The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-05-24
VIOLATING CIVIL SERVICE
LAWS.
RcfOrmer Swift DenOunces the
Changes In the Railway Mail

AW&42
Changes In the hallway Mali
Service.
indianapolis sentinel.
The wholesale removals In the rail-
way mail service still continue. The
heads that we're plsced OF the block yes.
terdxy were those OF Eugene Lewis, OF
Greenfield, and John b Albert, OF Van
dAlis. a.. both postal clerks on lhs
Piftsburg and ST. Louis route. They are
aucceedsi bv Tim Miller Of this city and
h. S. S~'enhenger, Of b lleviIle, III.
Notwithstanding the express regu'a-
tions laid down BY the civil service law,
the removals IL the railway mail service,
for political reasons solely, are incrcss-
ing 1t . rapid rate, being made IN oil
parts or the country. This fisgrsnt vio-
lation Of law IL arousing the indign 'tion
' e OF many republicans All who be-
lieve In the desirability Of civil service
laws are watching the conduct Of The
railway mail service. and wondering
what will be the ou'come OF its fight
against the statute.
A Sentinel reporter yesterday asked
Mr. Lucien b. swift, The secretary OF The
civil service reform association of India
na, for bis opinion on the matter, and
HE reply. which was made alter = few
moments Of deliberst:on. was ~ follows:
1.-THE Pendleton act when passed, took
effect al once ia all offices where ffty per-
o n were employed. Il nIso provided
that on the direction of the president II
should include other govs rnment en-
ployes. This left hut q single act TO be
performed. and when President Cleve-
land ordered the railway mail service 10
be put under the rules. aud fixed The
date ct March III. that ended the sutho' !.
~ OF the president in The mstter. and the
railway mail service was AZ much in
cluded in the law on that date IS though
the Original act had fixed that time
There i no authority Of extension Of
time left In the president. he has no
more authority 10 extend the time than
be has to take parts OF the service en-
tirely from under the law, as be il being
urged TO do, for instance. by Rsthbone.
Every appointment made to the rail-
way mail service Mr.. swift coDtinu-
ed, "since March IL. without COMPETE
ton, IL clearly an unlawful appointment.
To say that the civil service commission
was not ready does not mend the mat
ter. There was no such stress IS 10 call
for law-breaking.
''As 10 appointments now being given
out, but dating April 20, and as TO dis-
missals now being made, aud IN which
the dismissed clerks are paid up to date.
the facts seem to be that Clarkson and
Bell railroaded through . large number
of appointments and dismissaIs at the
last m before May l, and did not
stop TO send them out or even to index
them. Now after the law IL admitted by
oil TO be In force, these changes are be-
ing completed.
"This ia Q Wholesale fraud upon the
law, aud an not ready to believe that
the president will allow II TO be carried
out. 1t Is not done for the good Of the
service. but to work 10 favorites OF con-
gressmen, and other influential polite
clans, as Il shown here by the appoint-l
ment Of Bsgby and Billy Patterson, when
there were men Of the highest technicsl
skill and standing who wanted work.
and u shows the tact that efficiency or in.|
efficiency have not been The tests Of dis
missal.r |