Senator Pendleton's bill to introduce the merit
system, which had been pending for nearly two years, was passed
by the Senate on December 27, 1882, and by the House on January
4, 1883. The importance of the act lay in its recognition of the
principles of the reform and in its provision of means by which
the President could apply those principles. A Civil Service
Commission was created, and the President was authorized to
classify the Civil Service and to provide selection by
competitive examination for all appointments to the service thus
classified. The law was essentially an enabling act, and its
practical efficacy was contingent upon executive discretion.
CHAPTER II. POLITICAL GROPING AND PARTY FLUCTUATION
President Garfield's career was cut short so soon after his
accession to office, that he had no opportunity of showing
whether he had the will and the power to obtain action for the
redress of public grievances, which the congressional factions
were disposed to ignore. His experience and his attainments were
such as should have qualified him for the task, and in his public
life he had shown firmness of character. His courageous
opposition to the greenback movement in Ohio had been of great
service to the nation in maintaining the standard of value. When
a party convention in his district passed resolutions in favor of
paying interest on the bonds with paper instead of coin, he gave
a rare instance of political intrepidity by declaring that he
would not accept the nomination on such a platform.
Pages:
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39