f its civil
departments, should it please him to do so, and to put into office his
own friends or the friends of his party. This right was claimed on the
ground that "to the victor belong the spoils"--a theory of government
administration that has been severely dealt with and reformed through
what is known as the "Civil Service Act." The Civil Service Act was
passed {345} by Congress January 16, 1883, and by this act a civil
service commission was brought into existence. The three members of
this commission are appointed by the President with consent of the
Senate, not more than two of whom may be members of the same party.
Thus, by this civil service act, positions in the government service
are now obtained for the most part through competitive examinations,
and such positions are not affected in any way by the incoming of a
new President or the appointment of a new head of a department.

In some states and in most of the large cities civil service
appointments are now made through competitive examinations. Anyone
interested in learning what positions may be secured in the service of
the government, may apply to the Civil Service Commission at
Washington, D. C., or make inquiry at the local post-office.

Foreign Service

The foreign service of our government is carried on through the
diplomatic corps and the consular service. In the diplomatic corps, we
have ambassadors, envoys, ministers, diplomatic agents, and
secretaries; in the consular service, consuls general, consuls, and
consular agents.

Our diplomatic representatives abroad look after our interests as a
nation in the family of nations. They represent us socially as well as
politically in the great foreign capitals of the world. They are
received as our representatives of state, and it is their duty to
sustain and promote good-will and friendly feeling between us and
other nations. The consular service is more directly responsible for
our trade relationships in the great centres of the world. Through our
foreign service, also, Americans abroad, whether as tourists, or
residents, are protected in person and in property interests.
Appointments to the foreign service are made by the President with the
advice of the Senate.

As we send our representatives abroad, so the countries to which our
representatives go in turn send their representatives to us. In the
city of Washington, one may see representatives of all the principal
nations of the earth living