New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-10
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

PASS TIE SENATE AT THIS SESSION-A GROW
ING DESIRE AMONG MEMBERS FOR RELIEF FROM
POLITICAL PREssURE-THE FEATURES OF THE
SENATE BILL--MG. DURTs TESTIMONY.
lrHoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBuSRl
WAsuuNGToN. July S-There seems to be little
probability now that any further progress Will be
made with Civil Service Reform legislation at this
session. The Senate committee have taken a good
deal Of valuable testimony, and General liawley,
the chairman has been hopeful that the bill framed
by the New-York Civil Service Reform Association
and lntroduced by Senator Pendleton, would
mass the Senate at this session, thus
giving il a fair start towards becoming law in the
future But it seems almost impossible that this
should be accomplished now The bill would never
pass until after q long debate, and only
a few weeks remain before adjournment, while tine
Senate is necessarily much busler than the House.
The House committee of which Mr.. Orth is chair
man, have not attempted TO push any general
measure like the Senate bill, but have directed their
effords towards special reforms in the methods OF
Government business, like the bill governing the
appointment of the additional pension clerks aud
the bill transferring jurisdiction over private
claims from Congress TO the Court of Claims.
1t is not TO be inferred however, that the subject
is losing its hold on the attention of Congress- On
the contrary there is every reason to think that 1t
is gaining There is a growing feeling among
Congressmen that something must be done, not only
because the evils of the present system are 100 great
to be ignored any longer but because the pressure
upon their time by oliiccseekers is such tnat some
method of relief has become a personal necessity.
Every CONGRESSMAN suffers Oh q small scale what
the President suffers enormous SCALE The
man who wants an appointment goes first to his
Congressman. A Republican Senator said the other
day: come from rather a small State which has
not many people in Office and which sends compara-
lively few Office seekers here. Yet there eight
people at my house last nj ght aud three more this
morning before breakfast and almost all of them
about appointments. Something must be done TO
nd lis of this interminabe pressure which takes up
our time and intcrferes with our duties.
Then too, whenever there is change IN the
head of a great bureau there arc runors OF
removals, and the clerks are afraid they are gong
TO lose their places. When the new Public Printer
came in every person, think, who Is III the UoV-
ernment Printing Office from my State wrote me 10
try and make sure that he should not lose Ms place.
This s demoraizing TO the service and degrading TO
the individual. On every account there ought 10
be a change. think the politicians themselves are
coming TO feel that patronage is source Oh weak
ness, very often rather than of strength and that
clerical patronage especially, is not often in reality
hestowed upou political workers. Where one mal is
pleased three are made angry. The people who APP
ply for clcrksiips very apt to be relatives or
friends of persons known 10 the Congress
man. but who have no special claim on
| him and very often they are merely peo-
pie in need of employment without po-
htical strength of any kind. The establishment OF
system Of competitive examinations would enable
us to say trutnfully that we had no influence and
rid us of ali this pressure"
another Republican Senator said 81 think Civil
l. a.. nf th.D Dragi-
d.utial campaign of 1884, and that party will win
which people think is most be trusted i'll carrying
tie reform into operation ! should he glad to
see the committees bill cover more ground for that
reason When the reform comes. 1t viii come with
a rush."
"What do YOU look for as the practical effect of
the bllli"
"Why, political appointments in all the Govern
nent offices over the country having fifty employees
and over will cease appointments and promotions
will be made for merit Alone and in the course OF
number of years the different Offices Will come 10 he
manned up TO the top entirely by men who have
grown up under this system. We shall nave a st't-
be and conpetent civil Service. The next step will
be to tIkc the pos-oices out of the spolls system
hive them regularly examined By agents OF the
Post Office Department and reapDointments OF
changes made on the recommendations OF these
ccnts based upon the record of the postmaster aud
the wishes of the people ascertaned by them
THIS would bring the appointment OF postmasters
back TO the original method, and would relieve the
President of one of his greatest burdens"
This Senator was disposed to regret that the com
mittee had not Incorporated In IT'S bill proN-
~, that renoyal should be only for and after
a hearing But leading members of the committee
evidently feel that it is not best to
attempt too much at the outset ana
no doubt accept the idea laid down BY
Mr.. George William Curtis in his statement before
the committee that the front door. and not the
back door is the door to guard" III political ap-
pointments can be stopped the temptation to pout-
cal removals will disappear because the head vi an
office will know that, instead of putting some per
sonal tavorite into the vacant place. he VIII be
ohliged 10 appoint one of number OF persons al
ready selected by the system of examinations. Ihe
noint is also made that the power of removal is III
dispensbe 10 successful administration anywhere.
The Senate bill. as reported by tho committee,
authorizes the President TO appoint the United
States Civil Service Commission, TO consist OF hVe
persons not more than three of whom shall be
members of the same political party ana
two of whom shall be experienced ON
GERS in the public service at Washington. lhls
Commission is TO frame rules for competitive exami-
nations, which are to be approved by the Presl-
dent and to appoint the members OF the Exam
lining Boards in different cities from among
persons already in Government service.
The Commission IS TO have an executive officer,
called the Chief Examiner whose principal function
will be to secure uniformity the methods, stand
ards, etc., of the various examining boards
throughout the country. Within sixty days after
the of the act the Secretary OF the Treasury
and the Postmaster-General are 10 grade all clerks
and employees in offices under their