The Douglas Independent

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Office seeking is becoming prevalent and from the symptoms now manifesting themselves there is danger of the disease breaking out in Oregon. It is a grand mistake for every one who imagines himself qualified to fill an office to be seeking political preferment. There are not offices enough to go round and if there were, there would not be enough left in the private walks of life to support them. We have altogether too many sinecure positions and too much red tape in official circles. The emoluments, perquisites and stealings in official position are altogether too large the salaries are too high for the amount of work required. Abolish sinecure and needless offices reduce the salaries of the public service to an equality with the wages paid by private enterprise for like amount of services and it will work a radical cure to the mania for office which manifests itself in both the political parties throughout the United States and will be more effectual in purifying the public service than all the civil service bills Congress can pass from now until doomsday. There is not or should not be anything so intricate in governmental offices but what all intelligent people can understand and administer them. There is no reason why one citizen should not as well fill a public place as another and we find no fault with any person who is qualified and can get there in filling a public office providing he does so honestly and economically. One great argument by some who are anxious to pull others down in order to make place for themselves that an aspirant should wait until the people call them. At the same time schemers will have their strings out working popularity for them when the petitions, letters of recommendation etc. have been sent to the appointing power and the commission arrives they are perfectly surprised to think that they should have been named for such a position but under the circumstances they look upon it as a duty to accept and are straightway installed in the office. None but they and their hired agents have the least idea the amount of money it cost them to secure the place. Often at a price ruinous to their private fortunes do they secure the coveted place. And not unfrequently to recuperate their failing fortunes do they resort to dishonest practices that leaves them in ruin and the public service in disgrace. This can only be remedied by placing the public services on a par with private enterprise.