Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-12-20
The Repeal OF The Civil Service
Law.
From the Frederick Citizen.

From the Frederick Citizen.
There is general discussion of the Civil
Service Law going on in the press and by
the public generally. This law has now
been in operation for some twenty years,
and has been adopted as a rule of action
by the Federal administration of the gov
eminent. 1t was not adopted by unanimity,
but by majority of both the Democratic and
the Republican parties in the face of strong
opposition in both parties. 1t was adopted
upon various reasons and arguments offered
by its sponsors, who warmly defended the
law. 1t has been given very full and
general trial and say of it what its friends
and advocates may. it has not been salts
factory. nor has it grown stronger in the
public judgment 1t was largely supported
upon two grounds. The first was that it
would secure more efficient service and
more efficient employees in the government
service.
And in the second place it was con-
tended that it would eliminate partisan
politics to great degree,
These were the strong arguments and
were largely the reasons for the passage of
the law.
Pernicious activity of Federal office
holders is very Objectionable, and often
leads to abuse and corruption. In so far
as the experience of the law in its opera
ton has been, it is very grave question
whether the government has been more
efficiently served or has obtained more
efficient employees.
One thing must be admitted and cannot
be refuted and that is, that the public
service has largely deteriorated since the
Civil Service Law has been in operation.
This would not have been the case If the
law had done what its advocates claimed
for it, because If the law had brought
beneficial reforms in the service of the
government, there would have been some
improvement in the public service. Nor
has it eliminated partisan politics in the
slightest degree, but on the contrary parti
san politics Of the most fragrant character
has been the rule ever since the adoption
of Civil Service.
And furthermore. instead of a saving of
public expenditures they have more than
doubled in the past sixteen years, during
all of this time this law was in operation.
Every Federal officeholder, from the top
down to the letter carriers are engaged in
partisan politics of the most pernicious
sort in Federal, State and municipal cleo
tons.
So far as partisan politics is concerned
the Civil Service Law is an absolute fake
and fraud. But its failure to do what was
claimed for 1t, is not the most serious OBJ
lection to this law. Its worst features are
that it shuts absolutely the door of oppor-
tunity to every ambitious young man, and
for that matter to every middle aged man
in the United States to get a place in
the government service, no matter how
capable and efficient he may be, unless he
can pass some sort of an examination by
some board. which examination utterly
fails to test the real qualifications of those
who take it. This rule is not applied to
the highest officers Of the government.
Senators. Congressman, Judges and the
heads of the departments. all take their
positions without examinations of any kind
whatever. In the second place. il creates
an ofiiceholding oligarchy, which hold Office
for life and then are retired on PENSIONS
which is the most dangerous and expen-
sive system and utterly at variance with
free people and Republican form of gov
eminent. There ought to be no life-tenures
of Office in free government such as ours
1t smacks Of monarchy, and was in fact
borrowed from monarchy.
These are glaring defects in our system.
and they were adopted against the advice
of Thomas Jefferson, the worlds greatest
statesman, and one OF the greatest patriots
of our country. Our government in theory
has no closed doors at least ii was in.
tended by our forefathers to be no closed
doors, but all the avenues Of employment
and advancement under the government
and all pursuits and occupations were in
tended to be free and open to all of its
citizens, which is the only true and proper
rule for free and equal people.
We favor the repeal Of the Civil Service
Law as best for the government and for
the people.