The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-27
GRANTS SHAM REFORM.
EXPOSURE OF THE QUICK CIVIL
SERVICE SCHEME.

SERVICE SCHEME.
How not to do tt-Opposition Of the
Presidents Friends to any Reform
Patronage Paramount-A Clear Issue
Between Politics and Patriotism.
Correspondence OF the New York World.l
WASHINGTON, January o.
That musing lmpostlre called Grants ad-
ministration never was seen to greater disad-
vantage than under the light of the Legislative
lanterns now held over it.
A year ago Congress felt compelled by sheer
force of public opinion to pass an act enabling
The President to do something, or at least pre-
tend to do something towards reforming the
civil service" According 10 The provisions OF
the act, lapproved March 8, l87l,) General
Grant appointed and convened commission
Of seven men to devise rules and regulations
for that purpose. These seven gentlemen
elected as their chairman Mr.. George William
Curtis, better. known as "Howat," the
s.slyer-tongued" lecturer, and the EASY
Chair" of Harper's Magazine. AS Congress ad-
Iourned soon after the commi. sion was organ
lied there was of course no danger that action
would be taken on any regulations IT might
prescribe until the present session OF 1877.
Meanwhile the evils Of the old lack OF system
in civIl-servlce appointments Increased. De-
falta,ions and embezzements were discover
ed in the accounts OF public officers. The gov
ernment lost and was still losing hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars by the bad faith OF bad
servants. It would seem that the thleVes anll-
cipated that stop must somehow De put 10
their opportunities Of plundeIing the puDiic
treasury when the civil service commission
shonId submit its report, and that they deter
mined to make all the hay they conld while
the sun of the Presidents pleasure SILL shone
on them unclouded by single HeW "regula-
n turns out, however, that they had nothing
10 fear from either the President or The com
mission. The President showed bis indltfer-
euce to existing abuses In the civil service by
refusinp-apainst the protests Of eminent mer-
chants In New York, 10 defiance OF the lacts
which had appeared In the report OF the re.
jr.nchment committee, and against The appeal
even of The Secretary OF the Treasury.to stop,
as he might have done by stroke oil his pen,
the most hagrant abuse OF all-the general
order swindle at the port OF New YORK. Inc
commission showed ils political sagacity Dy
devising rules for ths reform OF tne clVlt ssr- s
vice which have met at the outset with the de-
rision of the beet friends Of the administrator
In both houses of Congress. In fact, these
rules are like 80 many ten-rins-set up TO De
knocked down by the hard hits oil Congress
sional debate. They prescribe:
l. That no person shall be appointed 10 tne
civil service who Is not q citizen, whose cnar,
acter. health and age are not satisfactory, ana
who canuot speak, read and write the Engnsn
language. ,o,,,.a
Inv tba President. shall group the positions In
ZACH branch of the civil service, and grade
and group for the purpose of promotion;
q. That vacancies occurring In the loWesC
grades of the several branches Oh tue clvil
Service shall be filled rom appncanls VINO
shall have passed public competitive ex,
animation. on the certificates OF the board
Conducting such competitive examination.
4 That vacancies occurring IN hgner grades
shall be filed by competitive examinations
of applicants from lower grades OF the same
group. ,ue., ,,,o,,,,,a,t
as custodilns of large sums OF money snail
not be- appointed except with the approval OF
the officer who is responsible for their pecu-
mary fidelity.
5000 NAV be appointed upon the written re-
quest of applicants.
7. That ihe appointment Of all persons. ex.
cepting persons appointed by the preslaent
with The consent of the Senate, postmasCers
and foreign ministers and consuis, snali oe
aIter which they may be reappointed on the
recommen daiion of the board OF examiners.
That the President shall designate three
persons in each department OF public service
TO serve ss board of examiners, which, un:
der the supervision OF the advisory board, ana
under regulations to be provided by 1t, shall
conduct personally or by persons approved by
tnvpafinAtl0nS K
om,nations for admission into said depart.
ments or for promotion therein.
10 That certain smal.salarled positions IN
the consular service abroad may be filled by
aliens and certain positions at home by ex-
merits not familiar with the Engllsh language,
or legally capable OF naturalization.
IL. That no political assessments shall be
levied on persons employed by the govern
-. That the advisory board shall at any
time recommend changes In these rules.
IL. That from these rules are excepted the
heads of departments, assistant secretaries OF
deoartments, assistant altorney-general aid
first assistant postmaster-general, soliclsor-
general, solicitor of the treasury, naval soil.
cilor, solicitor Of internal revenue, eSamlrer
of the United States, register OF the treasury,
frst and second comptroller of the treasury,
imdprs of the United States Courts, district
stlerneys, private secretary Of The President,
ambassadors, aud other public ministers, su.
nerintendent of the coast survey, director OF
he Mini, governors OF Territories, special
commissioners, special ANIMAL visiting and
sxamining boards, persons appointed to po-
sitions withou. compensation for services,
dispatch agents and bearer OF dispatches.
Inasmucn as the debate in both houses oil
Congress on the question of civil service re-
form will be important and prolonged, read
ers e may proHla6ly keep the above summary
In their minds. They will not fall to observe
That even if these rules should be adopted as
The basis ofa change In the civil serrice. they
wonld not necessarily much embarrass Gene
raj Grants patronage from now until Inc da!
Of the next Presidential election. They would
NOT turn out or affect The tenure OF any person
now in office. They would apply not to the
present, but altogether TO the future In re.
spect to appointments. Tney would not
Create vacancies, hut merely prescribe how
yacaucies that might hereafter occur should
be filled. They would operate against no ex,
isliDg abuse or corruption; their effect would
not be to deprive any officer now In place OF
his legal or Illegal emoluments. They
would, in short, become operative, so
lar as General Grants administration
is concerned, upon applicants for the
few places In the very lowest grades