The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-10-18

year more for the same work. WheE
Postmaster Jones first began 20 violate
the promises Of President CleVel and
complaint was made 10 the president
by the officers OF the independent or.
ganizatlon which had helped to elect
him. The president entirely ignored
that part OF the complaint which show.
ed the complete charge above mention
ed In the the unclassified employees and
that part relating to the classified SER
vice was pretended to he investigated
by the civil service commission. who by
one Of the number appeared at Indian
apOlis for that purpose, yet declaring
they had no power TO administer an
oath or call witness, refusing ever to
request witness to appear and refusing
to allow those who made the charges
to examine witness so that it might be
refuted. This farcial investigation
was laid before the president who has
never taken any further notice of it.
It naturally followed that Postmaster
Jones thus unrestrained openly de-
claring that he dispiSed the Law and
entered with renewed vigor upon the
process Of managing the competitive
system, so as always to produce demo-
Gratis for appointments and of such a
class as it was expected the merit sys-
tenn would completely exclude, that in
the federal service throughout Indiana
although President Cleveland had
promised that the tenure of employees
should be governed by efficiency alone
q rapid change began to take place,
caused by the dismissal Of former en-
ployes without reference TO their effici-
ency and the appointment of democrats
soly on the ground OF party service,
with frequent instances of convicted
criminals and men of bad character.
In September, 1885, this change was
nearly completed and the result shows
that pOstmasterS in other parts of
the state and other democratic
officials Wed with Postmaster Jones TO
make an entire change for political
purposes. The nomination Of Mr.. Mat
SON, the presidents candidate for gov
ernor, was secured by band of Office
holders, headed by Revenue Collector
Henderson, who lately made an incin-
diary speech to rouse the passions of
WOrkingmen by asserting the falSehood
that General Harrison, eleven years ago
had wanted to shOOot them down for
striking for higher wages. Employees
of the Indianapolis pOstofice came out
of the building and hOOted at passing
republican professions and when Gen.
eral Harrison was being escorted to
his home. these employ eS came out and
yelled at his escort. 1t is unnecessary to
say that such management of the civil
service has demoraliZed it in the state
and from the beginning the complaints,
founded upon actual facts, have been
steady and increasing and the service
was never in such an evil condition as
it now is, the mail going in every
direction but the right one; mail is
delivered days, weeks and months
after time; letters sold by the hun
dred as wrste paper: mail lying I'M
distributed until rats make nests in it;
are a few examples Of q multitude of
the evil results Of dismissing to the ex-
tent of practically making a ''clean
sweep Of faithful and efficient employees
and putting into their places unskilled
and unworthy men. Not one soldier
has been appointed where ten have
been removed and no attention seems
to have been paid to soldiers as soldiers
and being wounded or crippled did not
save them. The highest skill and eff
ficiency cut no figure, all had to give
way before the democratic politician.