The Forrest City times., 1888-07-28
Preaident Clerelnnd.

and i. .222 for admission to the postal ser vice During the same period 547 appoint ments were made from the eligible lists to the departmental service, 641 to the GUS toms service and }, 254 to the postal service.
 THE HoLp-ovER LIST.
 Concerning separations from the classi- fie1 service, the report only informs us Of such as have occurred among employees in the pg5lie service who had teen appointed from eligible lists under civil service rules. When these rules took effect they did not apply to the persons then in the service, comprising full complement of employees, who obtained their positions independently of the new law. The commission has no record of the separations in this numerous class and discrepancy apparent in the re port between the number Of appointments made in the respective branches Of the service from the list of the commission and the small number of separations mentioned, is, 10 great extent, accounted Tor py vacancies, of which no report was made to the commission, occurring among those who held their places without examination and certification, which vacancies were filled by appointment from eligible lists.
 In the departmental service there oc- cured between the 10th day of January, 1ss6 and the 30th day of June, 1887, among the employees appointed from the eligible lists under civil service rules, seventeen re- movals, thirty six resignations and hve deaths This does not include fourteen separations in the grade of special pension examiners, four by removal, five by rcsig- nation and five by death.
 In the classified customs and postal service the number of serarations among those who received absolute appointments under the civil service rules are given for the period between the lst day of January, IS 6. and the tt; of June, 1887. It appears that such separations in the customs service nod atAtsua N- one removals, five deaths and eighteen resignations, and in the postal service 256 removals 23 deaths and 469 resignauons.
 THE NEW RULES.
 More than year has passed since the ex- ni,.atiou of the period covered by the report of the commi ssion. Within the time which has thus elapsed many important oranges have taken place in furtherance or reform in our civil service. The rules and regula- tions governing the violations of the law up on the subject have been completely re modelled in such manner as to render the enforcement of the statute more effective and greatly increase its usefulness. Among other things, the code Of examinations pre- scribed for those who seek to enter the classified service has been better denned and made more practical; the number or names to be certified from the eligible lists to the appointing officers, from which selection is made, has been reduced from four to three: the maximum limitation or the age of persons seeking entrance to the classified service 10 45 years has been changed. and reasonable provisions have been made for the transfer of employees from one department to another in proper cases plan has also been devised pro yiding for the examination Of applicants Tor promotion in the service, which, when Tn fuu operation, will eliminate all chances or fayoritism in the advancement of employees, nff ion n and faithful discharge of duty.
 Irntil within few weeks there was no uniform classification of employees In the different executive departments of the government. As result of this condition m some of the departments, the position could be obtained without civil service examina ton, because they were not within the classification of such department, while Tn other departments an examination and cer- tifcation was necessary to obtain positions of the same grade, because such positions were embraced in the classificattons appil- cable to those departments. The exception of laborers watchmen and messengers from examination and classification gave op- nortupity. in the absence of any rule guard mo against it, for the employment free from civil service restrictions, Of persons under their designations, who were im- mediately detailed to do clerical work. All this has been obviated by the application to all the departments of an extended and uni form classification, embracing grades of em- nloves not heretofore included and by the adoption of rule prohibiting the detail of laborers. watchmen or messengers to cierl- cal duty.
 NOT AN EASY TASK.
 The path of civil-service reform has not at all times been pleasant nor easy, the pur- pose of the reform having been much mis- apprehended. and this has not only given rise to strong opposition, but has led to its l invocation by it's friends to compass objects 1 not in the least related to it. Thus partl- sans of the patronage system have natur- ally condemned it. Those who don't un- derstand it's meaning, either nlstrust it oi | when disappointed because in its present | stage it is not applied to every real or i'm aginary i'll, accuse those charged with Its l enforcement with faithlessness to civil ser | vice reform. It's importance has frequently i been undcr-estimated and the support oi 1 good men has thus been lost by thelr lacA l of interest in its success. Besides all these | diniulties. those responsible for the admin | istration of tho government in it's executive | branches have been, and still are often an moved and irritatcd by the disloyaity of the service and the insolence of empioyes who remain in place as beneficiaries and the | relics or reminders of the vicious system ol | appointment which ciyil-service reform was intended to displace.
 And vet these are but the incidents or aI 1 advance movement which Is radical ane | far-reaching. The people are, notwith standing, to be congratulated upon the pro gress which has been made, and upon the 1 firm. practical and sensible foundation upor which this reform now rests
 With continuation of the intelligent Il 1 delity which has hitherto characterizea me | work of the commission, with contlnua | lion and increase of the favor and liberty which have lately been eyinced by Con
 gress in the proper equipment of the com
 mission for it's work, with firm but con seryative and reasonable support of the re l form by all it's friends, and with the disap aavSsahlv follow it's better understanding, ths Execution of the civil service law. cannot 1 fail to ultimately answer the hopes in whicf ss h.d ;,s oriyin GROVER CLEVELAND.
 EXECUTIVE MANSION, July 23, lsss.