Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-07-29

| tween S0U,UUU ana 9OU,UUU.
1t is claimed that large part of
the efficiency of state departments
in Wisconsin rests upon the work of
the civil service commission.
It is sometimes said that ours is
government of laws and not of man.
In measure, this is true. In de-
mocracy we must have untrammeled
expression of the popular will. In
yet another sense, however, we have
government of men, and we can
have no government better than the
men and women who administer it.
So far as possible, we need to COM
bine efficiency with the free express
sion of the popular will and the only
way to secure efficiency in public
service is through the recognition of
merit, and reasonable security in
office.
One reason, believe, for the rather
slow progress of civil service in this
country is the widespread and mis-
taken belief that civil service rules
prevent or improperly restrict the
removal of incompetent persons.
This is not the case. Removals for
cause may be made in any branch of
the public service. The service does
not prevent removal nor need it re-
suit in stagnation or in bureaucracy.
A civil service law must be work.
able Naturally a civil service en-
ploye must fulfill his duties. If he is
obstinate, lazy or otherwise inef-
ficient, he must be removed, and the
law to be effective must provide
means for such removal. A civil serv-
i ice law without teeth in it would
not improve conditions.
Under the spoils system we can
find such deplorable conditions as
an appointee of an elected executive
telling his superior, the department
head, "It makes little difference what
you say, 1 don't owe my job to you"
A few political pets of that kind
in any department will soon bring
down the discipline and morale of
the entire department.
A big majority of the individuals
now working for the federal, state
or municipal governments would re-
main under the civil service. The
merit system would weed out the
political leeches and swivel chair
artists, provide tenure of office and
security to those on the job, and thus
greatly improve the morale and the
service to the public.
In order to create and maintain
throughout the country a non-parti-
san, permanent civil service, the peo-
pie need to feel assured that the
members of the civil service, national,
state or municipal, cannot be used
by any party or person in power.
The people will dread the establish
ment of a permanent civil service
if they think it can be used to pro-
mote the interests of any party or
person that for the moment may be
in possession of the political power.
It is therefore an essential rule for
members of such a service that they
should have nothing whatever to do
with political or partisan activities.
In Europe this is a well understood
principle.
Of course this does not mean that
men and women working under civil
service should not vote in elections
and exercise their rights and duties
as citizens. Certainly, to vote is their
privilege and obligation, the same as
all other citizens. The issues being
drawn they have their preferences.
A public service which is to COM
mand respect must be organized on
the merit basis and not on the pa
tronage basis, and it should contain
no jokers. The people want honest,
efficient servants in every depart
ment of government and they want
them to be employed under condi-
tions which defend them from temp
tation of dishonesty or neglect of
duty. No employer has a right to
employ men and women on terms
which tempt them to sin, and least
of all should government commit this
grievous fault. The spoils or patron
age system subjects men in govern
ment positions to fierce temptation.
Their places are presumably tenn
porary and insecure. At any moment,
some other favorites or somebody
else's favorites, may displace them.
Every career in public service should
be open to merit and talent and
free from every kind of political,
financial or social influence This
condition should obtain in the in
terest of economy, efficiency and OF
democracy itself. 1 may add, it is
necessary for the proper protection
of the fundamental human rights
to the workers themselves.
With political jobs practically out
of the picture under the civil service
system, campaigns would take on an
entirely different aspect. It would
be principles and issues that would
dominate. True, issues are presented
in campaigns under the spoils sys-
tenn but, too often, the force back
of the campaign is patronage Actual
liberalism and progressivism, real in