Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-17
SIMPLY A SHAM
Hare BEEN the Civil Service Reform
Pledges Of the Present Administration.
The Senate Committees Report Ex-
plodes all of Their Hopes--A
Picture Of the Service
As It In.
W.suIseros. October 10.

x
ate report from the special committee to
examine into the present condition of the
civil service. The report makes printed
document of 50 pages. II discusses elabor-
ately the testimony taken in New York, Penn
sylvania and elsewhere, and concludes with
the following general summary:
The Investigations made by the committee
and the facts therein brought forth establish
these things beyond controversy;
First-tfha, partisan changes have been
made in tile Federal Offices in a wholesale
way, under no pretense that the good of the
public service demanded such changes. In
most marked instances. as in Philadelphia.
Baltimore, indianapolis 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 throughout
the country, contrary to the directions of the
President, as found in his letter of July IA,
1886, have freely and openly participated in
political conventions and primary election
movements, using their official influence. In
Pennsylvania the entire machinery of the
Federal service was put in operation for the
purpose OF controlling the Democratic or
ganization in the State in the interest of the
administration force against the friends
of Mr. Randall. The State conventions were
dominated and controlled by the Federal Of
ficials, and the Craftsmanship OF the State
Committee was secured by the offices be-
slowed by the administration upon members
of the committee who changed their allegiance
from Mr.. Randall to the President In no
case does the comnittee find that any FEEDER
al officer has been disciplined for such inter-
ference in politics. but, on the other hand,
such interference has been repeatedly recog-
pized and rewarded. This interference in
some cases, notably at Binghampton, n. Y,
was most offensive to the people, and amount
ed to a conspiracy to thwart and defeat the
popular will
ASSESSING IcE-HoLDERs.
That the system of levying tolls and as
sessments upon Federal oiflce-holders for
political purposes has continued without in
terruption since the administration came into
place. The committee is persuaded that at
present throughout the country ofiice-holders
are being generally assessed and called upon
to contribute from their salaries to swell the
campaign funds of the Democratic party
While these assessments, so generally made
and responded to, are in violation of the re-
peated declarations of the President and of
the fundamental principles of civil service
service reform, the committee hardly feels
warranted in severely animadyerting upon the
conduct of these subordinates for violating
the policy announced by the President, in
view of the fact that that policy has been
departed from and grossly violated by the
President and members of his cabinet, in
their alleged and uncontradicted subscrip-
tons of large sums to the Democratic Ma
tional Committee. 1t is not to be expected
that suborlinates will feel justified in con-
sdering as sincere declarations of policy
which are so palpably repudated by their
author, and the fact that the President of the
United States, in a campaign in which he has
so great personal interest, contributes noto-
riously, one fifth of years salary for poit-
ical use is fairly to be taken by those who
depend upon him for their tenure of office as
not simply an invitation. but command to
do likewise.
While perhaps not strictly the functions of
this committee, it may not be improper for it
to commend to the consideration of the legal
adviser of the President the inquiry whether
such subscriptions as made were not in direct
violation eff the following provisions of law
(The provisions of law are here cited All
these things are contrary to the pledges re-
peatedly made by the President both before
his election and since, in his letters and mes
sages and well-authenticated interviews.
QUOTING CLEvELAND's PROMISES.
The report here makes quotations from the
first letter of acceptance of President Cleve-
land from his letter of December %, 1884,
to Hon. George William Curtis; from his
inaugural address from his first annual mes
sage and from his letter of September IL,
1885, to Civil Service Commissioner Eaton,
condemnatory of the spoils system, and
enunciating the Presidents views on civil
service reform. 1t says the investigations
made by the committee ''show a condition of
affairs as Numerically opposed to what the
President has promised, as it would be pos
sible to imagine"
To show chow these promises have been
kept" the committee quotes the concluding
paragraphs of the Civil Service Reform
Association of Indiana, composed largely
of gentlemen who supported the President
in 1884" commenting on which the com
mittee says: 1.-THE committee can appre-
cate the condition of mind in which these
gentlemen of Indiana must have been when
confronted with the facts brought out by
their investigation, many of which have
also been establis ed before this committee
In regard to the removal from the sugar
division of the appraisers department in
New York, the report says The evidence
discoses undue interference by those high
in authority in the making of appointments
and removals to the extent of actual viola
~. Al. ..
principally of official documents. was OBJ
tanned as the result of the committees in
vestigation, no charges whatever having
been preferred, but the Secretary of the
Treasury, after having asked to be heard be-
fore the committee, and his request being
granted, failed to appear and answer the
serious charges made against him in the tes-
timony taken, but instead, has seen fit to as
sumo the attitude of the accused, and in a
published letter to George William Curtis.
dated June 20, 1888, to state the Conclusion
to which the evidence naturally tends. The
charges against Secretary Fairchild, as for
INFLATED by himself in his published state
ment, are as follows:
SELF ACCUSATIONS.
First-With removing from Office men
who were in all respects competent and At,
when there was no cause or reason therefor,
the same being done in spirit of mere wan
tonness, and with no other purpose than to
injure and humiliate good men.
Second--With retaining in office other
men deserving removal, simply because
their removal was opposed by politicians of
my own party and because they "had a pull. ;"
Third-.With restoring 10 office, in opposi-
ton to the, wishes of his immediate superior,
man whom he had previously removed for
drunkenness and insubordination, and that
in doing this | violated the Civil Service
rules, and in order to make good this viola
ton the rules themselves were changed by
the Civil Service Commission, and that all
of this was done because member of Con-
gress asked that the man be restored.
Had such charges as these been made, the
testimony taken could scarcely fail to con-
vince an unprecedented and minded
person" To quote the Seeretarys words, of
their truth.
Under the head of The Civil Service in
Indiana the committee says 1.-The evil
dence embraced in the testimony and written
reports presented fairly show that when
President Cleveland was inaugurated. the
Federal service in Indiana was, as whole,
efficient. and at important POINTS like the
indianapolis and other large post offices, and
in the railway mail service, so far as it