the boss and the machine-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


political　manager　during　Grant's　two　terms　disgusted　the
thoughtful　citizen。

The　first　attempts　to　apply　efficiency　to　the　civil　service　had
been　made　when　pass　examinations　were　used　for　sifting　candidates
for　clerkships　in　the　Treasury　Department　in　1853；　when　such
tests　were　prescribed　by　law　for　the　lowest　grade　of　clerkships。
The　head　of　the　department　was　given　complete　control　over　the
examinations；　and　they　were　not　exacting。　In　1864　Senator　Sumner
introduced　a　bill　〃to　provide　for　the　greater　efficiency　of　the
civil　service。〃　It　was　considered　chimerical　and　dropped。

Meanwhile；　a　steadfast　and　able　champion　of　reform　appeared　in
the　House；　Thomas　A。　Jenckes；　a　prominent　lawyer　of　Rhode　Island。
A　bill　which　he　introduced　in　December；　1865；　received　no
hearing。　But　in　the　following　year　a　select　joint　committee　was
charged　to　examine　the　whole　question　of　appointments；
dismissals；　and　patronage。　Mr。　Jenckes　presented　an　elaborate
report　in　May；　1868；　explaining　the　civil　service　of　other
countries。　This　report；　which　is　the　corner　stone　of　American
civil　service　reform；　provided　the　material　for　congressional
debate　and　threw　the　whole　subject　into　the　public　arena。　Jenckes
in　the　House　and　Carl　Schurz　in　the　Senate　saw　to　it　that　ardent
and　convincing　defense　of　reform　was　not　wanting。　In　compliance
with　President　Grant's　request　for　a　law　to　〃govern　not　the
tenure；　but　the　manner　of　making　all　appointments；〃　a　rider　was
attached　to　the　appropriation　bill　in　1870；　asking　the　President
〃to　prescribe　such　rules　and　regulations〃　as　he　saw　fit；　and　〃to
employ　suitable　persons　to　conduct〃　inquiries　into　the　best
method　for　admitting　persons　into　the　civil　service。　A　commission
of　which　George　William　Curtis　was　chairman　made　recommendations；
but　they　were　not　adopted　and　Curtis　resigned。　The　New　York　Civil
Service　Reform　Association　was　organized　in　1877；　and　the
National　League；　organized　in　1881；　soon　had　flourishing　branches
in　most　of　the　large　cities。　The　battle　was　largely　between　the
President　and　Congress。　Each　succeeding　President　signified　his
adherence　to　reform；　but　neutralized　his　words　by　sanctioning
vast　changes　in　the　service。　Finally；　under　circumstances　already
described；　on　January　16；　1883；　the　Civil　Service　Act　was　passed。

This　law　had　a　stimulating　effect　upon　state　and　municipal　civil
service。　New　York　passed　a　law　the　same　year；　patterned　after　the
federal　act。　Massachusetts　followed　in　1884；　and　within　a　few
years　many　of　the　States　had　adopted　some　sort　of　civil　service
reform；　and　the　large　cities　were　experimenting　with　the　merit
system。　It　was　not；　however；　until　the　rapid　expansion　of　the
functions　of　government　and　the　consequent　transformation　in　the
nature　of　public　duties　that　civil　service　reform　made　notable
headway。　When　the　Government　assumed　the　duties　of　health
officer；　forester；　statistician；　and　numerous　other　highly
specialized　functions；　the　presence　of　the　scientific　expert
became　imperative；　and　vast　undertakings；　like　the　building　of
the　Panama　Canal　and　the　enormous　irrigation　projects　of　the
West；　could　not　be　entrusted　to　the　spoilsman　and　his　minions。

The　war　has　accustomed　us　to　the　commandeering　of　utilities；　of
science；　and　of　skill　upon　a　colossal　scale。　From　this　height　of
public　devotion　it　is　improbable　that　we　shall　decline；　after　the
national　peril　has　passed；　into　the　depths　of　administrative
incompetency　which　our　Republic；　and　all　its　parts；　occupied　for
so　many　years。　The　need　for　an　efficient　and　highly　complex　State
has　been　driven　home　to　the　consciousness　of　the　average　citizen。
And　this　foretokens　the　permanent　enlistment　of　talent　in　the
public　service　to　the　end　that　democracy　may　provide　that
effective　nationalism　imposed　by　the　new　era　of　world
competition。





BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

There　is　no　collected　material　of　the　literature　of　exposure。　It
is　found　in　the　official　reports　of　investigating　committees；
such　as　the　Lexow；　Mazet；　and　Fassett　committees　in　New　York；　and
the　report　on　campaign　contributions　by　the　Senate　Committee　on
Privileges　and　Elections　（1913）。　The　muckraker　has　scattered　such
indiscriminate　charges　that　great　caution　is　necessary　to
discover　the　truth。　Only　testimony　taken　under　oath　can　be　relied
upon。　And　for　local　exposes　the　official　court　records　must　be
sought。

The　annual　proceedings　of　the　National　Municipal　League　contain　a
great　deal　of　useful　material　on　municipal　politics。　The　reports
of　local　organizations；　such　as　the　New　York　Bureau　of　Municipal
Research　and　the　Pittsburgh　Voters'　League；　are　invaluable；　as
are　the　reports　of　occasional　bodies；　like　the　Philadelphia
Committee　of　Fifty。

Personal　touches　can　be　gleaned　from　the　autobiographies　of　such
public　men　as　Platt；　Foraker；　Weed；　La　Follette；　and　in　such
biographies　as　Croly's　〃M。　A。　Hanna。〃

