River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-10-18
CIvIL-SERVIC= REFoRM.

ClVlL-SERVlC= REFORM.
Report of senator uaie's Committee
The President charged Win Not Keep
ing His PROMISES - Decentralization I'M
1nd ana and New York.
Senator Hale has submitted to the Sen
ate report from the special committee to
examine into tue present condition of the
civil service, and said that minority re-
port woul be presented hereafter. The
majority say that their in yestigation has
est bli led the following facts beyond
controversy:
That part san changes have been made IN
the Federal Offices in a whole -ale way under no
prete- that lne good OF the public service
demanded SIM cf-Nrce IN most rrarbel fc i.
stances, as IN Phuadclpho Baltimore, indian
arolis and New YORK. tlcse changes have been
followed By scandals in the public service,
VIII oh has been rendered less efficient Oy rea-
son of the changes.
Tat Fede, al officials throughout the coun-
try. contrary TO the d rect ons Of the President,
as found IN his let er OF Ju.y a. 1856, hive tree
ly AM openly partic patcd in political conven-
lions and primary election movements. using
their official influence, In Pennsylvania the
ent re machinery OF the Federal service was
put in 0 GRAFTON for the purpose OF controlling
the democratic orgauizat on Ia the State IN
the interest OF the Adm u STATIONS force as
against the friends of Mr.. Randall. Il no case
doe the committee find that any Federal Off
Ger has been iplined for such interference;
IN, on the other hand, such interference has
been repeatedly recoEu "a. This interference
in some cases-dotably AT B,ugaamto n. y
was most offensive to the people and amounted
to a conspiracy to thwart and defeat the pop
ular Il.
THAT the system of levying tolls and as
sessments upoI Federal OH e-holdcrs for TO
lit cal purposes has coHtnued without inter-
rupt on since the dm.nistratiOn came into
place, the comm ttee is persuaded that at
present through at he untry oiiceE0lders
are being generally assessed md called upon
to conlrsue from their salaries to swell
the cam gn funds of the Dem ,crat c
party. While these assessments, SO gen rail-
made and r, sp0nded to- are in Y olat.on OF tn
re Lcsted declarations OF the President aud of
the furdGme tai principles OF Civ .l-Service re-
form, the comm tee hardly feels warranted in
sevo ely auimadvesting upon the conduct Of
thes sub, rd mates for violating tho policy an
nouuced by the President IN view Il the lact
that tat POL ey has heen departed from and
gro sly violated hy the p cs dent ID members
OH cab net IN their alleged and uneontra-
dicted subsc. ipt ons Of large sums TO the Dem
Ocrat Ma ionll Committee.
"While erlaps no. strictly the functions of
this commit &c It may not be impro er for II to
commend to the cons derat on OF the legal adj
V ser OF the President the inquiry whether
such subscript ons as made b ere not in direct
violation OF the prnvis ous of law All these
things re contrary TO the pledges rel eatedly
made by the President both be ere his el 'ction
ana since IN hi, letters aad messages and we'll
authenticated interviews"
THE INDIANAPoLIs POST OFFICE.
The committee then quotes various utter
ances of the President cordemnatory of
the spoils syst m and C mpares them with
the report Of the Civn-oervice Reform
Association of Indiana to show that the
President has failed to keep his promises.
The report dcvotes considerable space to
the Federal civil service in Indiana which,
it says, was as a whole effic ent when the
present Administration went into power
The appointment of Postmaster Jones at
indianapolis is then referred to, and the
rep TT continues:
Postmaster Jones, m making dsmssals
or enforcing resignat ons, has repeatedly d.
Ciarcd that he did so because he wanted the
Places for Democrats or waited the places for
some one else. He declared since tn nvesti-
CATION began that in making selections for ap-
pontment he had always chosen Democrats
over Rcpuhhca IS who had passed. the eXami-
nation. These removals have been made with
out the least reference to the efficiency OF the
office. The poorest men aad the best men
have been dism ssed indiscrim nately and tie
most active politician among the former EN-
ployes stu remains. He has dism ssed indif-
ferently those who came in u1 Ter the com
petitiye system and those who did not He
divided the duties OF the former assistant
postmaster and thus made room IN another
son, and pays 1900 year more for the same
work.
"when Postmaster Jones first beyan tG VIC
late the prom ses of President Cleveland COM
plant was made TO the President 10y the Off
4. yH....W III
had helped to elect him. the President en-
+ trely ignored that part OF the complaint which
showed tie complete change he unclassifed
+ employees. Tpat part relating 70 the unclass;-
fled service was pretended to be investigated
by the vil-Scry CO Commss on, who ny one
Of their number appeared at lndi InaTols for
that purpose vt declaring that they hal no
power to administer an oath or call a witness
refusing even to request witnesses to a pear,
refusing to allow those who made the charges
10 examine Witnesses, so that IL might be re
futed. Tn fare cal investigation was laid be-
fore C President, who has never taken any
further notice Of H."
THE NOMINATION OF MATsoV.
The majority say that this naturally en-
couraged Mr.. Jones to continue his work
Of Diminishing competent employees, many
of whom were ex- Union soldiers, without
reference to efficiency, and the appoint
y
party service, with frequ mt instances of
converted criminals and men of bad char
acter" Postmasters in other parts Of the
State and other Dem9,ratic ofiic ais, the
report says wed with Postmaster Jones in
the effort to make an entire Oh Inge for po-
litical ends The report continues:
''The nomination Of Mr. MatsOu, the
present candidate for Governor. was secured by
a band OF ONCE holders headed by Deputy Com
m ssiouer OF Internal Revenue II anderson. As
sistant Attorney Bailey recently made an IN
cen&lary spsech attempting TO rouse the pas
sions OF workiug-men by ius nuatiug, thOut
daring 10 assert the IA school that General
Harrison eleven years ago, had wanted to
shoot them down for str King for higher wages
Employees Of the Indlanapol post-olfiee came
out o. the building and hOote AZ passing Re-
publican process Oas, and when General Harr-
son was being -corted - his home these en-
pioyes me out and yelled az hrs escort.
7 e committee says that this resulted in
demora.izing the whole civil service in the
State, espoc Is in the postal department,
where the WORK of efficie Z employees, APP
pointed sole = for Political reward, mas
placed the service Al a dep orable con-
tition. The co N e. adds
Not one soldier has been appointed where
ten have been removed No At eation seems TO
have been paid to sold ers as soldiers Being
wouHded or Grip led did not save them The
highest SIX Il AMI efficiency cut no figure. AL
had to give way before the Democratic poll
ticials.n
REMOVALS At SEw YORK
In regard TO removals from sugar di
vision Of the Appraisers Department in
New York the report ":
d" TIE crt fence q seIoses u due Interference
By those ) gh in author " n the maeing OF ap-
20 iments and removals 70 the extent Of
al frf nv g r7rrrss r7as-
siStilg prime paiiy Of Official documens 5, was
obtained IS the result Of the committees m
VS. is. ton, no CHARGES whatever haviag ben
re erred: but he Secretary &C the Treasury.