St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-04
Not One Of the Old Rules or
Relations Remain in It's
Original Form.
No Rule Requiring Reasons
for Dismissal to Be Found
in the Revision.
Civil Service Regulations Re.
ViSed to Conform to the
New Rules.

i'll the system of appointments upon
tests of fitness applied to applicants for
places in the departments at Washing
ton and in the classified customs offices
and poStof1ices. The commission has
also revised the civil service regulations
to conform to the new rules. These re-
visions have been under consideration
by the commission during the greater
part of a year, and both have received
careful consideration by President
Cleveland. He read them at length
several times and made changes and
notifications, both of matter and
or relations remains in its original
form. a few of the most salient features
of the new rules may be stated as fol-
lows:
FirSt-They are divided into four
partS-general rules, department rules,
customs rules and postal rules.
Second-The general rules are nine in
number and are applicable, except in
one or two particulars, to all parts of
the classified service and to some parts
OF the service not yet classified under
the law or rules. BY these rules it is
made an otfenSe punishable by dis
misSal in any officer of the executive
civil service to use his official authority
or influence for the purpose of interior
ing with an election or controlling the
results thereof, or to dismiss or cause
to be dismissed, OrstO use influence of
any kind TO procure the dismissal of
any person from any place in said serv
ice because such person has refused to
be coerced i'll his political action or has
r1afr 70 fraitN trtn
political purpose or to render political
service. And it is especially provided
that any officer, clerk. or other employe
who shall violate section IL, of the civil
service act, which prohibits any such
officer. clerk or other emplOye from re-
ceiying or being in any manner con-
cerned in soliciting or receiving any as
sessment, subscription or contri
button for any political purpose
whatever from any officer, clerk
or other emplOye of any depart
ment, branch or bureau of the public
service, or from any person receiving
any salary or compensation from moneys
derived from the treasury of the United
States; Or who shall violate section IL.
which provides that any person who
shall, i'll any room or building occupied
by any officer or employe of the govern
ment, Or in any navy yard. fort or arse
nal, solicit i'll any manner whatever, or
receive any contribution of money or
other thing of value for any political
section 13, which provides that no Of
ticer or employe of the United States
mentioned in the civil service act shall
discharge or promote, Or i'll any manner
change the official rank Of any officer or
emplOye, or promise or threaten to do
50. fol- giving or refusing or withhold
ing or negleeting to make any contribu-
ton of money or other valuable thing
for any political purpose: or who shall
violate section II, which provides that
no officer. clerk or other person in the
service Of the United States shall di-
rectly or indirectly hand over to any
other officer, clerk or person in said
service, or to any senator or member of
the house of representative or terrific
rial delegate, any money or other val
liable thing OH account of or to be ap-
piled to the promotion of any political
from the service.
1t is also provided that no question in
any examination shall be so framed as
to elicit the political or religious opinion
OF utilization of competitors for place,
and that If any appointing or nominat-
ing officer shall make inquiry concern
ing OF in any other way attempt to
ascertain the politics or religion of any
person who has passed an examination,
or who shall discriminate in favor of OF
against such person, shall be dismissed
from office. BY the general rules sew
eral non-cOmpetitive examinations are
provided for, and compulsory examina-
tons for promotion are directed. The
compulsory examination provision as
suggested by the commission was
amended by the president, who added
the following words: but persons in
ably discharged from the military or
naval service of the United States and
the widows and orphans of de-
ceased soldiers and sailors shall
be exempt from such examination. :"
Another important feature of the gen
eral rules, gives authority to an appoint
ing OF nominating officer to whom the
commissioners may send the names of
persons declared by them to be eligible
to q certain place, to object in writing
to all or any one of the persons thus Ger
titled, stating that for reasons to be par
ticularly specified, such persons, or any
Of them, are not capable of performing
the duties of the vacant place, and the
commissioners are directed to make GER
LITIGATION of other names if the Objec-
tons are ascertained to be good and
well founded. The general rules also
provide that soldiers and sailors, who
have been honorably discharged be-
cause of sickness OF wounds, shall be
certified for appointment in preference
examination, and that in making any
reduction of force in any branch of the
classified service honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors and also the widows
and orphans of deceased soldiers and
sailors shall be retained in preference
to others.
The departmental rules are eleven in
number. These rules authorize the
classification of the various commissions
and independent bureaus, as well as the
departments at Washington, and pre-
scribe the examination that must be
provided to test fitness for admission to
this branch of the service. They pro-
vide that the following officers may be
appointed without examinations: One
private secretary, OF one confidential
clerk of the head of each classified de-
partment and of each assistant secre-
tary thereof, and also of each head of
bureau appointed by the president by
and with the advice and consent of the
senate; direct custodians of money for
whose fidelity another officer is under
official bond; diSburSing officers who
give bond; persons employed eXclu-
siyely in the secret service of the gov
ernment; chief clerks; and chiefs of
divisions. The maximum age of limita-
ton of forty-fiye years is abrOgated
and the minimum limitation is raised
from eighteen to twenty years. Soldiers
and sailors, who have claim of prefer
ence in civil appointments ARE let in at Is
per cent, but in all other cases the mini
mum grade of eligibility has been raised
from G5 to 20 per cent. The number of
names to be certified to an appointing
officer from which to select from an APP
pointment, has been reduced from four
to three. Transfers are allowed as fol-
lows: From one department to another