Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-30
ruE NATIONAL c,y,L SERVICE.


torW League.
BUFFALO, Sept. eB.-The report Of
the special committee Of the National
Civll Service Reform league, appoint.
ell 10 enquire into tho condition OF tho
civil service, and which viii be read
before the league tomorrow ut it, meet
Ing here, isa very extensive one and
deals wholly with tho last census. IL
quotes the civil service plank u the
last Republican platform and declares
that II my branch " the service should
have been kept irce from party con-
trovetsy, II was the census bureau. IL
the administration has - free choice In
a nnn'polliical and political agency for
taking the enumeration, and chooses
the latter. composed VI officials Of it,
political faith. the presumption ia
agiluat the fairness VI the census 10
taken. The detective results IN the
crnsuaOf 1870 were directly tFacenblo
To tho patronage systom. The inn
prOvomcut produced by the olimina-
lion u plrtlsRnship from tho census Is
shown In the comparatively satlsfsc-
tory results aud general confidence Ia
the census Of 1850. This was before the
ciyil service law, but the essential clo-
mont % political consideration In the
| appointments was largely observed.
Coming down 20 the present census,
the report says II the promise OF tho
Republican platform had any aignifi-
cancc at all II meant that the President
would extend tho competitive system
10 CLERKS Of the census bureau when
that bureau should he established. Mr..
Harrison, In concufring with and
adopting the platform, distinctly made
this promise Ills own, The well known
opinions OF Mr.. Porter, who was se-
10 ted by the President a. superintend-
cnt Of tue census, made II certain that
appointments whould become, IN n
great measure, matters Of political pat
rOnnge. Porter's opposition 10 evil
service reform methods clearly appears
In his testimony before the House com.
mittuo ON September y, 800, when he
said tho civil service methods "were
creating a system Ot barnaclism." The
net Of March /, 1859, direct, that each
supervisor shall designate to the super
lntendent "a suitable person, and with
bis consent, employ such pemons hs
enumcrn,or who shall be selected
solely with reference to their ilness
aud without reference 10 political party
affiliations. lfthis provision had been
fully enforced, complaints Of partiqan
character OF the censua could not Justly
be- made, but unfortunately, the SUI
pervlson were themselves largely APP
pointed upon political considerations
AMI the result was the appointments OF
onumcntors were In many localities OF
political patronage.
Careful inquiry by your committee
shows that while In some places polit-
icnl considerations bad no weight, yet
supervisors were Influenced In many
other cases by partisan consideration.
Men were often chosen without refer
encp 10 their fitness on account OF
their political services and IN such
casos the work was often badly done,
In many instances thoroughly dis.
Credited"
The committee then goes on TO give
at great length reports from the civil
service associations In different sections
NJ the country. Ihe general tenor Of
tho reports IL that the work Of men
said 10 have been appointed as re-
ward for political purposes was un-
Trustworthy. Much space Is devoted
to New York where, says the commit
toe, the worst effects Of the patronage
systum are apparent. @. II. Murray, a
Republican politician, was made SUPER
visor Of New York city aud u circular
letter from him N quoted as showing
the manuor In which the enumerntofs
were selected. This letter says; "You