The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-22
A STRIKING CONTRAST.
How the Civil-Service Reform idea Work
In Two of the Treasury Bureaus.

How the Civil-Service Reform idea Works
In Two of the Treasury Bureaus.
Special to the indianapolis journal
! WASHINGTON, June 21-There is a marked
difference In the manner in which the spirit of
civilserviee reform Is carried out iH the two bu-
reaus of the Treasury Department to which the
Pendleton act does not apply. Mr.. E. o. Graves
was acivilservice reformer before the theory had
developed into any practical shape. He was an
advocate of civilservice reform when it was dan
gerous to express opinions Of that kind. All
through the period when the spoils politicians
had full swing. Mr.. Graves was an official of the
Treasury Department. and was never at loss to
express his opinion upon the system of appoint
ments which then prevailed. He was made
chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
about year ago, and has under his control the
patronage of that Office. It employs nearly ff-
teen hundred hands whose tenure of Office rests
entirely with Mr.. Graves. Yet the politicians
have been utterly unable to move him in his de-
termination that the spirit of the law should be
enforced there. The result is that the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing is conducted on busi-
ness basis and is doing better now than it has
ever done before in the history of the govern
ment
For some unexplained reason Mr.. Manning,
when he assumed control Of the Treasury De-
partment concluded to retain the services e
Mr.. Nj. L. Bell as supervising architect. Mr..
Bells Office is one of the most important in the
Treasury Department, and, as his employees are
mostly draughtsmen, computers and men who are
compelled to have technical knowledge, with an
eio al or nd ali <bo buc
placed within the scope of the civil-servlce act.
The respl. is that MI Bell has OF his disposition
some patronage which he is using FOR all it IS
worth to aid him in retaining his place. The
Office under Mr. Bells predecessor had been
built up to an advanced state of efficiency, and
among it's employees were men who were thor
oughly posted in all the intricacies Of the busi-
ness to be conducted. In the last eighteen
months the heads of these tried and trusty
servants have been constantly dropping, and 1t
is safe prediction to make that within very
short time few, if any, of the old employees will
be retained. The ciyil-service law is not admin
istered in the Supervising Arcitect's Office.
either in letter or in spirit. The
only law which seems to prevail there is the law
of self protection, and in order to retain his
place Mr.. Bell has sacrificed good and competent
men constantly, at the beck and call of his polit
ical masters. When he came here, about three
years ago. Mr.. Bell was practically untainted
with political poison. He now seems to have
lost all respect for himself man. and many
of his fellow-officers in the Treasury Depart
ment have no hesitancy in saying that he would
sacrifice his best friend for the sake of retaining
his own scalp. This would be all right, were it
not fer the fact that in the summer of 1884 be-
fore the elections MIR. Bell, who was an ardent
supporter of Mr.. Blaine, remarked in the hear
inc of your correspondent that he would not
think of retaining his place if Cleveland should
be elected. He hangs on like grim death. how
ever, and will probably continue to. do so until
Mr.. Cleveland can find competent man who is
willing to sacrifice his ambition and his prospects
as an architect for q four-thousand-d dollar place
in the govern ment service.