Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-01-10
Civil Service Billed Passed.

Civil Service Billed Passed.
Now that the lower House of Con-
gress has also agreed to the Civil Ser
vice Reform bill, the measure is there
fore in the hands of the President.
No doubt seems to be entertained but
that he will sign it. A new way OF
obtaining many of the Offices under the
National Government will thus be in
augurated And while this is a ques-
ton that has not excited the people
generally very much, yet to those
who know how many of the appoint
ments at Washington are made, and
the character of many of the persons
appointed, this law will be hailed as a
great step towards reform in the ser
vice of the general Government.
While it is limited in its scope, and
don't embrace many oe the off ,es that
it perhaps should, yet it will relieve
the President and Senators and MEM
bers of Congress of great amount of
labor, and save to them much time
heretofore taken up by applications for
Office The following is the substance
of the bill:
The bill as passed authorizes
the President to appoint three Com
missioners, to be selected from at least
two different political parties. These
Commissioners are, at his request, to
aid him in forming rules to carry the
act into effect. The rules so to be
prepared are to provide for open COM
petitive examinations for testing the
fitness of applicants for the public ser
vice that appointments shall be made
from among those passing the best ex-
animation; that appointments in the
Departments at Washington shall be
apportioned among the several States
and Territories on the basis of popula-
tion; that promotion shall be from the
lower grades to the higher on the basis
of merit and competition; that no per-
son in the public service is for that rea-
son under any obligation to contribute
to political funds or render any political
service, and that no such person has
any right to use his official authority
or influence to coerce the political ac-
tion of any person. The Commission
is authorized to employ Chief Exam
iner to supervise the action of the sew
eral Examining Boards and to secure
accuracy, uniformity and justice in all
their proceedings.
The examining Boards are to consist
of not less than three persons
in the service of the Govern
ment, and they are to be appointed by
the Commission and to be distributed
about the country as the nature OF the
work may require, and so that it may
be reasonably convenient for appli-
cants to appear before them. The act
applies to the Departments at Wash
ington and to all Offices under the
Treasury or Post-office Department in
which as many as fifty persons are en-
ployed. 1t is provided that recon
mendations to Office by Senators and
Representatives shall not be received
or considered by any examiner or per-
son having power to make appoint
ments under the act. An amendment
proposed by Senator Blair and finally
adopted provides that no person ha-
bitually using intoxicating beverages
to excess shall be appointed to or re-
tanned in Office to which the act ap-
plies. The last five sections of the act
contain very stringent prohibitions of
solicitation or receipt by any Senator,
Representative or officer of the Gov
ernment of any assessment, subscrip-
tion or contribution for any political
purpose from any officer or employee
of the United States. 1t also provides
that no officer or person in the service Of
the Governments shall give to anyother
public officer or to any Senator or Rep
! resentative any money to promote any
political object whatever.
The reader will note its enforcement
will depend entirely on the will of the
President He is authorized, not re.
quired, to appoint Commissioners,
adopt rules, etc. But in view of the
Presidents repeated public pledges
and his special recommendation of this
very bill there seems to be no reason
to doubt his prompt approval and Wig
orous enforcement.
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
Since those formerly announced, the
Supreme Court has rendered decisions
in the following cases taken up from
this county:
Wilson and others VS.. Mitchell and
others, Dougal will case, judgment ol
Court here affirmed, which sustains the
will
Bowser VS.. Dick, affirmed. Brad.
ford and others VS.. Jacob Frederick, ol
Millerstown, affirmed. McCandless vs..
Blakeley, affirmed. Pearce W. Lang
fit, affirmed Williams appeal, in case
of estate of Henry Frederick, Of Butler,
judgment of Court here reversed. APP
peal of Harmony National Bank, judg-