Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-04-16
THE cITIL sERTIoE 0UI 'oN

cite the notwithstanding utitude and
ecomplish Holhing more. questions of
pctual interest are hle,naing to receive
ln0fe attention by aoh ainded men in
pubic station The beet of what is
tailed the men ,cm," as applied to
public employer las recently been dis
iassed vlt interest by high officials Of
lhis State 04 ne National Government.
\ short ume o Governor Crothers. of this
State was ASKED whether he favored civil
service examinations for applicants for po-
siuors ~ trust and responsibility and
whe, ne thought that was the best way
OF insuring faithful honest and competent
officials.
NO" said he, Il do not The fact that a
candidate for Office can pass civil service
examination and get high mark for pro-
ficiency with his pen Or for technical knowl-
edge than others who compete with him,
will not give what we want The man
who passes the best examination is not al
ways the most honest, most faithful or the
best man. Sometimes he is the worst.
This young man Downs. who has gotten
himself into trouble in Baltimore, could
probably have passed civil service exam
ination for the place he held. He was
evidently shrewd fellow. with plenty of
ability and facility with his pen. He is
the very kind Of man who could pass a
good civil service examination. No, you
wanI something more than that
What we ought to do in making appoint
ments TO places OF this kind is to know
something about the character and kind Of
man we name. 1t is not enough to know
that he is good penman and has thor
ough knowledge of bookkeeping. That is
all he requires to pass a civil service ex-
animation. but what is more essential is to
know how he lives and what sort of a fell
lew he is. What company does he keep
Is he drinking man? Is he a gambler
Does he frequent the races? Does he
spend more money than he makes? Does
he pay his debts? Is he moral or an i'm
moral fellow? What do his neighbors and
friends think of him?
These are some of the things that seem
to me to be more important than his ability
to pass an examination of a clerical ma
ture. No, we cannot cure these things by
civil service examinations. There must be
something more than that.
Fitness and capacity are, of course
essential am no advocate of unfit men
for office. believe in and insist upon fit
ness. A man under this administration tC
hold the place he has must be able to per-
form the duties of that place satisfactorily
but there is something more than that to
make it safe for the State to put him in a
position of trust and responsibility, and
we cannot bring il about solely through
civil service examinations.
In dealing with the same subject in the
Senate of the United States few days
ago, Senator Scott, of West Virginia. said
when was Commissioner of Internal
Revenue-the greatest bureau, as believe
of this Government. which collects more
money to defray the expense of the Gov
eminent than any other-I refused tC
recognize the Civil Service Commission in
the appointment of storekeepers and
gaugers and some other officers. VIVA,
was the proposition of the then chairman
of that commission to me? He came ii
person and told me that if would senC
him the names of three gentlemen whom
wanted appointed and indicate that tn,
first name was the man whom | wanted
appointed, the commission would certif,
him back to me, if would ask for the Ger
tiication of the Civil Service Commission.
would not do it. That is the system W,
are laboring under to-day. 1t is just a.
the Senator from Texas [Mr Bailey says
nothing but Hypocrisy and deceit TIL,
people of this country are being fooled
That is the whole secret of it, Mr.. Presi
dent"
In speaking of the law which require
scrub-women to undergo an examination
to test their fitness to scrub up floors, Sen
ator Bailey. of Texas. said "Mr. President
simply want to say that if the civil-ser
vice regulations and system are to be pre-
served it is useless to resist their applica
ton to even unskilled laborers 1t will
finally be made to cover everybody excep
Representatives and Senators Congress
will never apply it to these, because no
one in ten of them can stand the civil
service examination"
Mr.. Gallinger said: 81 will agree witt
the Senator from Texas that not one in tel
of them could make rs per cent in such al
examination. have no idea they coul,
do So
Mr.. Bailey said: And yet we practic,
before the country the absurdity of sayini
that these men are qualified TO make tn
laws under which the people live and We
would not be qualified for clerkship in TIN
Treasury Department. There was neve
grosser absurdity..'
Mr.. Gallinger continued: ~ was about t
say, Mr.. President. that in my Opinion
civil service has run mad in this country
literally run mad and when we come t
a point where we are asking great com
mission to examine charwomen as to tn
question of whether or not they can scra
floors and perform the other duties requir
ed of charwomen, and messenger boys a
to whether or not they can carry message
or do that kind of work. it is an absurdit
that no language of mine can properl
characterize. Our departments are crowde,
with men and women who are of very it'll
service to the Government, but no head o
department will dismiss them. and the,
will remain there, suppose. until dealt
calls them from their scene of action. VI
are building up a system Of life tenure il
the government service.
Two or three years ago was in one
the departments, when my attention wa
called by the head of the denartment 10