Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-12
MR.. EATONpS ANSWER
The Ez-COmmisSiOner Replies in Full to
0berly's Charges
AGAINST THE COMMISSIONERS
OF the Civil Service-The Special Rule
Explained.
DEFEAT OF THE ENEMIESO OF REFORM

NEW YORK, September lin a letter
to the Times, ex-Civil Service Commits
sioner, Dorman B. Eaton, says: In a for
mer letter l promised to answer specific
ally all the charges which Commissioner
Oberly has made in his letter in the
Times of the 18th of August. The first,
and principal charge, is that partisan con-
siderations prevailed in the matter ofmak-
ing special rule approved
July -, 1884, in conducting
examinations and i'll making
general certiications hereunder for the
position of special examiners for the Pen
sion Office. = I \ Now let us return
to Mr.. Oberly's main charge, concerning
the certifications and appointments for
pension examiners. The one popularity
about them was this, that when the COM
mission made the c~ertifications for their
appointment it found it necessary to certi-
fy the names of all the applicants on its
ANSh'SiS, AhStShu ohiy thS ioui hdihVu
highest as the rules required in other cases.
The appointing officer could therefore, ut
his discretion, with which they could not
interfere, select from the whole lists in
stead of being compelled TO take one from
each set of four.
In the facts which made
Til SPECIAL. RULE
involving these general certitiGatiOns neceS-
Sary is the complete answer to Mr.. Oberly's
Indictments. Let us understand these facts.
As amember ofPrcSident Grants Commits
sion | helped to enforce Il rule which pro-
vided for the certiticatiOn of only three
names at once; and, approving that rule, |
proposed the same provision for President
Arthur's rules. 1t was approved by the
Commission, but disapproved by members
of his Cabinet. One of them, ut least,
favored general Qualifications in all cases.
No II of them favored three only, and
several, it is believed, favored many more
than four names on Il certificate. The
Commission regarded it Us fortunate that
only four. rs n general rule were, by COM
promise, provided for III the rules. This
RULE OF FOUR
was rigidly enforced in every case until
July, ISL, save n exception for impera-
tive reason was always made as to n few
technical places in the State Department.
On the 18th OF that month, and the last day
of its session, Congress adjourned, having
suddenly passed that same day an UMPIRE
ccdented act creating 100 new offices to be
filled, of which the occupants were to he
called pension examiners, whose service
was to be in the field and whose duties, to
be performed in full measure ut the outset,
were TO be the investigation and reporting
upon claims for pensions, each examiner
acting independently for the locality of his
assignment. 1t was plain, therefore, that
matured Judgment, rs well as some cXpe-
riencc in life were qualifications far more
important than in the clerical work Of the
before existing class of pension examiners
who served under the Eyes OF the chief nj
Washington. The practice had been To
assign these office examiners TO the field
after adequate experience showing prac-
teal capacity.
CONTRARY To ALI. PRECEDENT
and to the laws as TO the other class of cX-
amlnerS, these new examiners. were by the
express terms Ofthe new law to hold office
for only one year; and yet the Civil Service
rules, if they could he made to cover them,
required a probation of six month, ever he
fore complete appointment, and the Civil
Service law, if held TO cover the new
places, rigidly required the appointments
to them to be appOrtioncd among the
States and Territories in the ratio of pro-
portion.
The purpose Of Congress was to have a
great amount of work done within the
year before the next session. Members
and great politicians holding hat the act
and rules did not cover the new places.
and believing the Commission could not
fill them ~seaSonably, had enough applied
whom they were pressing upon the
President and his Cabinet, to fiji these
places ten times over. What was
AVA 90