The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-29
Democratic Responses.

SEDLEY. Oct. 15.-Your circular letter. ineiosing
draft of q ciyilservice bill, and dated Sept. 10. did
not reach mo until to-day, as you did not send it to
my post-ohice address, which is Sedley, instead of
Valparaiso. To your two questions. If L understand
them, ! answer no. As to taking the public ins.itu-
tons Of the State ''out Of politics" | do not compre-
es | understand them, comprise the public schools,
penitentiaries. deaf and dumb. ~lunatic. and other
asylums, etc. Also. do not see why our Legisls-
lures are not as much public institutions as courts Of
law. and If this be so. Of course it would be almost
impossible to comprehend them disassociated from
politics" As to your "bill, you propose to leave
to the Governor the appointment of four civil-service
commissioners, two of whom might be OF his political
faith. and intensely partisan: the two others he might
choose Of his personal friends 90 near the political
fence that il would be almost impossible to know
which side they We're standing on; and their appoint
to the wishes of the Governor. con-
slider your provisions for regulating the ten
ure by giving two of them g hrst term of two years,
80 as to make the terms of one-half expire every sec.
ond year. amount TO nothing, az the Governor could
remove any one of them for cause stated, IT gives
him a wide range of causes" for instance, ''tha, they
failed to please the Governor" If / understand il,
they would be trenching on some of the duties of the
Governor; for instance. the appointment of notaries
public, wardens, ETC., which ars some of the duties
for the performance of which the Governor is paid
Then, you have q chief examiner who is TO put the ap.
plicants through q course of examination for ell ap-
pointraents; he would have it in his power to examine
\ candidate for prison guard who had the necessary
nerve. vigilance, temperate habits and the Ike.
tronomy and rhetoric that Q college professor would
turn pale to contemplate. and he could give il one
having none of the qualifications of a prison guard.
Then you are creating a wide gap between appoint
mentments and responsibility. The commissioner
are virtually responsible to no one. 1T there 10 any
calling to account, the Governor can get behind tho
commissioners. and the commissioners behind the
chief examiner. and the chief examiner can build mp .
huge breastwork of fux ions and a.imuth lines and
tangents, and get behind that. Some of the provis-
ions of your bin are Rood-those requiring tho late
soldiers of the civil war TO be especially favored, those
preventing political assessments, and SO on; and If 1
am an forum afe an 4 he rhQSen a lavTalatQr Il will in
troducs o bill to give effect 70 many sections of your
bill; but cjvilservice commissioners, chief examiners.
life tenures for any one in anything. will have no pars
in it. STEPHEN z. HoDsDEN.
question second, viii. WILLIAM l. GROVES,
ANNAPOLIS. Oct. 5.-Yours of the 10th of Sep
TENDER to hand, and contents noted. In reply, viii
say that / will give the matter referred 10 by you my
earnest consideration If elected. JAS. T. HIND.
ARcANA, Grant County, Sept. 29.-I did not
receive your communication In time to answer
in ten days after its dste, but answer your in.
terrogations at the above date. Question FIRST. Yes.
I believe, sir, that is the way to correct and avoid the
abuses in our benevolent institutions. Second. I see
nothing in it in the brief examination / made Of it but
what would be in keeping with the test interest OF
our public institutions of the State, snd such gets my
support first, last and all the time.
JOSHUA STRANGE.