Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-05-31

tinct honor and credit both to Miss
Lecount and the highschool. The Win
ming essay is published below:
COMPARISON OF THE SPOILS
AND MERIT SYSTEMS
Years ago, when our nation was
young, the men who made our consti
tuition little thought it would be neces-
sary to take steps to combat such an
evil as the spOils system. They had
entire faith in the man they chose for
their leader-sO much so, that they
gave him the right to appoint, either
directly or indirectly, practically all
federal officers The consent of the
senate was needed for the appointment
of the most important but the preSi-
dent could remove any of them at will.
The first presidents respected the
put into office, men who were capa
BILE and efficient. But in the meantime
new parties had sprung into existence
and party spirit came to govern, more
and more, the powers that be" An
drew Jackson was the first president
to break away entirely from the old
order of things and to him we accredit
the introduction of the spoils system
into federal government. And to the
spOils system we accredit the array
of machines rings, bosses and graft
ers i'll general who go to make up
political corruption.
The system works something like
this-the popular party leaders in
each section of the county who control
the votes of that section, swing the
votes in favor of certain man. This
man, if elected by virtue of his power
to remove and appoint officers, can re-
ward his adherents with some lucra-
tive office.
This system, sometimes called 'rota-
ton in office" gained rapidly in favor
business of the government could not
be carried on smoothly unless all. the
office holders were of the same party.
They excused the probable lack of eff
cheney in some officials by giving their
version of George, the Thirds idea.
He insinuated that if one is clever
enough to make people give him a
place, he is clever enough to discharge
it's duties or conceal the fact that he is
not discharging them.
The effect of the spoils system on
the government and on the people at
large is very apparent. Men who seek
an office for selfish reasons only are
certainly not the kind of men needed
to serve the country. So common had
this system become that people began
to think every politician a scamp,
every office holder a CRATER. Of
course this is not strictly true. There
are men in the race whose patriotism
beh00ves them to place the welfare of
their country before their desire for
money or position, but they are few
and far between and are generally
not strong enough to overcome the or
gained opposition of a strong pOliti-
cal machine. Is it any wonder that the
public bewails the fact that it is not
represented by its best men?
However quick the American peO-
pie are to recognize the evils i'll their
politics, they are rather slow to rem
edy them. But like all great evils the
spOils system was met at last by a
great reform. This was the Civil
Service Reform movement fostered by
George w. Curtis and first put into
-
Prominent men recognized the need for
such reform long before it came. Back
in 1868 Lincoln stood on the steps of
the White House and said to a friend
as he indicated the crowd of office
seekers before the building, Look at
that Now we have conquered the Re-
helliOn but here you see something
that may become more dangerous to
this Republic than the Rebellion it
self" The progress of the movement
was slow but it's hold was very secure.
1t was applied at first to positions of
the least Importance, but as the people
began to see it's real value, it was ex-
tended to large positions and wider
territory
The system of selecting men to fill
government positions under this move
ment is known as the Merit System.
A person desiring appointment under
the system must first pass a practical
examination which tests his ability to
perform the duties of the desired Of
flee. If he receives an average per-
centage of 20 or over, he is considered
eligible to the position however. the
nearer ones grade is to the 100 per
cent mark the larger are his chances for
appointment. This work for the move
ment in each state is carried on by
Civil Service Commission of three
members, appointed by the governor,
with the consent of the senate. One
commissioner is appointed every two
years and serves for six years.
The merit system has been estab-
lished in a number of states and large