The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-26
THE PENSION OFFICE.

The Shelbyville Republican says:
"Civil-service reform in the Pension
Office has brought that branch of the
federal government into disgrace" 1t
is our understanding of the present stu
alton that a violation of the civil-service
law OF the part of General Raum's son
is what has brought the Office into dis
grace. The allegation is that for pay he
procured the appointment of a man to
office in violation of the provisions of
the law, thus laying himself liable to
the penalty for such an act. This is
what the Civil-service Commission is
asking may be investigated.
The Republican thinks the Commits
sioner is the victim of a conspiracy In
his own office. 1t says: General Raum
Is an honest man, a splendid officer. and
he should have complete control of his
department. with authority to kick out a
fraud wherever he finds one." We have
no doubt whatever of General Raum's
personal integrity, but we do not be-
lieve he is the victim of a conspiracy
in his own Office. 1T he is he
is not fit for the position. 1t
is a mistake to suppose that the
civil-service law prevents removals
from Office. 1t regulates the manner of
appointments, but has nothing to do
with removals. 1t is true that the Com
missioner of Pensions himself has not
the power of removal, that power being
lodged in the Secretary of the Interior,
but the usage has been for removals to
be ordered on the recommendation, or
request, of the Commissioners. and if he
discovered that any of his subordinates
were engaged in a conspiracy against
him, they would undoubtedly be re-
moved at his request. We take no stock
in the conspiracy idea so far as it relates
to his subordinates. The Commission
er's official superiOrs are the Secretary
and Assistant Secretaries of the Interior,
and it is scarcely credible that they
have been engaged in q conspiracy
against him.
The troubles of the Pension Bureau.
which, by the way, are not confined to
the present Commissioner, nor to this
administration, seem to grow out of that
prolific source of official trouble,
divided responsibility. The bureau is
one of the largest and most important in
the government. The Commissioner is
held to strict accountability by the
President and people for ithe faithful
performance of very important dp:ies,
yet by the constitution of the Office he is
a subordinate of the Secretary of the In
terror and has no independent authority.
In this sense his hands are tied. This is
not due to the civil-service law, which
has no bearing on the case, but to the
fact that the Pension Office is a bureau
of the Interior Department. A man
who is fit to be Commissioners of PEN
sions should be fit to administer the
Office without responsibility to any one
but the President and the people. The
responsibility of the Office is too great to
be divided.
IL is a mistake, however, to blame the
civil-service law with any demoraliza-
ton that may exist in the Office. That
law is a protection rather than a hind
rance to the Commissioner, since it pre-
vents the appointment of any of his
subordinates except under civil-service
rules. This prevents the Office from be-
ing filled up with mere political drift
wood, while it does not prevent any
person from being removed for incom-
petence, for c~onspiring against the head,
or for any other cause whatever. AS a
matter of fact, the organization and
efficiency of the office have been greatly
improved since General Raum took
charge of it.