Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-10-11
A DEAD LETTER.
How the President and His Cabinet Ig-
more Civil Service Reform.

-
more Civil Service Reform.
WASHINGTON, October IOth.-Senator Hale to
day submitted to the Senate a report hom the
special committee to examine into the present
condition of the civil service. The report
makes printed document of fifty pages. 1t dis
cusses elaborately the testimony taken in New
York, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, and con.
cludes with the following:
1.-The general summary ofinvestigations made
by the committee and the facts therein brought
In the first place, the partisan changes that
have been made in Federal Offices in whole
sale way under no pretense, were of no good tC
public services, and such changes were not de
manded. In the most marked instances in
Philadelphia, Baltimore and 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 the Federal officials through.
out the country, contrary to the directions o.
the President, as found in his letter of July IA
1856, have freely and openly participated in po
ltlcal conventions and primary election move
ments, using their official influence. In Penn.
sylvania the entire machinery of Federal
service was put IN operation for the purpose o
controlling the Democratic organization of that
state IN the interest of the Administration and
against the friends of Randall. The State Con
ventions were dominated and controlled by
Federal officials and the Craftsmanship of the
state Committee was secured by an officer be
slowed by the Administration upon members
OF the committee, who changed their allegiance
from Randall to the President. In no case doe.
the committee find that any Federal office ha.
been disciplined for snch interference in poll
ties. but on the other hand such interference
has been repeatedly recognized and rewarded
This interference, in some cases, notably al
Blnghamton, New York, was most offensive tC
the people and amounted to a conspiracy tC
thwart and defeat the popular will.
TOLLS AND ASSESSMENT.
THAT the system of levying tolls and assess
ntrr l.
purposes has continued without interruption
since the Administration came into place.
The committee is persuaded that at present
throughout the country office holders are being
generally assessed and called upon to contribute
from their salaries to swell the campaign fund.
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 reform
the committee hardly feels warranted in Sc
yerely commenting upon the conduct of thest
subordlnates for violating policy announced by
the President in view of the fact that that policy
has been departed from and grOs " violated
by the President and members of his Cabinet il
their alleged and uncontradicted subscription
OF large sums to the Democratic National Com
mittee. II is not to be expected that subordi
mates will be justified in cons dering as sincere
the declarations of policy which are so palma
bly, repudiated by their author, and the fac
that the President, in campaign in which ht
toriouSly onefifth of his years salary for politi
cal uses, is fairly to be taken by those who de
pend upon him for their tenure of office as no
simply an invitation, but a command to df
likewise. While. perhaps it is not strictly the
functions of this committee, it may not be i'm
proper for it to commend to the consideration o
the legal adviser of the President an inquiry a.
to whether such subscriptions as made WeIe no
in direct violation of the following provisions
THE provisions of the law are here cited1
These things are contrary to the pledges re
peatedly made by the President, both before hi:
election and since, in his letters, messages anC
well authenticated interviews"
BURNING HIS BRIDGES
The report here makes quotations from the
first letter OF acceptance of President Cleveland
from his letter of December 25, 1854 to Hon
William Curtis from his inaugural address
from his first annual message, and from his let
ter of September II, 1885, 10 Civil Service Com.
missioner Eaton condemning the spoilS system
and enunciating the Presidents views on civil
service reform. 1t says the investigation made
by the committee shows a condition of affair,
as Numerically opposed to what the President
has proposed as it would be possible to imagine
il to show
AS to g how these promises ave been kept,
the committee quotes the concluding para
graphs of the report of the { ivli Service Reform
Association OF Indiana, composed largely o.
gentlemen who supported the President il
1881, commenting on which the committee
says:
The committee can appreciate the Condition
of mind in which these gentlemen of Indians
must have been when confronted with the fact!
brought out by their investigation, many o
which have been also established for this com
mittee.'
SERIOUS CHARGES MADE.
In regard to the removal from the Sugar Di
vision of the Appraisers Department in New
York, the report says: THE evidence disclose,
undue interference by those high in authority
in making appointments and removals. to the
extent of actual violation of the law. The ties
tmony, consisting principally of official docu-
ments, was obtained as the result of the com
m1ttees investigation, no charges whatever
having been preferred, but the Secretary of the
Treasury, after having asked to be heard before
the committee, and his request being granted
failed to appear and answer the series of charge!
made against him in the testimony, but instead
has seen fit to assume the attitude of aecuser
and in a published letter to George William
Curtis, dated June 90 1873, to state the concu
sion to which the evidence naturally tends
THE LAW DEFIED.
Under the head of Civil Service in Indiana.
Aquilla Jones as Postmaster and Custodian
of the public building at Indianapoli.
and his wholesale removals of old anC
competent employees, many of whom were
eX-Union soldiers, and says that Postmaster
Jones in making dsmissals. or in forcing resig
nations. has repeatedly declared that he did Sc
because he wanted the places for Democrats Of
wanted the places for some one else. He ha6
dCSidlShi Slut Z tlliS Slnf6StiHdllOu that IL
making selections for appointment he had al
ways chosen Democrats over Republicans who
had passed the examination. These removal.
have been made without the least reference tC
the efficiency of the office.
The nomination of Matson, the present candi
date for Governor, was secured by band O
Office holders headed by Deputy Commissioner
of Internal Revenue Henderson Assistant At
torney Bailey recently made an incendiary
speech attempting to rouse the passion of work
ingmen by insinuating, without daring to assert
the falsehood that General Harrison clever
years ago had wanted to shoot them down fo
striving for higher wages.
Employees of the indianapolis Postoffce cam,
out of the building and hoo.ed at q passing Re
publican procession, and when General Harri
son was being escorted to his home these EN-
ployes came out and yelled at his escort
1t is unnecessary to say that such management
OF the civil service has demoralized it in tina
State. From the beginning the complaint,
iounoed upon actual facts have been steady anl