Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-11

A CIVIL SERVICE SCANDAL

4 CIVIL SERVICE SCANDAL.
The charges formulated by the Wash
ington Post against the civil service
commission are so serious and so ospeciic
as to demand thorough investigation.
Personal denlals will not satisfy the
public, and if the matter is permitted to
rest with this the inevitable effect
will be that the commission will
lose in public respect and con lidcncc.
The member of the commission whom
these charges manly reflect upon is
Mr.. Lyman, but the commission must
suffer as a whole if they are not
cleared away or the responsibility
for the misconduct that gives
them warrant visited where it belongs.
Just at this time when there appears
to be q growth of sentiment against
civil service reform. and when its
enemies are eagerly seeking everything
that can be used against 1T, it is most
important that such grave charges as
those made by the Washington Journal,
apparently we'll founded, shall be care
fully and thoroughly Investigated.
The most serious of these charges are
that the commission has practiced ia
voritism in certain cases, that
one of the clerks of the commits
sion, who is brother-in-law of
Mr.. Lyman, furnished in advance
for a pecuniary consideration the exam
ination questions, and that with the
knowledge of this having been done
Lyman. promoted this clerk, and in gen
eral that there have been mismauage-
ment, inelficlency. and violations of the
letter and spirit OF the law. In support
OF these accusations the Post submits
evidence worthy of consideration,
among it a letter written by eX-Commis-
sioner Edgerton to the president regard
ing the safe OF examination papers, in
which it is stated that there are mat
ters connected with the office of chief
examiner which would not bear close
examination"
1t is not necessary to consider what
may be the motive OF the Washington
Post in making these charges. 1t
frankly admits thatit has no admiration
for the existing reform system, but as
serts that its action is not based upon
any personal animosity, and that the
charges are made in all sincerity, with
au absolute confidence in their truth.
However all this may be. the charges
| are direct and specific, and an investi-
cation of them is imperative.
1t is not doubted that congress
will order an inquiry. In
| any event it could only serve good
| cir + ,yn,11 rfni in1 1aa
| to changes which are believed to be
| greatly needed.
The fact is that there is great deal
of dissatisfaction with the methods of
| the commission among those who are
earnest advocates of civil service re-
form. 1t is the opinion of many such
! that there is too much left to the dis
cretion of the commission. The three
| commissioners practically control all
| appointments to the classified service,
and have managed to so extend their
| lines as to include all appointments to
| places that pay over fifty dollars a
month. The rules OF the commission
should be revised by congress-, and the
! large discretion now allowed the COM
missioners should be abridged. 1t is
urged bv those who take this view. and
| they include high government officials,
that there is no great reason why the
names and standing OF those who have
passed the examinations should be
locked up by the commission and all
knowledge withheld from heads of
departments relating to applicants,
except the figures OF merit of
the four first on the list. 1t is
| suggested that the list of those
who pass the examination should be
| published and the heads OF departments is
| permitted to make the selections to fill
vacancies from the entire list, instead
| of from the four first on the list, as
under the present method, thus en-
abling department heads to select those
who exhibit fitness for the particular
line of duty to be performed.
| The next congress will undoubte dly
have this whole subject-the operation
| OF the civil service law and the methods
of the ommission-brought to its atten-
tion. and important changes and modi-
| tications are to be expected.