On　Municipal　Conditions：

W。　B。　Munro；　〃The　Government　of　American　Cities〃　（1913）。　An
authoritative　and　concise　account　of　the　development　of　American
city　government。　Chapter　VII　deals　with　municipal　politics。

J。　J。　Hamilton；　〃Dethronement　of　the　City　Boss〃　（1910）。　A
description　of　the　operation　of　commission　government。

E。　S。　Bradford；　〃Commission　Government　in　American　Cities〃
（1911）。　A　careful　study　of　the　commission　plan。

H。　Bruere；　〃New　City　Government〃　（1912）。　An　interesting　account
of　the　new　municipal　regime。

Lincoln　Steffens；　〃The　Shame　of　the　Cities〃　and　〃The　Struggle　for
Self…Government〃　（1906）。　The　Prince　of　the　Muckrakers'
contribution　to　the　literature　of　awakening。

On　State　Conditions：

There　is　an　oppressive　barrenness　of　material　on　this　subject。

P。　S。　Reinsch；　〃American　Legislatures　and　Legislative　Methods　〃
（1907）。　A　brilliant　exposition　of　the　legislatures'　activities。

E。　L。　Godkin；　〃Unforeseen　Tendencies　in　Democracy〃　contains　a
thoughtful　essay　on　〃The　Decline　of　Legislatures。〃

On　Political　Parties　and　Machines：

M。　Ostrogorski；　〃Democracy　and　the　Organization　of　Political
Parties；〃　2　vols。　（1902）。　The　second　volume　contains　a
comprehensive　and　able　survey　of　the　American　party　system。　It
has　been　abridged　into　a　single　volume　edition　called　〃Democracy
and　the　Party　System　in　the　United　States〃　（1910）。

James　Bryce；　〃The　American　Commonwealth；〃　2　vols。　Volume　II
contains　a　noteworthy　account　of　our　political　system。

Jesse　Macy；　〃Party　Organization　and　Machinery〃　（1912）。　A　succinct
account　of　party　machinery。

J。　A。　Woodburn；　〃Political　Parties　and　Party　Problems　〃（1906）。　A
sane　account　of　our　political　task。

P。　O。　Ray；　〃An　Introduction　to　Political　Parties　and　Practical
Politics　〃　（1913）。　Valuable　for　its　copious　references　to　current
literature　on　political　subjects。

Theodore　Roosevelt；　〃Essays　on　Practical　Politics〃　（1888）。
Vigorous　description　of　machine　methods。

G。　M。　Gregory；　〃The　Corrupt　Use　of　Money　in　Politics　and　Laws　for
its　Prevention〃　（1893）。　Written　before　the　later　exposes；　it
nevertheless　gives　a　clear　view　of　the　problem。

W。　M。　Ivins；　〃Machine　Politics〃　（1897）。　In　New　York　Cityby　a
keen　observer。

George　Vickers；　〃The　Fall　of　Bossism〃　（1883）。　On　the　overthrow　of
the　Philadelphia　Gas　Ring。

Gustavus　Myers；　〃History　of　Tammany　Hall〃　（1901；　revised　1917）。
The　best　book　on　the　subject。

E。　C。　Griffith；　〃The　Ripe　and　Development　of　the　Gerrymander〃
（1907）。

Historical：

H。　J。　Ford；　〃Rise　and　Growth　of　American　Politics〃　（1898）。　One　of
the　earliest　and　one　of　the　best　accounts　of　the　development　of
American　politics。

Alexander　Johnston　and　J。　A。　Woodburn；　〃American　Political
History；〃　2　vols。　（1905）。　A　brilliant　recital　of　American　party
history。　The　most　satisfactory　book　on　the　subject。

W。　M。　Sloane；　〃Party　Government　in　the　United　States〃　（1914）。　A
concise　and　convenient　recital。　Brings　our　party　history　to　date。

J。　B。　McMaster；　〃With　the　Fathers〃　（1896）。　A　volume　of　delightful
historical　essays；　including　one　on　〃The　Political　Depravity　of
the　Fathers。〃

On　Nominations：

F。　W。　Dallinger；　〃Nominations　for　Elective　Office　in　the　United
States〃　（1897）。　The　most　thorough　work　on　the　subject；　describing
the　development　of　our　nominating　systems。

C。　E。　Merriam；　〃Primary　Elections〃　（1908）。　A　concise　description
of　the　primary　and　its　history。

R。　S。　Childs；　〃Short　Ballot　Principles〃　（1911）。　A　splendid
account　by　the　father　of　the　short　ballot　movement。

C。　E。　Meyer；　〃Nominating　Systems〃　（1902）。　Good　on　the　caucus。

On　the　Presidency：

J。　B。　Bishop；　〃Our　Political　Drama〃　（1904）。　A　readable　account　of
national　conventions　and　presidential　campaigns。

A。　K。　McClure；　〃Our　Presidents　and　How　We　Make　Them　〃（1903）。

Edward　Stanwood；　〃A　History　of　the　Presidency〃　（1898）　。　Gives
party　platforms　and　describes　each　presidential　campaign。

On　Congress：

G。　H。　Haynes；　〃The　Election　of　United　States　Senators〃　（1906）。

H。　J。　Ford；　〃The　Cost　of　Our　National　Government〃　（1910）。　A　fine
account　of　congressional　bad　housekeeping。

MARY　C。　Follett；　〃The　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives〃
（1896）。

Woodrow　Wilson；　〃Congressional　Government〃　（1885）。　Most
interesting　reading　in　the　light　of　the　Wilson　Administration。

L。　G。　McConachie；