The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-12-05
The Offices to be Filled by Mr.. Cleveland.

" htN 'ihONo Nhl NllG ltW 4 ItHIutnI
fill How far is his power limited by
the Civil Ssrvice act These are the
questions which now agitate the minds
OF all politicians.
To begin with, the President makes
all important appointments with the
advice Snd consent of the Senate. He
appoints the officers of his own house
hold private secretary, an assistant
secretary, two executive clerks, a stew.
ard, and messenger. The Presidents
private secretary receives only $500
year, but from its nearness to the
Chief Execctive the office is considered
a post of some Importance. Under the
present Administration its functions
have been agreeably discharged by
MIR. Fred Phillips
The seven Cabinet officers or heads
of departments are the most important
offices in the gift of the President, The
Assistant Secretaries and the heads of
various bureaus in the departments are
also appointed by him. Such heads
Of bureaus are, for instance, in the
Treasury Department. The Treasurer
of the United States, the Commission
er of Customs, the Commissioner of In.
ternal Revenue, tie Register Of the
Treasury and in the Department of
the Interior, the Commissioner of the
General Land Office, the Commission
er of Indian affairs, the Commissioner
of Pensions; the Commissioner Of Pat.
ents, aud the Commissioner of Educa.
tion. The President appoints the First
and Second Comptrollers and the six
Auditors in the Treasury Department
and in the Department of Justice, be-
sides its head--the Attorney General
he appoints a Solicitor General, three
Assistant Attorneys.General, four 9TH
er Solicitors, and an Examiner of
Claims.
The Department of Agriculture is of
comparatively recent creation, and its
head, Commissioner, is appointed by
the President; but he has 10 seat in the
Cabinet.
The Federal Judges, unless they re-
sign or are impeached, hold office for
life. 1t, therefore, may fall to the lot
of President to appoint many or few,
as vacancies may chance to occur. In
the Supreme Court of the United
States, during the course of Mr.. Cleve-
lands Administration, three or four of
Justices will become eligible to retire
went should they 80 desire bat there
is no enforced approximation in that
court. The District Attorneys and
Marshals for the various Federal dis
trcts into which the Union is divided,
are appointed by the President. A
United States District attorney is ap-
pointed for four years, or until the
Senate shall approve his successor so,
for instance, in this district, as soon as
our friend Mr. Elihu Roots successor
shall be named by Mr.. Cleveland, and
the nomination shall receive the con6r-
nation of the Senate, new District
Attorney will be installed.
In the diplomatic and consular ser
vice there will, in all probability, be
complete change, for all such appoint
ments, from ENJOYS extraorpinary to
consuls and interpreters, are in the gift
of the incoming Executive. Some Off
ces of importance connected with the
public lands will be filled by Mr..
Cleveland Thus, he can appoint
Surveyor r-General each for Louisiana,
Florida, Minnesota, Kansas, California,
Nevada, Oregon, Nebraska and Iowa,
Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho,
Washington, Montana, Utah, Wyo-
ming, Arizoua, and also Register of
the Land Office for each land district,
such districts only existing where one
hundred thousand acres of Government
land remains unsold.
Thousands of persons are employed
in the departments at Washington, but
the great mass of Federal officials are
employed either in the collection of
customs or duties or in the postal SER
vice. 1t is said that there are some
fifty thousand Postmasters in the Uni
ted States, and that about as many in
dlviduals are officers of the customs or
the internal Revenue. The Postmas.
ters in our cities, the Collectors, Naval
Officers, Surveyors, and Appraisers in
in our great ports of entry hold places
Of remunerative salary, which are ca
gerly sought at the beginning of every
new Administration. All Postmasters,
except those of the fourth and fifth
class, all Collectors of the customs and
of internal revenue, and all the other
principal officers of customs are ap-
pointed by the President. The Civil
Service act has nothing to do with
them
And now that we have seen what
offices Mr.. Cleveland can fill, let US
consider how he is restricted by the
Civil Service act. 1t provides for the
classification of certain clerks employed
in the departments, in the customs, or
in the Post offices, and for the exami-
nations of applicants for such offices.
1t is claimed that under its existing in
depreciation about fourteen thousand
clerks-the most important of whom
receive 1900 per annum-are secure
in their tenure of office, and cannot be
affected by change of Administra-
tlon. Accepting this statement as cor.
rect, the fact remains that the great
army of otiiceholders now intrenohed
throughout the United States can bt
turned out next March, and their pla
ces can be filed either by the Pres
dent himself or by those who will owe
their own Offices to him. There ar,
about fourteen thousand ofiiceholGer
whom the Civil Service act makes in
dependent of the Presidents power
but about ninety thousand still remain
subject to it.-N Y. Sun.