The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-03
THE REAL RECORD.
Actual Statistics as to Changes in the
Civil Service-The Department of State
Under Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Bay yard.

Civil Service-The Department of State
Under Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Bayard.
The CiUil Service REGARD has rem
dered the public a great service in
securing and publishing large collec-
ton of statistics as to the changes
which have been made in the various
executive departments since the new
Administration came in a year ago
last spring. The lack of such data
hitherto has prevented any thing like
comprehensive exposition Of the
facts, and it has consequently been
impossible to show with any approach
to exactness the real state of the case.
The Records tables enable us to get at
the truth, and the showing is full of
interest.
The first thing which strikes one is
the evidence that the Clvil-Service law
has been strictly enforced, which is
furnished by the table of removals in
the classified SERVICE which is the
term adopted to designate that part of
the service subject to the law of 1888.
There are about $3.50 such places in
the departments at Washington, and
under the old spoils system OF ''clean
sweep" upon change of National Adj
ministration this army of clerks APP
pointed under Republican rule would
have been discharged in short order.
In point of fact, between March 4,
1885, and June 16, 1886 (since which
latter date very few changes have been
made), the whole number of remov-
ais aggregated but 1868, or only one
in every fifteen persons, and thirteen
of these were on account of reduction
of force. In some departments the
reasons for discharges are furnished in
every case, and it is evident that they
were made solely for the good of the
service. Thus in the War Department
sixty-one persons were removed during
this period, and Secretary Endicott
gives these as the causes: Reduction
of appropriations, 10; services no longer
required, 10; to accept appointments in
other departments, 2; inattention to
duty, 2; for intemperance, Z; absence
without leave, 6; inefficiency, 10; mis-
conduct, 8; political, l. Ten persons
in the classified service in the Post
Office Department were removed, and
the cause in each case is recorded, as
drinking to excess" "absent from
duty without permission" etc. 1t thus
clearly appears that the Civil-Service
law interposes no obstacle to removals
for the good of the service, while the
impossibility of filling vacancies except
upon proved merit, as established by
competitive examinations, removes the
motive for discharging efficient en-
ployes to make room for personal or
! political favorites.
The moderation of the Administra-
ton in the use of the removing power
is also shown by the record as to
changes in the unclassified service, to
which the law does not apply. The
detailed statistics as to these are given
in the case of the Interior Department,
and they show that out of about 1,0S0
such employees only 223, or one-ffth,
were removed. The 1O5 resignations
doubtless include large number of
persons who would have been removed
had they not voluntarily taken them
selves out of the way; but even lump
ing all the removals and resi- gnations
together as forced. they amount to only
thirty per cent. of the whole number
who might have been summarily got
rid of without any violation of law.
Even in the Department of Justice,
among the Territorial Judges, the
United States Attorneys, Marshals, etc.,
only two-thirds of the whole number
have been changed, and our readers
have doubtless noticed that one of the
Federal attorneys whose resignation
has just been demanded, because he
has been nominated for another Office
by his party, is an Ohio Republican.
The showing as to the diplomatic
service is peculiarly creditable and en-
couraging, since this branch of the
Government has long been the refuge
of broken-down party hacks. The
changes made in this. service since Mr..
Bayard became Secretary of State,
counting every thing, from an Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo.
tertiary down to an interpreter, aggre.
gate only IA out of 327 such officers
in the service of the United States, OF
only forty-four per cent. The Admin.
istration at Washington has changed
from one party to another for the first
time in quarter of century, and 9
list compiled in the second year Of
that Administration shows that, in.
stead of the old-fashioned "clean
sweep" abroad, much less than hall
of the representatives of this Govern.
ment in foreign lands have been
changed. To understand what this
really means, one should contrast this
record with that made when four years
before there was not change
of parties, but only of Representatives
of the same party in the Executive De
partments. When Mr.. Garfield be-
came President and made Mr.. Blaine
Secretary of State, he found the diplo
matte service filled with men ap
pointed by Republicans, yet during the
four months between March 4, 1881
and the day of the Guiteau tragedy
no less than So changes were made
in a total number of offices ther
: but little exceeding 300. In othel
, ! words, changes were made in 10 pei
cent. Of the diplomatic offices within
four months by Mr. Blaine as a Repub
lican Secretary of State, against only
A per cent. in more than year b,
Mr.. Bayard as Democratic Secretary
although the change of parties pre-
sented the strongest temptations AM
excuses for wholesale changes in tn
latter case.
Such figures as these are full of en-
couragement to the friends of Civil
Service reform. They show that tn
system of treating public offices as pub
lie trusts is steadily making Roadway
indeed, that it has already become to-
Al IL q.