Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-02
MR. ROOSEVELT SARCASTIC
The Civil Service Commissioner and Three
Senators.

anu SAvh ScHNlcc SOmm te91oDer and IhrRe
Senators.
ANswERrNo CRITICISMS OF THR CIVIL SERVICE
sTATEMxNTs By MEssRs. PLUMB AND sTEwARr
DENIED-MR. aoRMAN AND HIS ''BRIeHT YOUNG
AAS-wHAT NR. ROOSEVELT THINKS
1.-THE friends Of any good law" said Civil
Service Commissioner Roosevelt in an inter
view with STAR reporter today, should
always be ready to meet all arguments ad-
vanced against it. Those who believe in the
civil service law heartily recognize this obliga-
| ton. Yet SO far their task has been easy for
the arguments hitherto adduced against this
law have usually shown in those making them
both certain shifty lack of that courage which
springs from conviction and . curiously low
level OF intellectual development There may
be, and doubtless are, exceptions to this rule,
but certainly there has never yet been any ar
gument worthy Of serious consideration ad-
vanced against the proposition to supplant the
| old spoils system by the merit system.
1t would be unjust, while criticising some Of
the opponents Of the cause Of civil service re-
form, not to express in the most hearty man
ner the acknowledgements due to the many men
who, whether in public life on the stats Of
the great daily and weekly newspapers, have
rendered invaluable service to the public by
ton the majority Of the members Of both the
Senate and House of Representatives have shown
themselves friendly to the cause, and most of
the leaders, including almost all Of those who
enjoy the highest and most honorable reputa-
tons in the country at large, have stood up
stanchly for the law and its enforcement.
Their service has been as effective as it was
disinterested. and it deserves ample recogni-
ton. At least an equal need of gratitude is
due to that largest and most honorable section
ay,rh md axI
democratic, eastern, western, northern and
southern-which has SO vsliantly championed
the reform
ATTACKS By PROMINENT MEN.
1T is hardly worth while to waste powder on
the numerous small notwithstanding. by the
way, some Congressman and some editors
who are continually attacking us with kind
OF irritable impotence. But within the last
few months the law and the commission have
been assalled by three men who possess I'M
doubted ability in certain lines. who occupy
high official positions and who are prominent in
their respective parties. 1t is worth while to
show how helplessly these antagonists
hounder in making their attacks Besides,
their attacks happen to afford admirable sam
pies OF two of the three conventional methods
OF assalling the civil service law. These three
methods are: First, to impugn the honesty of
the commission; second, willfully or from
gross Ignorance to misquote and garble
in the examinations; third, to avoid
speclhc charges and indulge in a loose
harangue, composed in equal parts of vague
defamation and stale Misrepresentation. This
last is the favorite method with our ordinary
assailarts, because of the trivial mental labor
it involves. 1t is illustrated by a recent article
OF ex-Assistant Postmaster General Clarkson,
In one of our reviews, article have an
swered elsewhere.
MEssRs. PLUMB AND STEWART.
Senators Plumb and Stewart.speaking in the
Senate on March last, furnished examples of
the first method. The report in the Congress
sional Record is as follows:
"'Mr. Plumb. II the Senator or
anybody else supposes that the civil service
commission is run without fear, favor or affec-
ton he is entirely mistaken. l believe it can
be shown that favoritism of the grossest posi-
BILE character is used The Senator from Ne
vada (Mr. Stewart) says to me that this is the
rule, not the exception. I will not state that
it is the rule. but have information which
seems to me to be conclusive upon that point
| that system of back scratching and of under
handed work, whereby persons are picked out
for selection, is carried on in that commission,
with or without the knowledge of the COM
mission.
Il desire to call particular attention to this
language. The present commission has been
criticised for answering attacks made upon it.
This is fair example of these attacks. The
accusation here is that the commission has
been guilty of cheap corruption, an accusation
to which no man of spirit can be expected
always to submit in silence when it comes from
responsible source. Persons who make
charges of this character couched in such
language must not complain If they are an
| swered according to their kind.
BE it remembered that these charges were
susceptible OF immediate proof or disproof
1t true, the commissioners. or their subordi-
nates had been guilty of criminal misconduct;
if false and without foundation, then Messrs.
Stewart and Plumb in wantonly bringing them
forward, had behaved IN a manner which was
saved from being infamous only because it was
contemplate.
1.-THE commission forthwith wrote to both
gentlemen, quoting the part of Mr.. Plumb's
speech given above, and continuing:
1--WE respectfully but earnestly request that
the information upon which this statement is
based shall be Immediately furnished to the
President if it affects the commissioners or any
OF them; and that if ii affects any subordinate
of the commission it shall be forthwith fur
nished to us. In the latter event we will at
once make full and thorough investigation.
at which you or any representative you may
choose can be present. All our books, records
and papers are open at any time to the inspec-
ton OF any responsible person, and the career
OF every individual appointee can be traced in
detail, from the examination. marking grad
ing, entry on the register and certificatiOn to
the appointment ITSELF
"Three months have gone by. yet neither Mr..
Plumb nor Mr.. Stewart has answered this
letter. The simple fact is that no adequate
answer is possible Their statements did not
contain particle of truth. and this they either
knew or ought to have known when they made
them. Hereafter when either of these gentle
men poses as a censor of the morals of Others
his attitude must perforce border on the gro
tesque.
SENATOR GoRMAN's ATTACK.
"An example of the second method was fur
nished by Senator German of Maryland. On
February Z, 1889, Mr. German, speaking in the
Senate, gave the following as an instance Of
civil service examinations:
:" 1 wish had here to read to the Senate
letter 1 received three years ago from bright
young man in the city of Baltimore-I can re-
peat 1t now almost word for worldwide was an
applicant for the position Of letter carrier. He
went before the board. They wanted
him to tell them what was the most direct route
from Baltimore to Japan, and as he said he
never intended to go to Japan he had never
looked into that question and he failed to make
the proper answer. They then wanted to know
the number of lines of steamers plying between
the United States and Liverpool and London.
and he said that he was not up ON such ques-
lions as that They then branched
him off into geometry, and passing
tons, he was rejected. He had the
recommendation of the pastor of his church;
he had the certificate Of everybody
who knew him that he was o Sunday school
scholar