Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-11-28
WASHINGTON. D. C.. Nov. 25. 1854

VINDICAToR.1
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov 25, 1884.
The one thing uppermost, in the public
mind here, and doubtless elsewhere, is the
approaching official upheaval in the Federal
ofic es, and with it comes the discussion of
the Civil Service lava law which is to some
a rock of refuge but to many more a rock
upon which they will be dashed to pieces
Those within its provisions are the class
known as 'clerks" They are of six grades.
designated by the salaries they receive-$9OO,
$1,000, $1,000, $1,4UO $1,000, and 81, 800.
None of those receiving less than 5000 or more
than s 800 are affected by it, and consider
able number of those in the grades mentioned
are excepted as for example clerks, cashiers
and others, who are in the immediate official
families, so to speak, of heads of departments
and others in high position. It is conceded to
be matter of right that all such persons
ought to be in political sympathy with those
to whom they hold close personal relations.
The protection" extended to the clerks by
the Civil Service law is, however, of negative
character, and more apparent than real. The
privilege of removal is net in any manner
abridged. 1t is not necessary that there be
any specified cause but any of them may be
removed at any time, as arbitrarily as in the
palmiest days of the 'spois system.'' The law
does, however, take away the incentive to
make sudden and violent change. To illus
trate: Smith thinks he is entitled to clerk
ship held by Johnson, and that he ought to
have it. He goes to the President or the head
of department and makes known his wish.
While, it may be, fully recognizing the validi-
ty of his "claim" the officer tells him. II
can remove johnson at this moment if
choose, but I cannot give you his place.
dred others, who have passed the required ex-
animation and have their names on the regis
ter for appointment, have waited 10 these many
days for vacancies. One of them must be ap-
pointed. I would like to put you in but I
can't do it. Your only way is to go before the
examining board and if you get through all
right, take your place in the line and stand
out in the cold till your turn comes"
When the impatient Mr.. Smith finds that
there are 900 or 500 waiting to..fll the vacan-
cies he is very likely to conclude that he had
better look somewhere else for job, and he
goes away with very poor opinion of the
civil service law
HOW MANY ARE PROTECTED"
There are in Washington about -, 700 per-
sons employed in the various departments Of
theae about about 500 are clerks of the grades
specified in the law, and therefore, covered by
it provisions. The law also extends to few
of the larger customs and post Offices in the
eountry-that is, ali which have fifty employ
ees or upward The 5000 or more in Wash.
ington, outside the civil service grades, in
clude all employees of the government down
to the drivers of mules and serubbers of floors.
Besides these, there are about $4,000 in the
country at large whom the civil service law
does not touch. PROFESSIONALLY, the great
mass of these will be changed as soon as may
be found convenient after the 4th of March.
The most popular literary work among Demo-
Gratis Just now, is the tOficiaI Register OF
"Blue Book" as it is Familiarity known. 1t
consists of two ponderous volumes, of nearly
thousand pages each, which contain the
names Of every one OF these hundred thousand
persons the positions they fill, and the State
from which they were appointed. They are
all there, from His Excellency, the President,
down to the humble colored woman who cleans
out the Treasury cuspidores. It furnishes en-
tertaing, though perhaps exasperating reading,
because q fellow sees SO many things he would
like to have, or any one of them, but the per-
simmons hang too high for the length of his
pole To give you some idea of the places
that are accessible, have spent considerable
time in wandering through the pages of the
Blue Book" and I give below the result of
my explorations. The following is LIST, MOI
wholly complete, of persons appointed from
Virginia, and now holding positions outside of
of the civil service grades. have not inelus
ded the protected Virginia clerks, some
200 in number, nor those employed in mental
services, with compensation too small to
prove ga terrible temptation" I have also
given the persons employed in the Post
Office Department in your section Of the
State. Here they are look at 'em,
Benz. F Montgomery, clerk White House $1,000
R Back,ey, messenger White House 200
j 7 Richard, doorkeeper White House 1900
w J Smith, watchHa White House 900
William Groin, messenger State Dept $40
CoNsULS, ETC.
Joseph Mason, consul Dresden $500
Arthur God, consul Belfast 5000
John Mosby consul Hong Kong 1900
Sampson Rayly, il, consul Palermo 1900
Edward White commercial agent, Ponce Fees
g Harrison Smith, consular clerk, Berlin 1000
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
Ira Aver, ir special agent per day
Simon E chamberlain. special agent, perday 8
Goodwin, inspector OF customs, per day
Henry Bragden, Waterman 100
Ross Hamilton do Y2i
Frank ] Lewis do 72O
Philip n Dyer, craftsman, per day 4