The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-03-17


dance upon the German, has thrown
cside her decol!ete satin robe and ar
rayed herself il high cut suit Of
sack-cloth, netaphorically speaking,
While she cries nea culpa, and con-
tents herself 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 croud-
ed into 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 the
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 De-
partmeats during the twelve months,
and how the President has carried out
his pledges at the expense of his par
ty.
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-
ries have given place to Democratic
successors and the score Of bureau Of
fcers who were, with few exceptions,
active partisans, have given place to
successors chosen on about the same
principles. The Supervising Archi
! tect and Chief of the Secret Service,
retain their places. Among the Dep
uty chiefs of bureaus, about one half
have been displaced or reduced to
lower grades. Of the chiefs Of divis-
ion, about one half have been displac.
ed or reduced to clerkships. Taking
the Secretaries Office as an example,
of it's nine division chiefs four have
been displaced, one Of whom was sue
ceeded by the promotion OF an eti-
cient subordinate; the other FIVE have
been retained. The Treasurer's bu-
reau has been protected absolutely
from partisan changes, and vacancies
in all it's grades have been filed by
promotion. Assistant chiefs of dlvls-
ion have been recognized as under the
civil-service classification and free from
partisan changes, the appointment OF
an assistant chief Of the Appointment
Division being the only violation OF
this principle and policy. In the four
clerical grades the civil-service law
has been absolutely enforced and ex-
cuses for removals or evaslons have
not been sought.
The Bureau of Engraving and Prln-
ting, controlling more patronage un-
restricted by the Civil Service law
than all the Bureaus Of the Treas
urv combined, has afforded the most
conspicuous and perfect example OF
the triumphs of reform principles
Throughout the Departments, where
oee;s+.,,+ socrot.ries 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 clerks of the
State, War and Navy Departments,
trained under Republican administra.
tions, 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 ana Post Office Depart
ments, voluntarily resigned.
The State, War and Navy Depart
ments, have been absolutely free from
partisan changes above, below and in
the classified Grades. The Depart
ment of Justice has witnessed numer-
Gus changes in its higher positions,
the Assistant Attorneys General, the
Solicitor General, and special Attor-
neys etc., but its chief clerk, appoint
ment clerk and other prominent oth-
GERS remain, and in the grades OF d.
vision chiefs, clerical grades, and
among the laborers and messengers,
partisanship has had no victims.
Tie Interior and Post Office De-
partments, changes and reductions
have been made among bureau and
division officers, but the heads OF those
Departments, have firmly resisted
pressure for the removal Of their most
faithful and efficient aids, and from
the lowest to the highest grades, 9
large proportion of the incumbents
hold over from previous Adminlstrat
!, ions.
Released from Confinement.