The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-11-14
PENSIONERS TALK
Tell Why They Voted for the Brave
Buffalo Boy.
They See Fraud and Corruption in the
Pension Bureau.
FROM A REPUBLICAN, POINT OF VIEW
ingtOn Corresp ondent, Gets at the
Facts in the Case.

Facts in the Case.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14.-[Speciall lit
is the impression in Washington that the
new democratic administration will go at
the office holders with a fne-toothed
comb Mr.. Cleveland was made presi
dent in 1884 by the support of mugwumps,
men who had left the republican party
from pique. He got it into his head that,
although he himself was a spokesman, the
country was in favor of the reform. He
not only stood by the letter of the civil
service law, but he greatly expanded the
spirit of it at the latter part of his term.
Men who have talked to President elect
Cleveland during the past few days say
that he will recognize the "hustlers' in
the distribution Of patronage; that he be-
lieves his election was due to the organ
lied efforts of Tammany, in which con
clusion he is undoubtedly right 1t is
not improbable that President Harrison,
before he leaves the white house, will ex.
tend the civil service law over the gov
ernment printing office and the bureau Of
engraving and printing. The extension
of the civil service law is probably the
bod hx, nh. ho
holder can be protected in his position.
But the civil service law protects only
those who draw salaries of from 5000 to
81 800 year. Those below and above
these figures are to be fired incontinently
out of their places as quickly as possible.
In view of this uncheerful outlook cold
shivers are pouring up and down the
spinal columns of republican office
! holders in Washington and throughout
the country. During the pas, two years
| the appointment clerks in the eight ex-
! ecutive departments have had little to do.
Nearly all of the offices were occupied,
and as designations and deaths in official
| life are very infrequent, there was little
opportunity for book keeping in the
Offices of the appointment clerks. These
men anticipate great rush after the 4th
of March. Some of them expect to go
before the rush begins. The incoming
party always likes to have men of its own
political compilations in the appointment
divisions of the various executive depart
ments SO confident are the employees of
| the departments that there is to be a gen
eral onslaught upon their army that some
of the higher officers under the civil SER
vice law refuse high promotions to fill
vacancies, as a promotion would make
them liable TO early decapitatiOn. For
| instance, a half dozen chiefs of divisions
could get instead of $4,000 a year, from
$4,000 to $1,000 annual salary, if they
would accept vacancies already existing
chief Of division these men hope to
escape the axmeu of the new administra
tion for time, and they refuse an in
crease of salary and political distinction
for period Of three of four months
Those ranking Immediately under the
protected by the civil service law, alb
solutely refuse any promotion whatever
Never in the history of civil service
reform has the present civil service laws
been so unpopular as now. Nearly every
democrat in Congress who is now about
Washington has proclaimed against the
law, while many republicans have Joined
in expressions antagonistic to the reform
Some of the latter openly announced
that if the republicans had had the in.
centive of office to offer during the re-
cent campaign they would have scored g
victory at the polls. They contend that
the civil service law itself has not i'm
proved the interests of the government
and that whatever improvement in the
public service has taken place during
the past eight years has been due to the
spirit Of the reform, and not the letter
of it.
! Republicans now see, and frankly con.
fess, that some natural errors OF judg
ment have occurred in the muItifarious
duties which have involved the work oI
the appointment officers under this al
ministration. Some men have been given
places when they neither derived the