The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-01-21
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
Gen. W. X. Cox. Chairman of the sivii
Service Reform Committsc-W hat North
Carolina Members are Doing.
Especial Cor. STATE CuRoNICil

Especial Cor, STATE CuRONICII
WASHINGTON, d. G., Jan Is The ap
pointment of Gen. " r. Cox To The chair
manship of the civil service reform com
mlttee was fortunate one for the conscr
yative civil service reformers in the party
He is strongly inclined towards the Prcs-
dents policy and Is busy collecting data
from the chiefs of divisions so ~ 10 under
stand the subject thoroughly He fayors
however, subjecting all those who were in
cumbents at the time Of the Pendlcton
bill, to as a rigid a civil service examina-
ton Us any new applicant for office under
the Government. This is a practical and
just view 10 take of it. IT Is manlfestlY
unfair to allow the horde Of incompetcnt
Republicans who have held Office for years
as a reward for partisan service, alone, 10
reap 20 many advantages from the law as
it now stands. Gen. Cox investigation
caused me to get aC cess To the experience
of a North Carolina division chief which
throws considerable light on the subject.
When Capt. John B. iIus7ey was app, lnt
cd Chief of the Army Pensions Division.
Of the Treasury Department, lc found the
work of his division twelve months be
hind He had 56 clerks under him Every
one was a Republican and they owcd their
positions to the fact that they had done.
or were supposed TO have done, the KepuD-
lican party political service Capt lIus-
Sey's first official act was TO motifs these
clerks that by certain date the work Of
the division would have 20 be done up 10
date. The regulations Of the department
were strictly enforced, and by the specified
time the required work was done. By that
time Capt. Hussey found that he could dis
pense with the services Of - of these clerks.
and the more incompetent ones were dis
charged Among these were Squire Deayer.
ofAshcvIle;a man named HIldebrandt from
Guilford. and colorcd r4an named John
son. from Granville all North CarolIniaus.
all Republicans, and the - were elected
for dismissal solely on account Of Their
physical or mental unfitness for the work.
/ Up to this date, the work Of Capt Hgs-cl
division has been Systematically perform
ed on time, aud he says if all his fore
were as competent as the four civil service
clerks in his division, he could perform tha
duties Of his division with one half the
force 1t well enough 10 add in this con
nection, that Capt. iiussey's ) management
has called forth especial commcudatior
! from the Auditor and Secretary Manning
| There is one 81 500 clerk in Capt. II.
| division whom he thinks Incompetent t.
! discharge the duties Of "A $1,000 place, bat
as the Grand Army Of the Republic is Al
| his back it is considered treason to thiut
/ Of his removal or Of his salary being mad.
/ IN accordance with his service Can
| practical law be framed 50 as u reach al
| such cases doubt il, but am sure Gen
+! Cox will do his best 10 SATISFY his ccslsti
tuerts and his state. 1t Is a very dllIicul
+, problem. and will decide the political IA
ture Of more than one public man long be
fore the .vexed question IS Itself satis
factorily settled. The civil service laq
politically killed lis framer. Hon Gcorg
Pendleton, as dead Hector, and promi
nent Ohio gentlemen tell me he couhi no
be elected Constable III his own to#n. IL
/ mission to Germany was his reward 2,
the hands Of the President but when II
gets out of diplomatic life. it is doubtful
if he ever fills another political po-i,io
depending on the voices OF the masses d