The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-07-27
CIvlL-SERvIcE REFORM.

CIvlL-SERvlcE REFORM.
Tho Presidents Sends Message to Com
gress on the Subject-The Work of the
Commission Reviewed and the People
Congratulated ON the Benefit to the
Cause Accruing from Recent Legisla-
ton.
WASHINGTON, July 24-The President
has sent to Congress the following mes
sage:
To the Congress of the United States:
Pursuant to the second section of chapter 81
OF the laws of 1888, entitled An act to regulate
and improve the civl-service of the United
States, herewith transmit the fourth report
OF the United States CivilService Commission,
covering the per cd between the 18th day of
January, 1856, and the 1st day of July, 1887:
While this report has special reference to
the operations of the commission during the
period aforementioned. it contains, with it's
accompanying appendices, much valuable in
formation concerning the inception of Civil
Service reform and its growth and progress,
which can not fail to be interest ng and in
structive to all who desire improvement in adj
ministrative methods. during the time COW
cred by the report 1882 persons were ex-
amined for admission in the classified civil
service of the Government in all its branches,
OF whom 1916 passed the examination. and
5.106 failed OF those who passed the exam
nation 2,9n were applicants for admission
to the departmental service at Washington,
2,547 were examined for admission to the Gus
toms service, and 5,222 for admission to the
postal service. During the same period 547 ap-
pointments were made from the eligible lists
to the departmental service, 641 to the customs
service. and 3, 264 to the postal service.
Concerning separations from the classified
service, the report only informs us of such
as have occurred among employees in the
pubic service who had been appointed from
eligible lists under civil service rules. When
these rules took effect they did not apply to
persons then in the SERVICE comprising
full complement of employees, who obtained
their pos tions Independently of the new law.
the comm ssion has no record of the separa-
tlons in this numerous class, and the dis
crepancy apparent in the report between the
number of appointments made in the re-
spective branches of the service from the
list OF the commission and the small num-
Der of separations mentioned is, to great ex-
tent accounted for by vacancies of which no
report was made to the commission, occurring
among those who held Their places without ex-
animation and certificaton, which vacancies
were filled by appoin tment from the eligible
lists
In the departmental service there occurred
between the 10Th dry of January, 1885, and the
30th day of June, 1887, among the employees APP
pointed from the eligible lists, under Civil
service rules seventeen removals. thrty-six
designations and five deaths. This does not in
clude fourteen separat ons in the grade of
special pension examiners, four by removal,
five by resignation and five by death.
I'm the classified customs and postal ser
vice, the number of separations among those
who receive absolute appointments under civil
service rules are given for the period between
the LIST day of January, 1886, and the 30th of
June, 1887. 1t appears that such prepare
lions in the customs service for the
time mentioned embraced twenty-one re-
movals, five deaths, and eighteen designations
and in the postal service 256 removals, SO
deaths, and 469 designations. More than year
has passed sinca the expiration of the period
covered by the report of the commits
on. Within the time which has thus
elapsed many important changes have
taken place in furtherance of reform in
GU. civil service. The rules and regulations
governing the violations of the law upon the
subject have been completely remodeled in
such manner as to render the en-
forcement of the statute more eff
fective and greatly increase its use
fulness. Among other things, the scope
OF examinations prescribed for those who
seek to enter the classified service has
IVA HbNepSt
tho number OF lianes to be certified from the
eligible lists to the appointing officers from
which selection is made las been reduced
from four to three, the maximum limitation of
the age OF persons seeking entrance to the clas-
s1hed service to IS years has been changed,
and reasonable provision has been made for
the transfer OF employees from one department
to another in proper cases. A plan has also
been devised providing for the examination of
9nnljp1ntc nrO in NH; ob
when N full operation, will ell inmate all chance
OF favoritism in the advancement of employees,
by making promotion a reward of merit ana
faithful discharge of duty.
Until within a few weeks there was no uni
form classification of employees in the different
executive departments of the Government.
AS result OF this condition in some of the
departments positions could BIO obtained with
out civil-service examination, because they
were not within the classification of .such de-
partment, while in other departments an ex-
amin alton and certification were necessary to
obtain positions OF the same grade, because
such positions were embraced in the classi.
fcations applicable to those departments.
The except ON of laborers, watchmen and
messengers from examination and classifca-
ton, gave opportunity in the absence of any
rule guarding against it, for the employment,
free from civ -l-service restrictions, OF persons
under these Ges gnations, who were Immediate
ly detailed to do clerical work
All this has been obviated by the applica
ton to all the departments of an extended and
uniform classification, embracing grades of
employees not heretofore included, and by the
adoption of a rule prohibit ng the detail of
laborers, watchmen or messengers to clerical
duty.
1.-THE path Of ClvilService reform has not
at all times been pleasant nor easy, the scope
and purpose of the reform having been much
misapprehended; and this has not only given
rise to strong opposition, but has led to it's
invocation by its friends to compass objects
not in the least related to it. Thus, parti-
sans OF the patronage system have naturally
condemned it. Those who do not understand
ITS meaning either miStrust it, or when disap.
pointed because in its present stage it is not
applied to every real or imagined ill, ac-
cuse those charged with it's enforcement
with faithlessness to Civil-Seryice seform.
Its Importance has frequently been underesti-
mated and the support OF good men has thus
been lost by their lack of interest in it's success
Besides all these difficulties, those responsible
Tor the administration of the Government
in its executive branches have been
and still are often annoyed and irritated by the
olsloyalty to the service, and the insoence of
employees, who remain in place as the bene-
ficaries, and the relics or reminders of the
vicious system of appointment which Civil
Service reform WIS intended to displace.
And yet these are but the incidents of an
advance movement, which is radical and far
reaching The reople ;4pa, nntwtbstand ng, to
re congratulated upon the progress which has
Deen made, and upon the firm, pr ctcal and
sensible foundation upon which this reform
now rests.
With a continuation of the intelligent
fidelity which has hitherto characterized the
work of the commission, and with continue
tion and increase of the favor and | berality
which have lately been evinced by the Con-
gress in the proper ECU pment of the COM
mission for its work, with firm but con-
servative and reasonable support of the reform
By all its friends ard with the disappe aranee
OF opposition whie h must inevitably follow its
better understanding, the execut on of the Civ
itService law can not fail to ultimately answer
the hopes in which it had its or gin.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
" Executive Mansion. July %, 1885,
A VILLAGE IN ASHES.