National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-25
aRArurrous wAnN1Nas.
Mr.. Clapp Suggests That the Civil Service
Commissioners Are Worried Nitheut

NANANs
TO the Editor
So far as civil service laws and rules apply
TO the qualifications and usefulness Of those
connected unfortunately with the administra-
ton of the government they have been well
coined by the country, though decorated more
or less with the tinsel OF nonsense Ia their
adaptation ana utilization as part Of the ma
chinery OF republican form OF government.
With that feature OF the civil service law there
Is no controversy. Every person, save those,
perhaps, who have failed 10 meet the test Of
examination before the commission, accepts
tho situation, chocrfully conscnting that tho
machine shall be permitted To work out Ia
own destiny, according to the letter aud spirit
OF the law creating II.
The prohibilory features Of tho civil service
laws, however, are clearly aimed at the party
in power, and not 1T the parties which have
not been in power for some twenty-iour years
and have but slight future prospects I'm that
direction, The inventors Of the civil service
machine were evidently inimical TO the re.
publican administration of public Affairs, and
the engineers appointed 10 run II appears to
sympathze with the inventors This opinion
Is based upon the public acts Of these commits.
soncrs during the brief term OF their service.
Tho law has beCn more generally promuI'
gated, considered, and discussed than any
law OF late enactment, and Is better under
stood by those to whom II more directly re-
lates than the average statutes Of congress.
Ana yet TWO OF thc commissioners tecl Caieu
upon now to cxpound the law from their re.
spoctivo standpoints 80 far M II relates to
| political assessments upon government EN-
| ployes, evidently as signal Of danger 60 that
class They seem 20 be actuutcd by a fear
that republicans employed In the public ser.
| vice may Incur the penalties 81 this law BY
| contributing Of their own means to aid in the
| pCrmnncnCe Of republican rule In the govern,
mcnt In accordance with their own sense OF
| duty
| This action on the part of tho commissioners
is not called Tor by any apparent eNgency,
and hence IL mere gratutty on their part
! Tho organization Of the republican party iot
| the first presidential campaign since these
| commissioners had n being, has been sCrupu'
! lousy guarded against any possible inirnction
| Of the civil service law The republican ma
| tiOnal committee is entirely FREQ nom senu
| tors, members Of congress, clerks, and gov
! crnmcnt employees to solicit or receive money
or other valuable thing for any political object
and Use. II has not made any assessment
whatever upon public officials II has simply
| invited voluntary contributions from govern
| mcnt employees ns citizens who are enjoying
benefits not enjoyed by other citizens rs at
| taChes of the government, that the party
which insured TO them these benefits may hi
! continued In power. IL has In no instance ap
preached these government officials by way o
solicitation In amy office o. room or building
occupied by any government oilicinl in III,
discharge of his duty. 1t has indeed violated
no provision or even the spirit of this law
and yet there seems 10 be n studied effort OF
| the part OF these commissioners 10 lntlmluhu
government officials from using their none!
In all lawful ways 20 propagate and enforce
their own political views.
Then in view of these facts, why do thCsi
commissioners continue their work of hanging
up ctigles to Brighten government clerks ant
other officials from contributing voluntarily o
their own means ~ citizens TO sustain tn
party and principles of their choice? GcOrg
William Curtis In his eccentric FRANKS excite
no surprise. He has openly rebcllcd and be
come an enemy Of the republican party, and
rs a descrtcr TO the other side, seems inten
upon out-Horoding Hcrod in the prosecution
of his ill-conceivcd effort to stultify his ow
record. But that the ma ority of the civ
/ service commission should In any degree i'm
tate his example and give aid and comfort I
his efforts can be accounted for only under tn
, superstition that he shares largely OF their syn
patty. Yours &c, A. NJ. CLAPP.