Pendleton, of Ohio, passed Congress in
January, 1883, and on the 16th received the signature of the President.

[Illustration: Portrait.]
James G. Blaine.

It authorized the President, with the consent of the Senate, to appoint
three civil service commissioners, who were to institute competitive
examinations open to all persons desiring to enter the government
employ. It provided that the clerks in the departments at Washington,
and in every customs district or post-office where fifty or more were
employed, should be arranged in classes, and that in the future only
persons who had passed the examinations should be appointed to service
in these offices or promoted from a lower class to a higher, preference
being given according to rank in the examinations. Candidates were to
serve six months' probation at practical work before receiving a final
appointment. The bill struck a heavy blow at political assessments, by
declaring that no official should be removed for refusing to contribute
to political funds. Congressmen or government officials convicted of
soliciting or receiving political assessments from government employees
became liable to a five thousand dollar fine, or three years'
imprisonment, or both. Persons in the government service were forbidden
to use their official authority or influence to coerce the political
action of anyone, or to interfere with elections.

[1873-1884]

Dorman B. Eaton, Leroy B. Thoman, and John M. Gregory were appointed
commissioners by President Arthur. By the end of the year the new system
was fairly in operation. Besides the departments at Washington, it
applied to eleven customs districts and twenty-three post-offices where
fifty or more officials were employed. The law could be thoroughly
tested only when a new party came into power; that time was near at
hand.

The deepest and most significant political movement of the last twenty
years has been the gradual recovery of power by the Democracy. For some
years after the Rebellion, this party's war record was a millstone
around its neck. The financial distress in 1873 and the corruption
prevalent in political circles weakened the party in power, while the
Democracy, putting slavery and reconstruction behind its back, turned to
new issues, and raised the cry of "economy" and "reform."

The state elections of 1874 witnessed a "tidal wave" of democratic
victories. Out of 292 members of the House in 1875, 198 were democratic.
T