Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-04
FAVORABLE TO THE VETS.
REVISION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
RULES COMPLETED AT LAST.

Several Changes That WIN Make Old Sol
diers Feel Better-An Important Sug.
gestIon That Was Not Adopted-Ran-
dall's Significant Remarks - Had IA
Rather Tough Conscience.
WASHINGTON CITY Feb. D. - President
Cleveland has approved and promulgated the
new civil service rules which are to go into
effect on the LIST of March next Tle rec IN.
structed rules have been carefully considered
by the president and commission for nearly
a year The civil service regulations have
also been revised to conform to the new
| rules. The most important features of the
| new rules as follows:
| The general rules are nine in number and
| are applicable, except in one or two particu-
lars, to all parts of the classified service, and
| to some parts of the service not vet classified
under the law or rules BY these rules it is
| made an oifense punishable by dismissal in
| any officer Of the executive civil service to
| use his official authority or influence for the
purpose Of interfering with an election or
| controlling the results thereof, or TO dismiss
or to cause to be dismissed, or to use influence
of any kind to procure the dismissal of any
person from any place in said service because
such person has refused to be coerced in his
political action, or has refused TO contribute
money for any political purpose, or to render
political service
The provisions OF the civil service law
which are Intended to prevent the contribu'
ton by civil officials to political purposes are
about as ironclad it is possible to make
them They prevent the employee from CIV
ing in any way any money to assist polit-
ical campaign and prohibit the nominating
or appointing officers from interfering with
any employe who refuses SO to contribute.
The new rules specially provide for the thor
ough enforcement of this part of the law,
aud provide for the dismissal of any one vio-
lating it.
1t Is also provided that no question in any
examination shall be so framed as to elicit
the political or religious opinion or attliation
of competitors for place. and that If any APP
pointing or nominating officer shall make ill.,
curry concerning or in any other way at
tempt to ascertain, the politics or religion of
any person who has passed examination, or
who shall discriminate in favor of or against
such person shall be dismissed from office
BY the general rules several non-competi-
tive examinations are provided for, and COM
pulsory examinations for promotion ore
directed The compulsory examination pro-
vision as suggested by the commission was
amended by the presi 'ent who added the
following words: "But persons in the clas-
sified service who were honorably discharged |
from the military or naval service of the
United States, and the widows and orphans |
of deceased soldiers and sailors, shall be ex-
empt from such examination"
Another important feature of the general |
rules gives authority to an appointing or |
nominating officer to whom the commission |
ers may send the names of persons declared |
by them to be eligible to Il certain place, to |
object in writing to all or any one of the per-
sons thus certified, stating that for reasons
to be particularly specified such persons, or
any of them, are not capable of performing
the duties Of the vacant place, and the com
missioners are directed to make certifcation
of other names if the objections are ascer-
tanned to be good and well founded.
The general rules also pro wide that soldiers
and sailors who have been honOrably dis
charged because of sickness or wounds shall
be certified for appointment in preference to
other persons Of higher grade in the exam
nation, and that in making any reduction
of force in any branch of the classified SER
vice honorably discharged soldiers and sail
ors, and also the widows and orphans of de-
ceased soldiers and sailors shall DO retained
in preference to others
The department rules authorize the cas-
sificaton of commissions and independent
bureaus as we'll AS the departments at Wash.
ington, and prescribe the examination that
must be provided to test fitness for admission
to this branch of the service
The maximum age limitation of - years is
abrogated, and the minimum Limitation is
raised from IS to 20 years. Soldiers and sail
ors who have a claim Of preference in civil
appointments are let in at So per centum, but
in all other cases the minimum grade of
eligibility has been raised from Is to 10 pr
centum. The number of names to be certified
to an appointing officer from which to select
for an appointment has been reduced from
four to three
One important addition to the rules now
In force, Endorsed by Messrs. Oherly and
Lyman reads as follows: "Whenever a dis
missal from the executive civil service is
made a written statement of the cause of
the dismissal must be filed in the department
Or office from which the dismissal is made,
and become part of the record in such de-
Dartment or office" Commissioner E1ger
ON opposed the adoption of this rule, and in l
his he was supported by President Cleve- l
and, and it therefore excluded from the
lew rules.