Evening star., 1932-12-18

establishment OF appointments 10 minor
Government positions upon the basis
of merit rather
Merit System in than political
the Civil Service. pleieiineH'' was
effected little
less than so years ago through the
passage of an act OF Congress, both
Houses being controlled by Republican
majorities, whereas the House OF Repre-
sentatives of the next Congress would
be organized by the Democrats. The
Star of December 13. 1882, says:
The Pendleton Civil Service bill,
now before the Senate. provides for a
board of commissioners of five, who
shall have supervision over all matters
pertaining to the Civil Service. The
commissioners are required to be select
ed for the different political parties,
and competitive examinations are made
the corner stone of the Pendleton struc-
ture. In the House numerous bills OF
this character have been introduced,
but the Kasson bill has the right Of
way. 1t has received the approval of
the Civil Service Reform Committee
and, while it does not lay down a sys-
tenn of competitive examinations, re-
quires that applicants for Office shall
be examined as to fitness. 1t also pro-
vides for flXity Of tenure and prohibits
members of Congress and United States
judges from interfering in the making
of appointments or from soliciting ap-
pointmentS. unless asked for advice or
for the recommendation of persons by
the appo.ntive power
1T is hardly necessary to SAY that
there is variety of opinion on this sub
ject in Congress. Indeed, it is ques-
tion prolific OF opinion and all the
various shades and lights in which it
is viewed by the congressional mind
will be pictured to the country in the
forthcoming debate. In this state OF
affairs there is 10 predicting what may
be the result in the shape of legislative
enactment, but the chances are that q
great deal Of talk and no legislation at
all will be the outcome.
The desire of the people of the coun-
try to see some substantial Improvement
in the method of filling the public posi-
tiOns is so manifest that no man who
has aspirations which depend upon the
votes of the people cares to set himself
up in opposition to it. Hence the queS-
ton of reform. when it comes before
Congress, will find plenty of advocates;
but the very fact that most Of the
members will want to put their favor
able opinions on record will operate as
h,ndering cause to any legislation.
The session is too short to admit OF any
great waste of time on a subject that
is tn be finally acted upon. and it is
not improbable that the debate upon
the question Of reforming the Civil
Service will take such wide range
hat 11r-f f1,, al IN Tanf II
to give way to other pressing matters.
This. however, is not the only cause
that will tend to defeat reform legisla-
tion. One powerful cause has already
been voiced by some Democratic Con-
gressmen who are bolder than others
of their party in stating their views.
The Democrats are naturally very much
elated at the result of the November
elections. and the prevailing view taken
of the future of the party is that it
only has to be upon good behavior for
the leXt two years to sweep the coun-
try IN 1884. In short, the Democrats
consider that they have the vantage
grol:-iJ for the next presidential con-
test. and they much prefer to defer
Civil Service reform until after the
Offices shall have been filled with DEM
ocrats There are those among them
who regard the present willingness of
the Republicans to vote for reform
law as an evidence Of the despair at
electing another Republican President,
and that, so despairing, the Republicans
now wish to effect legislation that will
retain their partisans in Office. One of
the most prominent of the Western
Democratic Senators calls the reform
agitation a Republican scheme to en-
trap the Democrats into voting for
legislation that will save the offices to
the Republicans after Democratic
President shall have been elected. This
Senator Is by no means alone in his
opinions. There are Democrats who
had much rather speak in favor Of
Civil Service reform now than to vote
for it,
Notwithstanding The Stars appre-
tensions, the. Civil Service reform bill
became Q law the month following.