The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-12
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Probable, Effect Upon Government Employees
of a Change of Administration.


of a Change of Administration.
National Republican.
The effectof a change of administration on the
employees of the government is now most inter
esting question, here and elsewhere. According
to the report of the Civil-service Commission,
there are in all about Ito, 900 persons holding
Office underline government in the United-ctates,
1000 of whom are postmasters Four thousand
are in the railway mail SERVICE and equal
number in the internal revenue service outside
of the city, the rest being divided among the
customs and consular service, and officers, and
clerks of Congress and of the federal courts. A
large proportion of the whole number, however,
are classed as laborers.
Coming within the provisions of the eivil-ser-
vice law and being protected thereby are three
classes, as follows: 1852 department. employees,
receiving salaries from 5000 to 81, 500 per afnum;
1909 postal employees, receiving from $500 to
81, 800 per annum, and 9, 573 customs employees,
receiving from 5000 to $1,000 per annum. In
the three branches of the classified service there
are, therefore, about IA, 900 places that can be
filled by competitive examinations only. This
leaves the large number of SO, 600 persons sub
ject to removal more. than half of whom are
postmasters. In Washington the changes will
not, In the event of ClevelandS election, it is be
heved exceed 800 outside of the printing bureau.
This will include the higher Offices and the la
borePs.
By one of the rules prepared by President
Arthur, and which could be amended by an in
coming executive it is provided that the follow
ing are excepted from examination: The con-
fidential clerk or secretary of any head of
department or Office; cashiers of collectors; CASH
lers of postmasters; superintendent of money
order divisions in postofices the direct Gus
todIlnS of money for whose fidelity another
officer is under official bond, but these
exceptions shall not extend to any official below
the grade of assistant cashier or teller; persons
employed exclusively in the secret service of the
government, translators, or Interpreters,
or stenographers; persons whose employment is
exclusively professional; chief clerks, deputy
collectors, and superintendent or chief clerks of
divisions or bureaus But no person so excepted
shall be either transferred appointed or pro
NOTED, unless. to some excepted place, without
an examination under the commission.
In the report referred to the commissioners
speak as follows of the power of removal under
the civil-service law:
''Ihe civil-serviee act and rules leave the All
thOrity and duty of removal undsturbed, with
this exception, that the second rule forbids re
moval for refusing to perform political service
or to pay political assessment and the last
rule adds every violation of either rule or of the
provisions of the act against assessments to the
good causes for removal which existed before.
The act and rules have greatly diminished the
pressure upon appointing officers for removals
and have taken from them the temptation to
make removals of their own motion for the mere
purpose of making vacancy for favorte
Many removals, and those the most indefensible
in former years, were unquestionably made not
because the person removed was not useful
public servant, but because some powerful influ-
ence was to be concilated, some friend was to
be gratfed, or some dangerous enemy was to be
plaeated by putting particular person in the
vacancy.
Nevertheless, save in the particulars zen