theme.
Much literature has been distributed by
State Federation and club committees. A
great effort to teach the young people of
our country in our colleges, normal. high
and grammar schools. the principles of
sound government has been made by New
York and Massachusetts, auxiliaries
through the distribution last year Of more
than 100000 valuable pamphlets free of
charge to any principal or teacher who