Savannah morning news., 1885-02-26
Mr.. Cleveland and the Civil Service

Mr.. Cleveland and the Civil Service.
The civil service is the most difficult
matter with wL'ch Mr.. Cleveland will
have to deal if. as understood, he intends
to introduce into the administration of the
affairs of the different departments econ
omy and competency. Those who are IA
miIiar with the manner in which the pub
lie business is transacted, and have
pretty fair idea of the kind of people
who compose the majority of the govern
ment employees, do not hesitate to say
that not more than One-half or one-third
of the number now employed is required.
In all Of the departments the system OF
transacting business is based upon the
idea that the party in power ought to
take care Of as many Of its adherents as
possible, at the expense of the govern
ment. For a quarter Of a century the
head Of a division or bureau, who could
find something to do for the greatest num-
Der Of people, has stood highest in the es-
timatiOn of his superiOrs. OF course, no
questions were asked whether the work
that was done was required to be done, or
whether it was Of any Importance after
it was done. The main, and, in fact, the
only thing considered was whether new
openings for additional place hunters
could be found without actually creating
scandal.
This system suited Congressman be-
cause it afforded them an opportunity to
pay their political debts without expense
to themselves, and it suited the party
leaders because they were able to provide
good berths for efficient party workers.
This system has gone on until there are
thousands of persons in the civil service
who have never done any efficient work,
and who could not do it if the OP-
pOrtunity were offered them. The Cir
eumlOcution style of doing business has
been carried to such an extent that, not
withstanding the presence of thousands
Of clerks IN the departments, 1T Is about
impossible to get any business done
promptly.
The public would be surprised and in
dignant if it knew the costly and extray-
CANT methods employed in doing the
simplest things. 1t has been said, az
no doubt truthfully, that the cost OF
| the letters written in the departments at
Washington was from So to So each. The
plan pursued in writing letters is about
as follows: The head of division, or his
| chief clerk, dictates his ideas to short
hand writer, and the short hand notes are
written out and given to a clerk to put
into shape. The letter is then passed to a
second clerk to correct. The corrected
letter is intrusted to third clerk to make
a copy for mailing, and to fourth clerk
to copy into . book kept for that purpose.
IL can be readily seen from this illustra-
tiOn why it is that there are nearly 1900
employees in the departments at Washing
ton. 1t was lately stated that in one OF
the great government offices Is persons
were found doing the work of one per-
son.
1t will be the work of Mr.. Cleveland to
give the civil service u thorough over
hauling, and to see that it is relieved, not
only of all incompetent, but also all use
less persons. This is no easy task, and 1t
will require extraordinary industry and
determination tC accomplish it. A great
many of the useless employees feel that
they are protected by the civil service law.
| They will doubtless discover their mis-
takes very soon after March 4. MIR. Cleye-
land will not violate the civil service law,
but il he lives up to the spirit of that law
and does his duty he will get rid of at
least a majority of those now In the SER
vice Of the government.