The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-27
THE suBoRplNAres IN OFFICE.

The SUBOROlNATES IN OFFICE.
The popular impre ssion seems to be
hat the work Of the great departments
AT Washington is largely done by the
secretaries, or at least that these great
heads exercise personal supervision
over the results reached, whatever
they may be. 1t is supposed that the
heads of bureaus and the thousands Of
clerks are but machines and work
like any other machine in response to
the grinding hand of the engineer or
mechanic, When Mr.. PENDLEToN
pushed through his civil service re-
form act he appears to have had q
like idea regarding the clerical force
in the departments as too small game
to go cunning for.
No greater misapprehension of ex-
listing facts could occur. The heads OF
departments do literally nothing.
They, each, may have a policy, but
when matter of departmental work
of whatever character arises the sub
ject is referred to bureau, by the
chief of division to clerk and the re-
searches and finding of that obscure
clerk transmitted back to the secre.
tary, is signed by the latter and given
to the party interested. The real
work, in word, is done in the sub
ordinate ranks, where the details are
considered, and thesecretary generally
takes the finding without criticism
and rarely gives it but cursory
glance,
Pardors are issued by one clerk, ap-
pointments are made by this chief,
and the custom Of the department is
certified to by another, just as in Con-
gress, just as in almost all lines of
business on a large scale, the obscure
clerk at last is the man who deter
mines the weightiest questions. The
subordinate ranks of the departments,
therefore, and in the light of actual
facts, assume vast Importance. 1t is
possible often for them to determine
the policy Of a bureau or department,
And yet this is the very class that the
civil service reformers say should not
be disturbed. The charge is made and
1t is doubtless true that many of these
clerks who have been 1.-THE office for
years are now secreting or destroying
many valuable documents and books
some of which would compromise
many people now, or just recently in
high position. From standpoint Of
self-preservation and wisdom the ad-
ministration ought first of all to weed
out this class of Office holders and in.
fuse new and honest blood into the
real working ranks of the depart
ments. Not to do so is dangerous.
In his speech In Boston day before
yesterday MIR. HENDRICKs, shrewd
politician that he is, struck the correct
note. 1t is not The high officials, ar
gued he, upon whom the country is
dependent for good government, or,
rather, purity In the government SER
vice, but the subordinstes, the heads
of bureaus and divisions and their
clerks. Rightly then he insists that
true reform must begin at the bottom
The active, working ranks must be
reorganized. This is the conclusion
not of political sentimentalist, not 9
civil service reform dreamer, but G
practical statesman of large expert
ence and observation. Mr.. HEN
BRICKS position is that of sobernes'
and truth and our new and certainly
well-meaning but inexperienced ad
mlnistration would do well to prof
by the advice and public utterances o
this old Democratic "war- horse
Spies and obstructionists are the ruiz
Of an administration as certainly Al
they are of an army in the field.