Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-23
IHE CIVIL SERVICE Sac.

rFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, December q - The most
matchmaking of the machine politicians are
fairly beside themselves with fury at the loyalty
| of so many Of the more conservative ones to-
the civil service reform laws, and are becoming
rather lunatic in their attempts to do something
/ to break down the new institution before it be-
comes so strong as TO defy all attacks. They
| gnaw their tongues and bite their lips when
they dare not open their mouths, and only
| few Of them indulge in public outbreak like
that Of Cheadle. of Indiana, whose DILL intro
| duced the other day is a subject of laughter
| even among the enemies of reform.
To those who know Cheadle, the bill will be
no surprise. 1t is like the man, more of spec
tacle than Of an idea. It would be infamous If
| 1t were not so ridiculous. 1t is in brief a
proposition to clean nut all Of the Oldest and
best employees of the civil service, those who
know best how to do the work they are as
signed to do, at the end of three years; the next
best lot in nsix years, and. everybody at the end
OF ten years. It is not partisan measure. 1t
| is intended to abolish everybody IN the civil
service at the end of each ten years. regard,
less of party thus making no party responsible
| for the conduct of the civil service. Such
a system would be even less sensible
| than the ''spoils system" which, in It's worst
| phase, at least makes the party in power re-
its own ranks. It SO completely lacks all the
| elements Of common sense that it can only be
characterized as idiotic for under it to perform
the work OF the civil service would be absO-
| lutely impossible. The work of the Govern
ment would stop. Anarchy would prevail. OF
| the schemes that have been preached by the
Anarchists for the abolition of al government
| this is the most thorough. Mr. Cheadle has
| 'seen" John Most and ''gone him better" with
vengeance. He is the boss Anarchist of the
| period.
This is one Of the many schemes devised by
the active minds Of the opponents of sensible
civil service for the destruction Of what there
is good in the reformed civil service. Another
scheme is to refuse to appropriate money for
| the expenses Of the commission. This extraor-
binary plan is said to have the Endorsement of
such vlrtuous and astute Senators as Ingalls,.
Harris and Farwell. They would allow the
law to stand on the statute books, would leave
the commission legal body, but would deprive
the laws and the commission of means with
which to make them operative from the public
treasury: This Is only exceeded in silly features
by the Cheadle scheme. It does not cost much
to paJ for the work Of the commission. Sup
pose, then, that an APPROXIMATION were refused
and the law allowed to stand; enthusiastic civil
service reformers could then club together,
furnish the "sinews of war" pay out Of their
own pockets the expenses OF the commission,
and thus carry on all the work of reform under
the present law in spite of its opponents. This
Another scheme Is to bring about the an
pointment Of commissioners who are opposed
to the law in its letter and spirit, and who
would. therefore, do everything in their power
TO V1t1ate it. This scheme has worked we'll to a
partial extent IN the past, but the appointment
OF the commission Is matter that is brought
so close to the President that the latter Is
afraid to assume the responsibility of appoiut-
ing completely antagonistic commission.
One-third of the commission must under the
law, be composed of representative of the
minority party, and therefore, there is always
the danger of this fraction using the dis
affection of the majority for party capital The
result has been that mainly, the work of the
commission has honestly performed its duties
in the interests OF reform and in accord with
the law.
The only other project worth speaking of is
the absolute repeal Of the law. This plap has
its advocates, some of them men Of great
ability and considerable influence, but they are
few in number. and the number does not ap-
pear to be growing. From all can gather
from many conversations have had with poll
ticians and members Of Congress- think the
number is likely to decrease rather than In
crease. The politician seeking office is the
most timid man in the world. He dare not
open his mouth to the offense of even 1.-THE
smallest faction of his party. He knows that
his party who are not mere political parasites
look on the establishment and operations of
the commission as step in the road to reform.
at least, and upon the old system as one which
made the civil service mere spoils for the
politician. The favor and support of these
voters is OF more Importance to the office
seeker than any machinery he could construct
by means OF patronage. He would like his
spoils in the form of patronage, but between
them and the support Of voters who are op-
posed to the spoils, he chooses the voters He
prefers the elective to the managing ma
chinery.
How among honest and really patriotic
people there can be anytwo opinions in regard
to the best form of civil service cannot con-
ceive. The question is as simple as the multi
pl1cation table. The civil service must either
be machine for the necessary business of the
Government or for the benefit of the office
holders who are best IN position TO control
appointments. If the former then there is but
one sensible and safe plan for its establish
ment ana oDeration, and that Is to found it on
purely business principles. to secure by the
most thorough means the best available per-
sons for the positions OF the civil service keep
them there as long as they perform their
when they grow feeble in the service, having
worn away their years, giYe them pension
that they may live in comfort while life lasts.
This would avoid the payment Of more than |
comfortable salary during the period of useful |
ness; pensions for the aged would not there |
FORE add to the expense Of the public service, |
and employees would not be constantly schem- |
ing for increase of pay without increase Of |
work.
While the friends Of stable and business |
like public service should be kept well In |
formed Of the insidious scheming of the enc
mics of the system, and meet them at every |
point, think there is little or no danger of any
backward step. The tendency is to go forward |
and include more and more Of the members of |
the service within the operation of the new
law. There is no reason why chiefs of divisions |
and hesds of bureaus should not be made per- |
manent, and every reason why they should. |
AL
or two, at least, before they have any insight |
into the work of their divisions or bureaus. and |
must depend on subordinates. They them
That automata could iii the offices as wen as
they. For active work and for the improve
ment of the service they only begin to become |
useful at about the time their terms usually /
end. If this be true in regard to the higher
class of offices, it is more emphatically
true of the lesser ones, which must |
be depended on to keep up the work
Of the public service, Even with
the changes now made-few in comparison
with those Of former years on the occasion of
the change Of administration-the public SER
vice Is greatly disorganized, and the old. faith
full. well-drilled servants are compelled to do
the work for long time Of the new appointees,
most of whom are political fAvorites and care
for little but TO draw their salaries. know Of,
and ain well acquainted with the working Of,
whole bureaus which would be thoroughly dis
organized at every change of administrations
were it not for the presence OF two or three old
employees, drilled In the work for 20 or 30
years who for time after each change OF adj
ninisuation are forced to take on their shoul
ders the responsibility Of the results of the
labor of lot Of raw and Indifferent recruits
The farther one investigates the operations
of the public service, the more one is convinced
that there should be IS few changes as possible.
and if members of Congress would take the
trouble to inform themselves Of the needs of
the service and suppress their desire to make
use of 1t for tter personal benefit, the civil SER
vice law would be extended and made far more
n..lnns,irn fncfnad of hAino ranealhd i