St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-30
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
How the Law Works to the Governments
Benefit-Pressure Upon Congressman.

How the Law Works to the Governments
Benefit-Pressure Upon Congressman.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The civil service
law theoretically relieves members of con-
gress from any connection with clerical Of
flee seeking for or by their constituents. 1t
is intended to make all applicants for lower
grades of the government employment, that
is below and including S1,S00 clerkships
run the gauntlet Of civil service examina-
tions, and to deprive congressman of the
power to thrust favorites or dependents into
places without regard to their fitness. Under
the old order of things when man or wo-
man wanted place every means was brought
to bear to gain the
INFLUENCE OF THE CONGRESSMAN
who represented his or her district, and he
would then go to the department and insist
that the applicant be given clerkship. If
there was no vacancy the average congress-
man could induce the head of the depart
ment to turn out somebody, or in some other
way make room for the new clerk. The per-
sons provided for were generally those whose
family connections or political consequence
in their congressman's district was of suffi-
of his political future by securing a place
for the applicant. 1t rarely happened that a
member felt himself at liberty to select from
his district
DESERVING YOUNG MAN,
whose sole recon mmend ndation was that he would
make a capable and efficient employe Of
the government, because others who had
local political claims seldom failed to de-
law has accomplished some good, especially
that it has placed check upon the old
method of filing clerksbips with incompe-
tents, 1t has failed to relieve members OF
congress from the demands upon them for
employment in the government service.
Congressmen who remain here receive stacks
of letters every day so that it would be diff
cult to keep up with their correspondence of
this character, even If they had nothing else
to do. The theme of these letters is
OFFICE,
some knowing what place they want and
asking that the matter be arranged as soon
as possible, while others want anything they
can get and want it right away. The civil
service act does not prevent the president or
heads of departments from removing any,
body from the public service. but the vacan-
ClS5 Df lCIuOfdIo VI NUN ObbtI CAUSES
in all cases coming within the limits Of that
Law must be filed by persons selected from
those who have passed the prescribed exami-
nations, and neither senators nor congress-
men have power to influence the examiDa-
tons so long as the civil service commits
sioners are honest. A large number Of names
of persons who have passed examinations
have accumulated on the list Of those who
have not been
ASSIGNED TO DUTY,
because the number Of competent persons
attracted to the public service by the fact
that the salaries are generally larger
than tbe average Of them could earn
in private employment considerably exceeds
the numbsr Of vacancies that have occurred.
Some congressman com plain that by the
operation Of the civil service law they are
deprived Of the power 20 comply with the
demands Of their constituents for Office, yet
theT are subjected TO as much pressure for
places as ever they were. It is said at the
departments that the civil service eIamina-
tons have for the most part brought into the
service q more efficient class Of men and
women, and that this is especially true as 10
the women clerks who have passed the ordeal,
but that
SOME TyCONPETRyT5
have slipped through in spite Of all precau-
tions. Il Is believed to be true that very