Patronage Monopoly and the Pendleton Bill [pp. 185-207]

THE PRIVNCE TON RE VIEW.
have brought into the public service not only men and women
of more efficiency, but those of better administrative capacity,
who by promotion have filled the higher places. They in no
way depend upon a tenure of good behavior, nor did they originate such a tenure. It had existed nearly a century.
On the contrary, competitive examinations are all the more
needed where the term is short and the tenure precarious. If
the officer is to serve a long time, though he enters ignorant, he
may learn and become skilful. But if he is to go out in four
years or sooner, there is the greater need of high capacity when
he enters. If service were to be but for a month, to know how
to do the work at beginning would be essential.
In order to give harmony to the action of examining boards
and to secure a right of appeal against their injustice, a general
supervising body-known in England as "The Civil Service
Commission"-was essential, and was created in I855. Its activity
and growth in popularity and usefulness have steadily increased
to this hour. It has corrected the abuses of local examiners
and given harmony to the whole system. Its annual reports,
showing the practical workings of the system, have educated the
British people in those principles of justice on which their civil
administration is now based. The cost of administration has
been greatly diminished.
No party leader now thinks of calling the new system in
question. Patronage monopoly has ceased. Members of Parliament can no longer dictate either appointments or removals. There is hardly more politics in a British post-office or
custom-house than in a college. There are no political assessments. Officials are not partisan henchmen. Removals are for
cause. The son of a duke equally with the son of a cartman
must gain a place through the same free, open competition of
merit. The appointments are made from the highest in merit
thus shown. Popular education has been thus stimulated beyond
all example. The government appears as the friend of education, its offices and salaries falling to those most capable-to
those upon whose character the rivalry of competition can find
no stain. The powerfully backed henchmen, flunkies, and parasites are generally distanced by the independent volunteers who
compete. Pushing and bullying are abandoned as useless. Mr.
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