Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-11
WASHINGTON.
The Republican Howl About
Civil Service Reform.
SPECIAL COMMITTEES REPORT.
An Attempt to COnfOund the g. O. D..
SpOils System With the
Present Administration.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, October Ex-senator
Hale to-day submitted to the Senate
report from the special Committee to ex-
anime into the present condition of the
Civil Service. The report makes a
printed document of fifty pages. 1t dis
cusses elaborately the testimony taken
in New York, Pennsylvania and else
where, and concludes with the following
general summary:
The investigations made by the Com
mittee. and the facts therein brought
forth, establish these things beyond a
controversy.
First-That partisan changes have
been made in Federal offices in whole
sale way under no pretense that the good
OF the public service demanded such
changes. In the most marked instances,
as in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Indianapo-
lis and New York, these changes have
been followed by scandals in the public
service, which has been rendered less
efficient by reason of the changes.
Second-That Federal officials through
out the country, contrary to the direc-
tions of the President as found in his
letter of July IA, 1886, have freely and
openly participated in political conyen-
tions and primary election movements.
using their official influence.
In Pennsylvania the entire machinery
of the Federal Service was put in opera
ton for the purpose of controlling Demo-
cratic organization in the State in the
interest of the Administration force az
against the friends of Randall. The
State Conventions were dominated and
controlled by Federal officials, and the
Craftsmanship of the State Committee
was secured by Offices bestowed by the
Administration upon members of the
Committee who changed their allegiance
from Randall to the President.
In no case does the Committee find
that any Federal officer has been disci-
plined for such interference in politics,
| but on the other hand such interference
has been repeatedly recognized and re-
warded. This interference in some
cases, notably at Binghamton, N. Y,
was most offensive to the people and
amounted to conspiracy to thwart and
defeat the popular will
Third-That the system oflevying tolls
and assessments upon Federal office
holders for political purposes has contin-
ued without interruption since the Ad-
ministration came into power. The
committee is persuaded that at points
throughout the country, office-holders are
| being generally assessed and called upon
to contribute from their salary to swell
the campaign funds of the Democratic
party.
While these assessments, which are
80 generally made and responded to. are
in violation of the repeated declarations
of the President and of the Fundamental
principles Of Civil Service Reform, the
Committee hardly feels warranted in
dwelling upon the conduct of these SUBJ
ordinates for violating the policy an.
nounced by the President, in view of the
fact that the policy has been departed
from and grossly violated by the Presi-
dent and members of his Cabinet in their
alleged and uncontradicted subscriptions
of large sums to the Democratic National
Campaign fund. 1t is not to be
expected that subordinates will
feel justified in regarding as insincere
the declarations of policy, which are so
palpably repudiated by their author; and
the fact that the President of the United
States in campaign in which he has so,
great a personal interest contributes
notoriously one-fifth OF years salary
for political use, is fairly to be taken by
those who depend upon him for their
tenure of Office, as not simply an invita-
| ton, but command to do likewise.
While perhaps not strictly the functions
of this Committee, it may not be i'm.
proper for it to commend to the consider
alton of the legal adviser OF the President
the inquiry whether such subscriptions
as made were not in direct violation of
the following. provisions: (The pro-
visions of the law are here cited)
The report makes quotations from the
first letter of acceptance of President
Cleveland; from his letter of December
25, 1884, to Hon. George William Curtis
from his inaugural address; from his
first annual message and from his letter
OF September IL, 1885, to Civil Service
Commissioner Eaton, condempatory of
Presidents views on Civil Service Re.
form. 1t says the investigation made bv
the committee show condition of affairs
as Numerically opposite to what the
President has proposed, as it would be
possible to imagine. To show chow
these promises have been kept" the
Committee quotes the concluding para
graphs of the report of the Civil Service
Reform Association of Indiana, which it
says was composed largely of gentlemen
who supported the President in 1884,
commenting on which the COMMITTEES
says: The Committee can appreciate
the condition of mind in which these
gentlemen of Indiana must have been in
when confronted with the facts brought
out by their investigation, many of which
have also been established before this
Committee.
In regard to the renewals from the sugar
division of the appraisers department in
New York, the report says: The evil
dence discloses undue interference by
those high in authority in making ap-
pointments and removals to the extent of
actual violation of the law. The testi-
mony, consisting principally of official
documents, was obtained as result of
the Committees investigation, no charges
whatever having been preferred, but the