The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-09-24
washingtonL Letter.

WASHINGTON, Sept. Is, 'S5.-Mr. Nc
Conville, sixth auditor at the treasury,
a staunch democrat and bona tide civil
service reformer, is much annoyed at
having his efforts thwarted by the bad
and bungling civil service commission.
He has made certain changes in his Of
flee in the wedding out of incompetent
men and has made room for ten new APP
pointments. AS matter of course he
wanted democrats who would be in
hearty sympathy with his efforts to re-
organize his office, and reduce it to a
practical business-like basis. He found
that he would not be able to make any
independent appointments except
through the civil service commission.
He made a requisitiOn upon the COM
mission for list of candidates " no had
passed its examination. The commits
sion sent him the names of forty candi-
dates, from whom he will be compelled
to make his selections. He found that
there was not single democrat in the
lot. He will be obliged to appoint re-
publicans or make no appointments.
There is very general complaint
against the commission, based upon the
ground that they unduly favor repub-
lican applicants. As between Il repub-
llcan aud democratic applicant they
will always pass republican if he is
any where near the mark. A democrat
has to pass what is called a premium
examination, and even then he is not
put in as good a position as if he was a
republican. This board has, in a mum
Der of localities, examined enough re-
publican applicants to fill vacancies
in the various bureaus of the govern
ment for some time to come. 1t is one
of the most unfair and partisan OF ma
chimes.
The chief of one of the largest gov
eminent offices who has charge ofnear-
ly three hundred clerks was talking
| about appointments, discharges and
| civil service examinations. He re-
marked that radical and phenomenal
change had taken place among the en-
ployes of his bureau since the fourth OF
March, that since then nearly all of his
| three-hundred clerks have been labor
ing to prove that they are democrats oil
the purest and most ancient political
pedigree and practice. When called
upon to explain how they were ap-
pointed and had so long held office I'M
der the republican spoils and machine
| system, Explained that their cases
were exceptions to the general rule.
ing,that they and their fore fathers and
mothers-in-law are democrats. He
says also that he finds it difficult to dis
charge a clerk for bad habits, inca paci-
ty, or for any of the many causes that
would render him unfit for the i'm
portant work OF his office. Just as soon
as he gets ready to remove a clerk and
make room for a democrat along comes
a democratic congressman and insists
that the clerk shall be retained. The
| congressman will, at the same time,
urge the appointment of his particular
friend, but when an attempt is made to
remove some one to make a vacancy. a
protest is entered at once. This is the
way it goes every day, the official says,
and he adds that in three cases when
he ordered the removal of worthless re-
publicans, he had to recant owing to
the pressure of democratic congress-
men, who insist on the retention OF
republicans.