Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-07
They Discuss the situation.
DEFENDING THE REFORM.
Commissioner Roosevelt Again Opens ii
Fire on the Critics

Commissioner Roosevelt Again Opens His
Fire on the Critics.
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec 7--Lucius B.
Swift Of indianapolis, prominent civil
service reform advocate, wrote to Commits
sioner Roosevelt, Of the civil service commits
sion, recently, inclosing an editorial from
The Indianapolis Journal, in which it was
stated that Mr.. Roosevelt had complained Of
Postmaster General Wanamaker because
that gentleman had criticised the character
of the questions submitted TO applicants for
places in the railway mail service; that
there Is abundant proof that the criticisms
are well founded; that senator German re-
Gently gave an instance of an applicant for
letter carrier position in Baltimore being
asked the most direct route from Baltimore
10 China; and finally suggesting that Roose
Welt would do well TO look into the COM
plants rather than ignoring them, and be-
the rating critics.
Roosevelt Toes the Mark.
In reply Mr.. Roosevelt says that the state
ments, though doubtless made m good faith.
show complete miSapprehension of the facts
Complaints are not ignored, but gladly
welcomed when well founded; when not
well founded he feels at perfect liberty to
"berate the critics. He saws he did not
complain al all about the alleged criticisms
OF Postmaster General Wanamaker. but at
once declared his belief that the interview
was false, belief which was justified when
he met Mr.. Nanamaker, who totally repudi-
ated the interview
4 Sweeping Challenge.
Mr.. Roosevelt then proceeds as follows:
so far from there being abundant proof
that the criticisms are well founded there
Is not a scintilla Of proof that can be ad-
vanced in support of them challenge anv
man to produce an examination paper sub
miited to any applicant for entry TO the
railway mail service which will bear out in
whole or in part the well founded criticisms
contained in the apooryphal interview 10
which The Journal refers. They are abso-
lutely false and they are very foolish to
boot. Our examinations for the
railway mail service are OF an eminent
ly common-Sense and practical character. A
third Of the marks are given on tests of
spelling and penmanship. of skin in copying
and Of ability to do simple sums and TO write
an Intelligent letter. He IS required
10 show good knowledge of United States
geography-without which knowledge he
would he wholly unfit 10 be a postal clerk.
This counts for fifth in the total marking.
Than he is required to show a good knowl-
edge of the railway routes and system in the
division where he is going 70 serve Thiscounts
for fourth in the total marking. Finally
he Is tested on the speed and accuracy with
which he can read of addresses on letters.
and this counts for fifth Of the total mark
ing
Germans Alleged Criticism.
Now as TO the alleged remark of Senator
German ! say alleged, for cannot believe
SO astute a man and able politician as SEN
afor Gormnn could have been so egregiouly
duped and hoodwinked. must have been
the case if he really spoke as reported No
letter-carrler Is ever asked. in any Of our ex-
what Is the direct route from
Baltimore to China defy any one to srs-c-
ify any such examination where this OF any
similar question has been asked during NV
term OF service as commissioner: and NV
colleague, Mr.. Lyman, authorizes me 10
state, in the broadeSt and most emphatic
terms, that none Of our examinations of this
character ever have contained any such
question
Gentlemen, BE Specific.
1T is noticeable that when man quotes
such an alleged question he never, by any
chance, mentions the date and place at which
the examination where it was asked was held
and on being pressed as to these details he
invariably admits that he really does not
know what he is talking about. ANY man.
In or out of congress, who talks about our
as impractical or as contain
ing impractical and irrelevant question
should give specifically the facts on which
be bases his belief. In reality he never does
give these facts, for the very good reason
hat he can't
"DamnabIe Iteration
MIR. Roosevelt closes with the admission
hat the system is not perfect, but assures
ms correspondent that the commission is try
ng to make II as perfect as possible, and to
that end desires honest criticism, but protests
against the preposterous assertions made
the examinations, which although
really comic in their falsehood, by continual
iteration cause many upright men to think !
hey have some foundation.