CIVIL SERVICE 



1403 



CIVIL SERVICE 



in political campaigns, or to use their official 

 authority or influence to compel one to vo.te 

 or to work for any candidate or measure. 



Applications. One seeking to enter the 

 classified service must file an application blank. 

 The blank for the departmental service at 

 Washington, railway-mail service, Indian-school 

 service and governmental printing service are 

 obtained from the Civil Service Commission 

 at Washington. The blanks for customs, postal 

 and internal revenue classes should be procured 

 from the civil service board of examiners in 

 the city where the examination is to be held. 

 The Commission at Washington will mail to 

 any person a list of cities in which examina- 

 tions are to be held, with dates. The applicant 

 should state specifically the class of service 

 he wishes to enter, as stenographer, bookkeeper, 

 clerk, etc., and state whether or not he is 

 willing to take a position outside the United 

 States, in the insular possessions. 



Applicants must be citizens of the United 

 States, and of the proper age. The age limit 

 varies for different classes of service, but it 

 is not enforced against former members of the 

 army and navy of the United States honorably 

 discharged because of disabilities incurred while 

 in active service. No discrimination is made 

 because of sex, color, or political or religious 

 opinions, but persons using intoxicatin'g liquors 

 to excess will not be considered. 



Examinations. Two examinations are held 

 each year and they are open to all persons 

 qualified to enter the class for which the appli- 

 cation is made. The examinations differ for 

 each class of service. Full information con- 

 cerning them can be obtained from the Com- 

 mission or the board of examiners. The appli- 

 cant should apply for this information far 

 enough in advance to enable him to prepare for 

 the test. 



Appointments. When a vacancy occurs, the 

 highest three (in examination averages) of the 

 sex called for are certified for appointment. 

 In making this recommendation for the de- 

 partmental service at Washington the appor- 

 tionment of employees among the states is 

 considered. Appointments are made on a six 

 months' trial. If during that time the ap- 

 pointee proves his worth, his position becomes 

 permanent. There are in all about 470,000 in 

 the classified service of the United States, and 

 naturally vacancies are numerous. 



Exemptions. Officers appointed by the Pres- 

 ident and confirmed by the Senate are not 

 under the civil service law. These officers may 



appoint private secretaries and other helpers 

 whose services are of a personal nature, with- 

 out subjecting them to examination, and they 

 are not protected in their tenure of office. 



State and City Civil Service. In most states 

 the heads of departments such as the secretary 

 of state, state auditor, state treasurer and 

 superintendents of schools are elected by the 

 people. Since each of these officers is usually 

 empowered to appoint his assistants, there is 

 not so good an opportunity for applying a 

 civil service law to state governments. New 

 York maintains a state civil service law, the 

 operation of which is in charge of the civil 

 service commission of the state. Large cities 

 afford excellent opportunity for the application 

 of civil service, and many have civil service 

 ordinances. Since these ordinances are passed 

 by the city council, however, they are liable 

 to frequent changes, and the rules of the com- 

 mission are often broken to make places for 

 favored people. 



Civil Service Reform. Attempts to improve 

 the civil service are known as civil service 

 reform. Ever since its organization the gov- 

 ernment of the United States has suffered more 

 or less from the abuse of the appointing power 

 of high officials. In 1832 in a debate in the 

 Senate, Daniel Webster set forth the ideal 

 which should be the aim in civil service. He 

 said: 



The theory of our Institutions Is plain ; it is 

 that government is an agency created for the 

 good of the people, and that every person in 

 office is the agent and the servant of the peo- 

 ple. Offices are created, not for the benefit of 

 those who are to fill them, but for public con- 

 venience. 



When the government was organized, Wash- 

 ington and the members of his Cabinet exer- 

 cised great care in appointing men to public 

 office and tried to secure those who were espe- 

 cially fitted for the duties to which they were 

 appointed. Their example was followed by 

 succeeding administrations, and for the first 

 thirty-nine years under the Constitution there 

 were only 112 removals from office, and each 

 was for a good cause. 



The Spoils System. With the inauguration 

 of Jackson there came a radical change in 

 political methods. Jackson removed from 

 office not only heads of departments, but all 

 subordinates who voted or worked against him 

 in the campaign, and filled their places with 

 his followers. Thus was founded the spoils 

 system, so called from Senator William Marcy 

 of New York, who in a speech in the Senate 



