Savannah morning news., 1885-09-04
HIGGINS ON CIVIL SERVICE.
He Regards the Commission as simply
Piece OF Republican Political Ma
From, The Washtnqton Pose.


chinery.
From the Washington Past.
al cannot pick up this book without
finding some flaw in it," said Mr.. Eugene
Higgins, appointment clerk of the Treas
ury Department, as a reporter discovered
him yesterday reading copy of the civil
service regulations. "What is my opin-
ion of civil service? think that under its
present management it is a failure and a
fraud. am In favor of civil service. 1t
is not the idea against which rebel, as
the newspapers say, but the manner in
which 1t is carried out. l am well ac-
quainted with its rules and regulations
and do not have to 60 to Mr.. Eaton for
advice on the subject. l have studied
them in and out Of Office hours, and the
more [ see of them the more am con-
vinced of the necessity for their modlhca-
ton"
''Can you tell me any instances in which
the system or the management has, IN
your opinion, been taiure?'
''Why, lOok at that Kellar case. kellar,
you remember, was recently appointed to
Auditor Cneuoweth's Office in the Treas
ury. Well, sir, that man passed his AK
animation just three months before the
election, and when a areQuisition was made
by Secretary Manning for clerk kellar
was pushed forward for the place before
others who were far ahead OF MIN both III
the time and result OF the examination.
still, since he was the one sent and
selected by the commissioners, we had TO
accept him. Then, only a snort time ago
Surveyor Beattie, Of New York, mace
Tsqulsition Tor a saugar. Nov. the law
says that the Commissioners shall select
fourpersous andforward their names 70 the
person making the requisition for him to
choose from. Instead Of dong this, now
ever, they sent justone name, and Beattie
refused to accept it. He sent back word
that he wanted four names to select
from. His presumption so surprised
Mr. Eaton that he went up TO see
him, and l believe they had some high
wOrds.'
"Have you any complaint against the
Commissioners?
There is no doubt in my mind that
they have been hood "inked, or worse, by
the Republican party. Between last De-
cemb r and March, after the election,
persons holding laborers' positions at-$660
a year were promoted to $500 just to
bring them within the pale Of the civil
Service law, so that they could not be
displaced. even though they were Repub-
oharwomen who had been scrubbing the
floors, and who could scarcely spell any
compound English word correctly. [
have one of these in my office now, $500
clerk, and if you could see the book she
is keeping you would be surprised. She
spells Treasury 'tresury' all the way
through and each page is covered with
bIunders of still worse kind. some
who were really educated and refined
have been passed over and retained in
their old places. You know that is not
II fair way OF doing things. Why, as a
result OF this manner of promotion, there
are not now in the Treasury Depart
ment more than 50 per cent. of the clerks
who have passed an examination. In
my office alone there are seventeen
clerks, not one of whom has been ex-
amined.
"Why don't you dismiss these illiterate
clerks you mention and promote the de-
serving OnesY
"Under the Civil Service rules we can't
dismiss clerks unless charges are pre-
ferred against them, and it would be hard
TO take away u woman's character and
support and turn her out on the world,
and yet it is but Justice to the govern
ment. And because ! am Just, before be-
ing kind, the newspapers howl at me.
The men Idon't mind turning out-in fact,
| rather enjoy it. They can take care of
themselves. There is one man who was
dismissed from a 81, 200 clerkship, who Is
now driving a herdIc in Washington at
$40 a month. When | saw him driving l
ielt sorry he was discharged from the De-
partm mt for he showed that he was at
any rate an industrious man, and had
some good in him."