The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-10
THE RULES ENFORCED.
Or. GREGORY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION TALKS.
He Gives Definition of Celebrated
Phrase-No Violations of the Law
Permitted to stand, and
No Changes Made.

CHICAGO July 10.-Dr. Gregory, Of the
civil service commission, has been in the
city for few days examining applicants
for positions In the postoffice. He was in
terviewed by Mail reporter Thursday and
asked:
"Supposing man gets leave Of absence to
60 home and vote, and, let us say, makes
speech or two while OH leave. would that
be considered as being offensive partisan
ship and as such, be punished by decapi-
tationl"
THAT is really matter of private opin-
ion, and as far as that goes, my opinion on
that subject IL of no more interest to the
public than yours or John Smiths. But
will say that don't think any one would
claim that it would be a case of offensive
psrtisanship' if man simply talked with
his neighbor. But the size of the audience
cuts no figure because many do more for
their party by private talk than others do
by public harangues. Absolute malfeasance
in Office is offensive partisanship,' and
think it would be good cause for removal if
| an official neglected his business or misused
his official Pc ition for partisan purposes"
"The people are largely of the impression
that the civil service law meant protection
to the clerks in the department Is any
such protection guarantesd"
1.-THE intent of civil service was not to
guarantee clerks that they were to hold
their positions forever Tho aim of the law
Is primarily to give the government the best
kind OF clerical assistance, and second
| arily to prevent the clerkships be-
ing given out as political patron
age. There is nothing in the rules to
forbid removals. The only protective. if it
can be called by that name. if that when a
vacancy is made in any manner whatever it
must be filled from the list of persons who
passed the examinations. The official who
removes political enemy can tell whether
one Of his political faith is to ill the position
| OF not"
do you know of any violations Of the
| civil service law by any of the heads of the
last administration
Il know of none except one by Secretary
| Teller, and that was through a mistake,
which he rectified the next day. He was
| under the impression that certain position
was exempt from examination by rule 10,
and appointed a man for the place. 1t came
under the notice Of the civil service commits
sion, who at once called the attention of the
secretary to the point He instantly re-
moved the man and the vacancy was filled
from the list There have been
numerous charges against the last ad min
istration, but not single offense has been
substantiated, and so confident have
been all the time that have offered to give
complainants $50 outright if there was any.
thing to build a case upon, but there hasn't
BEEN All charges have turned out TO be
absolutely false. The present administra.
| ton has had the Chenowith- Keller affair
on its hands, but that has all been set
| tied and young Keller is at work. You
recollect Keller was notified by the COM
mission to come on to Washington to ac-
| cept a position as treasury clerk He did
so, but was tod by First Auditor Chsnowith
that he could not have his situation because
he was personally Objectionable to people in
his congressional district His congressman
had somehow gotten wind Of the fact that
he had been appointed and had gone
around TO Chenowith and had forbidden
him to take Keller. Keller complained to
the commission and was given his position
| in short order.
| Speaking about changes in the civil ser.
vice rules" said DIR. Gregory as he rose to
go, "the only change has been a different
construction of the rules governing persons
exempt from examination. | refer to the
case of an appointment TO the position OF
chief in a land Office division The man
was chief in fact, but his title was not pro
videdt for by law. The president held, and
think sensibly, that, as he was chief in
fact, and the office had existed when the
civil-service law was formed, he was exempt
from examination as well as the other
chiefs, and hence his vacancy could be filled
by appointment"