The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-10-25

age The chairman opened his ad-
dress with reference to the awful
burden of the Nations fate on the
him, Gentlemen said he "It is not
the fate of the nation that worries
me just now but your pesky post
Office These Incidents throw a
strong light on the waste of time
and strength imposed by the spoils
system.
The scramble for office between
factions of the party in possession
became SO intense that In the Gus
tom House in N. Y. five collectors
of the same party made over 1000
removals in a period of as many
days, and the service grew worse.
In 1881 Guiteau an Office seeker
from N. Y. failed in procuring the
office he wished and assassinated
President Garfield whom he charged
with his failure. Theis proved the
turning points, at the next session
of Congress bills were introduced
for the establishment of the merit
system.
1t was entitled an act to improve
and regulate the Civil Service Of the
U. s.
From this time until the present
Civil Service has steadily grown In
favor. From the report of the U. 8.
c. S. Commission issued in 1905
there were 154.O93 competitive posi-
tions, and civil service laws are
now no longer looked upon as ex-
periments. They are In successful
operation In the several departments
over which the U. s. has jurisdiction
and five states have c. s. laws. Mass
has issued its 23rd annual report
N. Y. its % central report. It's cous-
in, Illinois and Colorado each have a
C. S. Code. The N. Y. law applies
to the state, cities and counties. The
Mass. law passed in 1884 applied
to the State Service and the city Of
Boston but contained clause by
which other cities could adopt 1t by
proper vote and almost all the cities
have adopted it, The Wis. law ap-
plies to the state Service only. The
Ill. law applies to the state chari-
table institutions only. The Colorado
law which was passed during 1907
applies to the state institutions and
the Civil Service commission only.
but contains a clause by which cities
can adopt 1t by proper vote.
The laws are giving good results
In all the states. In Colorado 1t is
too early of course to speak of re-
suits.
Indiana has a law providing that
all employees of state institutions
shall be appointed after examina-
tions but there Is no provisions re-
Quiring competition.
great number of cities In the U.
S. have C. s. laws applying to part or
all the departments Of City Govern
ment when the states in which they
are located do not have c. s. laws.
Now let us look into the difference
between its merit and the spoils sys-
TEN.
Under the spoils system the office
holder gets his place from his party
and is taxed by his party managers.
The intent of the law is put stop
to this. 1t holds that the officer Is
bound only to hold his office by the
merit he possesses for ito earn
his pay by honest work and free to
spend it as he chooses. | am sure
all will believe that the spoils system
is an evil and the merit system Is
the only cure for the evil. What we
want to know is what practical thing
can be done about 1t.
A lecturer on Civil Service Re-
form has called 1t a shield against
the attacks of men who are trying
to serve, not the state, but them
selves, and help to those who are
trying to fight them. Looked at from
the point of men OF the employed
1t Is combat for fair play and
no favor. Looked at from the point
of view of the employing public 1t
is a fight for morality in economics.
Looked at from the point Of view
of the public at large 1t is struggle
for morality in politics. Let US take
it from the standpointof the employ
ed.
A clerk presents himself as a can
didate for clerkship his examina-
tjon gives weight to accuracy and
quckness in figures, clearness and
rapidity in writing familiarity with
the principle Of bookkeeping. If 1t Is
for some special place trained eX-