Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-30


Porter'so opposition to civil service re-
form methods clearly appeared in his
testimony before the house committee,
| September Q. 1885, when he said
civil service methods were creating q
system of barnacleism. The act OF
March 1, 1889, directs that each super
visor shall designate to the superinten-
=, aent suitable persons, and with his con-
sent. emp,,.av such persons as enumera-
tors who shall be aeleeted gQle..Sy with
reference with fitness and without
reference to political party affiliations.
Ii this provision had been fully enforced,
complaints of the partisan character OF
the census could not justly have been
made, but unfortunately the supervisors
were themselves largely appointed upon
political considerations, and the
result was that the appointment of
enumerators was, in many localities,
a matter of political patronage. Careful
inquiry by your committee shows that
while in some places political consider
alton had no weight, yet the supervisors
were influenced in many other cases by
partisan considerations. Men were
often chosen without reference to their
fitness, on account Of their political
services, and in such cases the work was
often badly done; in many instances
thoroughly discredited."
The committee then goes on to give at
great length reports from civil service
officials in different sections of the
country. The general tenor of the re-
port is that the work of men said to
have been appointed as a reward for
political purposes, was untrustworthy.
Much space is devoted to New York,
where, says the committee, the worst
effects of the patronage system are ap-
parent. G. III. Murray, a Republican
politician, was made supervisor of New
York city, and circular letter from him
il quoted as showing the manner in
which enumerators were selected. This
letter says: "You will please forward
this office a list of applicants that the
Republican organization OF your district
desires to have named as census emu
merators." The men named in these
lists were subsequently appointed, and,
says the committee, it is evident that
among them there must be consider
able number utterly unfit for the work,
and it is not surprising that among them
Police Inspector Byrnes should recog-
nize well-known criminals.
The committee goes over the dispute
between the New York city and federal
authorities on the census, quotes many
inaccuracies alleged to have been found
in the government reports, instances in
competent work of enumerators, etc.
In conclusion the committee considers
the following propositions have been
established as the result of theirinquiry
That refusal to apply the civil service
reform system Of open non-partisan
competitive examinations in appoint
ments to the census bureau was viola
tion by the president of the promise
contained in the Republican platform of
1888, and endorsed in his letter of ac-
ceptance; that by the appointment of
enumerators on political grounds In open
violation of section S of the CEN
sus act, great numbers of incom-
petent men were engaged in taking
th census, and in many places attefti pts
weIe made to use official positions for
the benefit of the party in power; that
while IN some places the results of the
work appear free from partisan color,
and to be accurately and we'll done, yet
in many places the work has been care
lessly and badly done, and open to sus-
picion that partisan considerations have
not been absent; that, finally, there is
a widespread distrust of the accuracy of
the census, which greatly impairs its
value to the country, and which is
caused in great measure by the fact
that the census bureau has been con-
Quoted on the spoils system.
The committee expresses the belief
that no census will hereafter receive the
confidence OF the people until it has
been wholly removed from partisan in
fuencp