1889-1895

In 1888, Theodore Roosevelt went on a speaking tour on behalf of presidential candidate Benjamin Harrison. After defeating incumbent Grover Cleveland, Harrison rewarded Roosevelt by appointing him to the U.S. Civil Service Commission. Having fought for civil service reform while in the New York State Assembly, Roosevelt relished the opportunity to change the way federal employees were hired, as well as the way in which they were both rewarded and punished.

Believing that his role was to create a civil service system that would attract the best people into government, Roosevelt based his philosophy for reform on three principles: 1) opportunities should be made equal for all citizens, 2) only those who had merit should be appointed to federal jobs, and 3) public servants should not suffer for their political beliefs.

As Commissioner, Roosevelt led efforts to investigate fraud and political abuse in government and expose corrupt government officials. One week into his new job, he recommended the removal of examination board members in New York for selling test questions to the public for $50. Later, he had the police arrest Baltimore postal employees who were buying votes for the re-election of President Harrison, who had appointed him four years earlier. His actions demonstrated that civil service laws were going to be enforced regardless of political affiliation.

Despite earning resentment from many of the same Republicans who had backed his appointment to the Civil Service Commission, Roosevelt was reappointed by Grover Cleveland upon his return to the presidency in 1893, and ultimately served until being named Police Commissioner of New York City in 1895.

Source

United States Office of Personnel Management www.opm.gov

See Also

Benjamin Harrison
Grover Cleveland

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This page was last updated on January 06, 2019.