Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-19

Mr.. Robert p. Porter, the commissioner of
census, called on the President to-day to talk
over the proposition to apply the civil-service
rules to the selection Of employees of the census
bureau. He does not approve of the PROPOSE
ton. for the reason that he thinks that for this
| peculiar service better men can be got by Sc
| lection on account of known qualifications.
| As a rule the men who may be regarded as ex-
perts in the higher branches Of the work are
not seeking the positions and would not go into
an examination for them. Some whose
| services are most needed are not
easily induced to accept the appointments
when rendered to them. Out of twenty-five
special agents. experts and clerks of the higher
| order Mr.. Porter has selected twenty who served
! in the same capacity in the old census, and
| there would have been twenty-one of these had
not Mr.. Wycotf, expert as to silk, have died.
| The four new men are Mr.. Hunt Of the Massa-
chusetts bureau of statistics; Mr.. Copeland.
who has done splendid statistical work for
Harper's, Scribner's and Appleton's, and was
| strongly recommended by these publishers, and
| by the New York Times as we'll; Mr.. Cook, who
| is considered the best-informed expert on pot
| terry in the country, and Mr.. Keen, of
the New York legislature. Most of the
men selected were not applicants for the
positions, and in several cases it was with
difficulty that they were induced to accept.
The question of the politics or religion of these
men is not taken into consideration. Mr.. Por-
ter is not making fight on the civil-service
| commissioners in their effort to get hold of his
bureau, but he thinks a much better force for
the census work can be had without the inter-
vention of the commission. Looking merely to
the interest of the service he is of opinion that
by selecting the best men he can find for the
particular duties to be performed from among
| non-apphcants as well as among applicants he
can get more efficient force. He so told the
President this morning, pointing to his selection
OF higher order of assistants as an example of
the method of getting force best calculated,
III his opinion, to secure the best service.
REINSTATEMENT OF Ex-UNIoN SOLDIERS.
The modification Of civil-seryce rule 10
so as to permit the reinstatement of ex-Union
soldiers within the classified service without
regard to length Of time they may have been
out of the service was an original suggestion
of President Harrison. When it was proposed
to make a modification of the rule general in
its application, so that any one dismissed from
the classified service for political reasons
might he r instated at any time without re-ex-
aminati"l =, he objected that it was too broad in
Its application and might lead to abuse. He
then suggested that a very proper modification
would be one that would affect only ex-Union
veterans. Such change of the rule would. he
said, be in perfect accord with the spirit of the
law, which gave preference to such veterans.
THE PRESIDENTS TRIP TO CAPE MAY.
The President has decided not to go to Cape
May in the Restless rs that trip would take up
too much of his time. Instead he will take
the train from Washington on Friday. He will
spend part OF Friday and all of Saturday and
Sunday with HIS family and will return some
time Monday.
DELEGATION OF DISTRICT coLoRED MEN,
composed of Messrs. Chase Symons, Bruce
and Rufin, called at the White House to-day
70, tba iptp 20 Gal 10
editor of the Bee to be recorder of deeds for
the District. They did not see the President.
They talked with Secretary Halford They said
that they did not want to appear in the attitude
OF holding that any particular Office should be
fenced off as the Negroes Office" Because a
colored man had once held an Office was no
reason that it should always go to a colored
man, nor should rule apply to offices held by
white men. They approved of the Presidents
attitude in this matter. But they considered
Mr.. Chase a suitable man for recorder and
they hoped he would be appointed.
STEADY STREAM OF CALLERS.
The President had hardly time to-day to
draw long breath between interviews From
80 to IL 80 a stream of callers poured into
his room, and he had time for but a word or
two with any of them. They are determined
not to let him get off on his vacation before
he hears their cases to the end.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID TO SOUTH CAROLINA
CoLoRED MEN.
A colored delegation from South Carolina
Messrs j. NJ. Freeman, E. II. Deas, j. III. Osten-
dorff, NJ H. Bryce, F. L. Hicks, c. NJ Wilder,
Saml Lee, J. Il. Talbot, s. A. Swails, l. NJ.
Dean and Hon. Robt Smalls-calIed on the
President with double mission. They wanted
to thank him for one appointment and ask him
for another. Mr.. Freeman, acting spokes-
man, thanked the President for the appoint
ment of Mr.. Smalls as collector of the port of
Beaufort.
The President replied in brief speech. say
ing that they would always find that he was
disposed to act fairly with them; that many
things were pressing and delay was often neces-
sary; that there were conflicting claims and that
good citizens must be patient and cOnsiderate
They then endorsed Mr.. While for internal
revenue collector.
STATESMEN WHO CALLED.
The Presidents callers were mostly men Of
no public prominence. Among the statesmen
were two democrats. Senator Ransom and
Representative Hooker. Others were Senators
Plumb Plat, and Hawley, and Representatives.
elect Raines and Smith.
Mr.. Platt and Mr.. Hawley were looking after
their state appointments. The had quite "a
long interview with the Presinent.
PESNsYLvANIAs PROHIBITION VOTE
Speaking with STAR reporter Senator Haw-
ley said he did not attach any national import
Pennsylvania yesterday. 1t was not thing
affecting the national parties. 1t was local
struggle, neither party was in the boat, and
they had escaped swapping.
The United States Treasurer had talk with
the President this morning about some affairs
of his office.
Mr.. Engine II. Cawles, Of the Cleveland
Ledder, saw the President in the interest of
L. W. Nelson, candidate for surveyor-general of
New Mexico.
LADY CALLERS
Mrs. NJ l.. Ross, of Newport, Ky, who was
formerly postmaster at that place, called to
look after her own interests on application for
reinstatement. Two other ladies are after the
same Office and there is quite a contest be-
tween them.
Mrs. NJ. ]. Blaisdell had inscribed on her
card: "Johnstown sufferer" She is familiarity
known in the west by the characteristic name
of ''the Minnesota Blizzard" She saw Mr.
Halford and waited long while to see the
President. She wants an increase of pension
for her husband and some other things. She
was accompanied by little leather handbag
which she said was all that the Johnstown flood
left her when her train was struck.
Mr.. Burt Dunlop, of the arizona Commercial,
wants to be U. s. marshal out in that neigh
borh0od.
OTHER CALLERS.
Among the other callers were Hon. W. P.
Sheldon, with Gen. Burdett; Commissioner of
Customs Halliday, G. F. Green of Carthage;
Terrell Pattson, of Indianapolis; Dr. T. H. b.