The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-12-20
Nh Civil Service Bill.

WAsHINGToN.-Repa leaders are
quite generally disposed to treat civil ser
vice reform seriously and give the country
a measure framed with an earnest intent to
strike at the roots of many of the evils COM
planned of.
Representative Kasson's bill, provides
that appointments throughout the civil
service shall be made upon qualifications
and fitness, to be aseertained by commits
sion, and that promotion shall be according
to the results of competitive examination.
Section is as follows:
That all appointments shall be first made on
probation for such time as the officers max
ing them shall by regulation prescribe, not
less than three months, nor more than one
year from the date of first appointment at the
end of which period, if found qualified, the
applicant shall receive his regular appoint
ment for term of six years, and shall not be
removed during such term except for cause
as hereinafter prescribed.
The causes relate to personal conduct aud
performance of duties The next section
reads as follows:
SEC. 6. That no person now holding an APP
pointment of the character in the first section
mentioned, and serving in either department
at Washington, shall be removed except for
that when such person shall have already
faithfully served for six years or more consec-
utively in the same department of the public
service, he shall receive new appointment
urder this act, such new appointment to be
made within one year from the passage of this
act; and, in like manner, when any other per-
son now in etfiee shall reach the period when
he shall have faithfully served in the same
department for the term of SIX years e0nseeu-
lively, he shall receive new appointment for
one additional term. All appointments made
under this act shall cover auy promotion of
the appeintee made during his tenure of office
of herein regulated.
Section 10 is the one inserted after the bill
wasotherwise framed, and is supposed to con-
tain Mr.. Kasson's idea of what the people
want, as indicated by the elections. 1t is
as follows:
That no member of Congress, nor Off
Ger of the Government, nor member OF
any political committee, shall, in writing
or by print, addressed or cause TO be adj
dressed to any person holding an appoint
ment, as in the description of the first section
OF this act, or TO any laborer employed by the
Government, any request, demand, or invita-
tion for contribution of money for the use of
any political party; nor shall any person
demand or invite, for the use of any political
party, from such appointee, the payment OF
any specific sum of money or per centage Of
his compensation.
SIC. IL. That any person violating the pro-
visions of this section shall be guilty of mis-
demeanor, and shall be liable to a fine not
exceeding one thousand dollars for each
offence, t. be recovered in any court of the
United States having jurisdiction of such
offences; Provided, That the same shall be
prosecuted within one year from the commits
sion OF the offence.
Bills as thorough as this have been
framed before, but not with the approval
and cooperation of the "bosses." This is
one of the curious things about 1.-THE
bosses turned reformers. The bill is under
stood to reflect the views of the President,
and it may be considered as an Administra.
ton measure.