Reqiiisites to a Reform of the Civil Service. 91 



recognizes and embodies important principles, which cannot be 

 contemptuously treated, which are sustained by reason and 

 have Btood the test of long-continued aud faithful trials in 

 other countries. 



It is no longer the rule that the clerkships in all the depart- 

 ments at Washington are filled by favorites of senators and 

 members of congress, with little regard to fitness, as had been 

 the case almost since the foundation of the government. Un- 

 der the present regulations, requiring notice of vacancies and 

 impartial competitive examination of all candidates, it is- 

 manifest: first, that merit, and not mere party and personal 

 subserviency, is to be the prime consideration in the selection 

 of persons to do the work of the departments ; and secondly, 

 that in proportion as these regulations are perfected and faith- 

 fully enforced, we have a guaranty that this work will be ivell 

 done. 



But the civil service commissioners have been charged with, 

 only a small part of the work of reform, which, viewed in its 

 totality, is as comprehensive as it is important, involving a 

 necessity not only for legislative action, but also for modifica- 

 tions of state and federal constitutions. 



As the subject presents itself to my mind, the requisites to a 

 thorough reform of the civil service of the conntry are these : 



I. A judicious and faithful application of qualification tests 

 in the case of all oflSces filled by appointment. 



The work of the United States civil service commissioners, 

 as already observed, is limited to a few subordinate places in 

 the executive departments; whereas, the principle should have 

 a much wider, indeed a general application. 



Objections may with propriety be urged against filling 

 some of the higher government offices by open competitive 

 examinations ; the chief of such objections being, that the 

 duties performed by the incumbents of them are not routine 

 and largely mechanical, as in the case of a majority of clerk- 



