The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1885-03-23
pEnvERrinn THE LAW.
A Few Pertinent Queries for th q
Civil.seFvtce Commissioners 20 An

Few Pertinent Queries for the
CtviI.8eFvtce Comm isatoners 20 An.
sWer.
10 he Editor Of me Erening critic
In answer to the statement Of Commits
soner Eaton, no is informed that tho writer
of tho letter in the Baltimore SIN was quits
well informed of the Civil-service law, and
he also did ascertain how the Commissions
ers were carrying out tho law. AS to tho
statement that "all grades are open to com
petition" has he so soon forgotten the
dilemma in which the candidates who
passed tho higher graded examination In
July, 1888, wero left in, and does he not
know that circulars were put out by the
Commissioners informing candidates that
they coud DO placed on tho list of eligiblos
for the lower gIadep Why was this done,
If the heads of the Departments had not
decided that candidates could only enter
the lower gTades2 II won't do, Mr.. Com
missioner, to say that "thc Departments
put them whore they please" thereby iuti-
mating that tho Commissioners have MOTH
Ing to do with the place the candidate
obtains. The Commissioners made great
mistake from the start, when they acqui-
esced in tho dongs of the heads of the
Departments. Again, he says "the Civil
Service regulations do not permit promo
tons without examinations" Now, does
he deny that promotions are made without
examinations in the Departments If he
does then he must indeed DO blind. Again,
ho says that there was an old law allowing
transfers from one Department to another"
and that Mr. Dudley conformed to the law
SO IL seems that a Commissioner of the
Civil.Service, who was appointed to see that
the law which was framed expressly for the
purpose of changing all the inequalities In
the appoin tments to Office should be faith
fully executed, has had to look up some old
law by which he could indorse the action
of Dudley. Most of the advocates Of the
Civil.service law supposed that tho pass
age Of that law repealed all other laws in
consistent with that. Surely he can sec
the inconsistency in the Dudley act
Another reason why Dudley's act was
wrong and am astonished at the indorse
ment of Commissioner Eaton in his wrong
doing, is this; Tho appointment of $50
special examiners was a special act its OBJ
iect clearly defined and the method of APP
pointment unmistakably interpreted. OF
course it could be evaded, and the country
knows how beautifully it was done. By It's
plain violation all tho special examiners of
the Pension Office have been brought into
disrepute. And l do not doubt that the in.
doIsoment OF Dudley's act by your con-
freres will bring the CivilService Commits
sion into the same category. OF course
there is no partisan bias on the part of the
| Commissioners, yet persons may be par
| dOned II they think it strange that after
| the election of Cleveland all the offices, from
| the highest to tho lowest, were hurried
| under the protection of the Civil-Servce
law. Now, will Mr.. Commissioner Eaton
| be good enough to inform the public what
clause of the law the parties who were
| dropped from the rolls of tho White House
and which act was horalded all over the
country as the first stop in favor of reform
| and retTenchment are now by some hocus
| pocus to be transferred to the War Depart
| ment?
am not complaining Of tho transfer Of
these particular ones, as | think they are
deserving, having been in Government EN-
| ploy only twenty years or thereabouts.
only want to know under what section Of
tho law this great power lies. One more
question and we will close. VIII Mr.. Eator
please let the readers of THE CRITIC know
how it was that Mr. Gregorys son took VI
residence of very short period in Geor
gia, and after Civil-Service examination
(so-oalled), was given position and accred
tied to that State? How long after his 70
movsl to Georgia did he apply for examina
tion--was his examination special aud pri
vate-how long after examination till hi
was appointed? This question is pertinent
and hope viii be answered fully.
MARYLANDER.