Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-14
That Letter

The production OF the Cushing JEFF. Davis
letter In the Senate caucus yesterday seems to
have had pretty damaging effect upon Mr.
Cushlng's prospects for confirmation. IL will
now be in order for him 70 rise and show the
letter to be forgery, As claimed: otherwise
his chances Of getting through the Senate are
scarcely worth estimating. OF course II may
be said that the letter, If genuine, was merely
a letter Of Introduction, and was written before
the outbreak Of the rebellion and ut a time
when Horace Greeley, General Scott, and
Others OF undoubted patriotism we're avowedly
willing to 'let the hayward sisters depart In
peace" But We suspect that the Republican
Senators viii hardly be willing to put a con-
struction on It sufficiently Ienient to place him
in the exceptionally responsible position Of
Chief Justice. He will make an excellent min
liter TO Spain, and had better set out for Mad
rid at once Ii he may not be permitted to try
the ut OF Mr.. Chsses shoes, he can certainly
walk and talk Spanish with the best Of them.
-->~~.-
Gen. Butler, who has always been a consistent
opponent of the so called civil service reform.
mainly on the ground that the operation of the
new rules in many instances excludes ex soldiers
from positions which they merit for long and
srduoas service IN the Union army, has been
having An epstolatory contest with the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury relative to the rejection of
one Capt. Lemuel b. Gregory, who WAS rscentIv
an applicant for q clerkship in the department
named Gen. Butler calls the Secretary atten-
ton to the fact that Capt. Gregory passed an
examination above the minimum, and to a reso-
luton or both Houses OF Congress, approved
March 5, 1865, providing that ''persons honor
ably discharged from the military or naval ser.
vice, by reason OF disability resulting from
wounds and sickness in the line of duty, should
be preferred for appointments to civil offices,
vi 49, t..n
business capacity necessary for the proper dis
charge of the business of such ofices.D He
also reminds the Secretary that the civil service
rules do not repeal this resolution of Congress,
and says he 10 determined TO make this Q ties.
case between the departments and the Iegis-
lative power.
The Secretary states in reply that althon yh
Capt. Gregory's qualifications placed him
beyond the minimum standard of 20, viz; TO q
on scale Of 100, yet there were forty persons
on the List eligible for appointm from the
hrst civiiservice district, including those
present ct this examination, who had passed
better examination tn an he, and that he cannot
De appointed to a clerkship until the names of
those who stand higher on the list have been so
reduced as to bring his name within the first
three. In closing the Secretary says that prior
10 the act OF March 3, 1874, authorizing the
President TO prescribe such rules and regula-
IONS for the admission Of persons into the civil
service Of the United States as will best pro-
mote the efficiency thereof, &C., persons
honerably discharged from the military or ma
val service Of the United States by reason OF
disability arising from wounds or sickness re-
ceived IN the line of duty, would have been
entitled to preference for appointment to a
civil ONCE If found to have business capacity to
discharge its duties; but that in his opinion.
the rules Of the civil service to which he refers
qualify the joint resolution of 1865 50 far as 10
give the soldier the preference only in case he
is one OF the three reported by the board Of ex-
aminers or shall become of the first three on the
list OF those eligible for appointment. U
The end is not yet, however, since Gen. But
Ter announces his intention of making the case
OF Gregory a test one between the Departments
and the legislative power.