The Mineral argus., 1886-03-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

mourning for forty days. To observe,
or appear to observe Lent. is as FASH
ionable in this city as it is to approach |
il with social events leaped rapidly |
upon one another. The young lady |
who has been going TO balls, routs,
receptions, and dancing attendance
upon the German, has thrown aside |
her Gerollt6e satin robe and arrayed |
herself in high cut suit of sack
cloth, metaphorically speaking, while
she cries ma enIba, and contents her
self with afternoon teas, drives and
theatre parties.
Every day crowds OF people go to
the Capitol and make their way to the
Senate galleries where they listen to
the long looked for debate on the
Presidential prerogative. Although all
| the discussion that could be crowded
into a year would not remove the
question at issue from the category of
vexed political problems, the people
will be glad TO have the subject thor
oughly exhausted Then both parties
to the controversy may settle down
to the real work of the session. There
will be general approval, however. if
the debate shall produce. as one of its
Indirect results, the throwing open of
executive business to the scrutiny of
the public.
The new administration is now but
little more than one year old. 1t may
interest civil service reformers to read
what changes have been made in the
personnel OF the Executive depart
ments during the twelve months, and
how the President has carried out his
pledges at the expense of his party.
The Treasury department. which is
by far the largest Of them all, affords
the most interesting example of what
has been done. Its assistant secreta
res have given place to Democratic
successors and the score Of bureau
,u...cers who were. with few exceptions,
active pa:tisans, have given place to
successors chosen ON about the same
principles. The Supervising Architect
and Chief OF the Secret Service, retain
their places. Among the deputy chiefs
|, Of bureaus, about one-half have been
displaced or reduced to lower grades
OF the chiefs of division, about one
half have been displaced or reduced
to clerkships. Taking the Secre,ary's
office as an example, of its nine divis-
> ion chiefs four have been displaced.
one of whom was succeeded by the
promotion of an efficient subordinate;
the other five have been retained.
The Treasurer's bureau has been
protected absolutely from partisan
changes, and vacancies in III its grades
have been filed by promotion. Assist
an, chiefs of division have been rec
ognized as under the civil service
classification and free from partisan
changes. the appointment Of an assist
ant chief of the Appointment Divis
ion being the only violation OF this
principle and policy. In the four cler-
zeal grades the civil service law has
been absolutely enforced and excuses
: for removals or evasions have not been
, sought.
The Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing, controlling more patronage unre-
stricled by the Civil Service law than
all the bureaus Of the Treasury com
bined. has afforded the most conspicu
Gus and perfect example Of the TIL
umphs of reform principles.
Throughout the departments, where
assistant secretaries We're employed,
they have been superseded, with a
single exception. With chief clerks.
the rule has been very different the
veteran and efficient chief OF clerks of
the State. War and Navy departments,
trained under Republican adninistra
tons. have been retained. The chief
clerk of the Department of Justice
and Of the interior Department both
continue to serve, and the only two
who have been succeeded, those of the
Treasury and Post Once departments,
voluntarily resigned.
= The State, War and Navy depart
meats, have been absolutely free from
, partisan changes above, below, and in
tie CLASSIFIED grades. The Depart
merit Of Justice has Witnessed numcr-
ols charges in lis higher positions,
the Assistant Attorneys General. spec
ial attorneys. etc. bat its chief clerk.
Appointment clerk and other pfomi
neat officers remain. and IN the grades
Of division chiefs, clerical grades AMI
among The laborers and messengers,
partisanship has had no victims.
Ia the Interior and Postofiice de-
partmenis, change, and reductions
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