The Washington herald., 1912-05-26
.LAW WOULD RUIN
CIVIL SERVICE
Adoption of Ffrs-ysar Term for Dis.
trict Employees in Departments
Wonld Be DemOraliEing.
BAD POLICY FOR THE NATION
ny oHARLEs DICK,
- -. q on, Hunar.l

The provision in the executive. legisla-
tive, and judicial appropriation bin as IT
passed the House to limit All appoint
ments IN the classified civil service IN the
District to dve years has been discussed
freely from the standpoint Of the en-
ploye, and the many disastrous and un-
favorable results OF such a law have been
pointed out IN strong termA What the
eject would be upon the employer. which
IS the government Is equally important
because every man, woman, and child in
the country is interested in ehicient ana
economical administration.
The civil service law has In the past
few years been extended TO cover nearly
every bEznch OF the government service
The merit system has been by Executive
order applied in bureaus and depart
ments not included by the law, as in
the consular service and among fourth
claGs postmasters. This system has be-
come 50 firmly established we have al
most forgotten any other system ever
prevailed Public sentiment has so thor
oughly crystallized IN condemnation Of
using public ONCE to reward ones
friends or TO punish his enemies that
the mere suspicion such a course is be-
ing pursued brings instant eondemna-
ton.
The proposal at this late day to limit
all appointments in the classified service
here to a term Of years seems like turn
ing back the hands of the clock. In an
era when progressive ideas are triumph
ing it would be generally accepted as a
return to condemned political practices
OF twenty and more years ago.
Would Rush for once.
Washington has often seen what the
late former President Cleveland called
The madness for spoils in first ef
ONCE by hordes Of hungry partisans
which the city has repeatedly seen un-
der the spoils system would be no worse
than the spectacle that would be seen
here in 1917 on the expiration Of the
first ive-year term OF ONCE, especially
II there has been a change in party
control
OF course it is said that this pro-
posed change In the law Is not blow
aimed at the merit system, but such
a claim viii deceive no one. Like the
fOur-year-term Of once law passed in
the Monroe administration, It Is a piece
Of sharp political practice. That law
was passed ostensibly for the purpose
Of improving the public service; its real
purpose was to build up a political ma
chine. Jefferson spoke Of It as the
mischievous law vacating every four
years nearly all the executive of1ces Of
the government II has been referred
10 as the "quadrennial slaughter; relic
OF. American savageness."
Shortly after the fan OF Richmond,
Lincoln pointed to crowd OF ONCE seek
ers besieging the White House, and
mOurnfully said to friend: Look at
this. We have conquered the rebellion;
but here you see something that may
become more dangerous to the Republic
than the rebellion Itself" ~
40 President Cleveland doubted whether /
our government could survive the strain |
of a continuance Of the spoIls system |
which upon every change Of administra- |
tion inspires an immense army of /
claimants for once to lay Siege TO the |
patronage Of government. The demor-
aliZing madness for spoils'' against which |
he warned would be returned worse /
than ever II all civil service appoint |
ments were made for a term Of five
years.
Common Sense Law. -
The civil service law is the application |
Of common sense and common honesty
to the public service. A tenure OF Of
fee dependent upon good behavior and
With a hope Of promotion are the two |
strongest incentives to eficient work. It
is well at this time to recall the fact
that the heads Of all the executive de-
partments have for many years, without
notable exception, borne vigorous testi-
mony to the increased efficiency in the
public service, brought about by the
civil service system.
The executive departments are merely
branches Of a big business, which should
be run on business principles From
that standpoint, nothing could be more
absurd than a fye-year term OF en-
ployment Who would deposit his money
in bank whose MANAGEMENT announced
as its policy that II would dismiss its
employees every five years? Who would
entrust his life to a railroad operated
upon such a system7
The proposition is indefensibIe, unbusi-
ness-like, and demorallzing