Even self-educated talent was deemed too rare to deserve promotion

Evidence

There should be no social bar to promotion from the lowest to the highest place—but let us not fool ourselves. When we have made every possible provision for the encouragement of early promise, when we have prepared every child as far as possible for its suitable vocation, the subordinate employees of the government…who are fit to rise above the ranks will be few and far between. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 240

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Moses’ ‘open competition’ meant restricting high office to the educated elite — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 233; Moses’ merit system would have restricted high office to three colleges; High status requires others believing one possesses rare, valuable talents — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 78