The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-04-05

i N4OAs 4AOL4 GD0tEk4CAlt III kC41CEGAl w d
that there was little, If any, interior
ence with elections in the county. and
that good feeling existed there be.
| tween the whites and blacks. f. d
Jodon, who was counsel for the
negroes taken out of the Brennan jai
and lynched at the time of the cleo
ton, testified that he had, against the
entreatieS OF his wife and friends
gone back to BRENNAN last
October and had been assaulted there
by Bob Wright, q former witness. AT.
ter that assault, which, in his opinion,
was certainly premeditated, he had
never left his house In the day time
because it was not considered safe for
him to do so. Notwithstanding what
the other side had said about his being
safe in Brennan. he did
not think so. Witness grew
quite excited and turning to
several Of those present representing
the other side of the case, said, s'GOd
Almighty will punish you men for this
thing before you are done with it if
man don't"
Continuing, he read from a publica-
ton in the Brennan Banner, the DEM
ocratlc county organ, expressing the
opinion that it would have been better
to have hanged Jodon and
Hackworth rather than the
innocent negroes, who the arti-
Gle said, were simply the tools of
designing scoundrels, and asked how
they explained that.
]. T. Swearingen, of Texas, who
was one of the men addressed, then
took the stand and testified to his be-
lief that Jodon was perfectly safe in
Brennan if he behaved himself
In answer to an inquiry from Sena-
tor Spooner as to what was
meant by that, witness said that
Jodon was a very eXcitable
man, and that if he went to Texas and
bothered men. as witness understood
Jodon had bothered Wright, of course
he would get In trouble. To call a
man liar meant fight in Texas, and
it might not be safe for JodOn to
talk on the streets Shere as he had
spoken in the committee room about
witness.
This practically closed the investi-
cation, it being the general under
standing that no more testimony viii
be taken.
CLEVELAND's VIEWS OF THE MATTER.
WASHINGTON, March 3O.-The presi-
dent has sent the following letter to
the civil service commission recon-
mending an extension of the limits of
the classified service:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, March 81, 1888.
To the United States Civil Service Commits
sion:
GENTLEMEN:-I desire to make a
suggestion regarding subdivision
amended civil service rule, pro-
mulgated February, 1888. 1t pro-
vides for the promotion of an employe
in a department, who is below or out
side of the classified service, to place
within said classified service in the
same department, upon the request of
the appointing officers and the recon-
mendation of the commissioners and
approval of the president after nom
competitive examination, in case such
person has served continuously for
two years in the place from which it is
proposed to promote him, and because
of the taithfulness and efficiency III
the position occupied by him, and be-
cause of his qualifications for the
place to which the appointing officers
desire his promotion. 1t has oc-
Cured to me that the provision
must be executed with caution,
to avoid the application of it to cases
not intended, and the undue relaxation
of the general purposes and restrictions
of the civil service law. NOn-competl-
GlNO GA1O LAO CANCRSAOhG
to the plan of the act, and the rules
permitting the same should be strictly
construed. The cases arising under the
exception recited, should be very few
and when presented they should pre-
cisely meet all the requirements speci-
fed, and should be supported by facts
which will develop the basis and rea-
son of the appreciation of the appoint,
| ing officer, and which will commend
them to the judgment of the COM
mission and the president. The sole
purpose of the provision is to bene-
| lit the public service, and it should
never be permitted to operate a.
an evasion of the main feature
of the law which is competitive exami
nations. AS these cases will first be
| presented to the commission for rec
ommendation, I have to request that
you will formulate plan by which
their merits can be tested. This viii
naturally involve statement
of all the facts deemed neces
sary for the determination Of
kind of work which has been done BY
the person proposed for promotion
| and the consideration upon which thu
| allegations of the faithfulness, eff
| ficiency and qualifications mentioned
in the rules are predicated. What hai
| already been written naturally sug
gests another very important subject t.
which 1 invite your attention. Tn
desirability of the rule which
l have commented upon would D.
entirely removed and other difficulties
which now embarrass the execution o
the civil service law would be obviate(
if there was better and uniform
classification of the employees in tn
different departments. The Impor
tance of this is entirely obvious
The present imperfect classif
cations, hastily made, apparently witt
but little care for uniformity, ant
promulgated after the last presidential
election and prior to the installation o
the present administration, should no
have been permitted to continue til
this time. 1t appears that in the wa
department the employees were divid
ed on the 18th day of November, 1885
into eight classes and sub-classei
embracing those earning annual sala
RES of from 5000 to 50, 600. The nav
department was classified November
1884. and its employees were divides
into seven classes and sub-classes, en-
bracing those who received annual
! salaries of from S72O to 81 800. In tn
interior department the clasiicatio
was made on the sixth day of Decembe
/ 1904. IL COuOloto VI C1EAS OAooo%
, and sub classes, and en-
: braces employees receiving annui
salaries of from $720 to 81 900. On tn
End day of January, 1885, classif
cation of the employees in the treas
urer's department was made, consiS
ing of six classes and sub-classes, il
? Guiding those earning annu;
: salaries of from $500 to 81 ,S0'
I In the postofice departmeI
l the employees were classified q
! February 9Th, 1885, into nine classS
e and sub-classes,. embracing person
{ earning annual salaries of from S720
o s., 600. On the 18th of Decembe
s 1884, the bureau of agriculture ";
{ classified in a manner different fro
e all the other departments and presen
0 ing features peculiar to itself.
n seems that the only classificatiC
s in the department of sta
y and the department of justic
|, section 163 of the revised statute
q which directs that the employees in Il