New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-16
ipY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE.l

Democratic official, IN the Interior Department Tor
Hoke smiths order abcshng the Board % Promo
lions are that the methods OF IAr D'aro "''c "''
10 be "impractcaDlc" and that in the eA"il" .i'''
for promotions Il man who was just ou' u o''''s
ana had only been In the department mont" oo"iu
lass and 10 to the top OF the list over the head o.
clerk who had been In tie service for years. athou-n
,he new man might have 10 b. taught his ouhes lU
tn next six MONTHS
In. ahsurdity OF these excuses IS apparent in lhe
fist place neither iIoke smith nor his Democratic
49,, MI tuov that the execution Of secretary
Nc,'s order - tahlshng the board was impacucaDie
because none OF them in Operation or made
sny attempt To enforce it. As for the other weak
and silly excuse thai man just out OF college, VINO
had been In I'd, department only snort uih' eoiAu
ss and 20 t. The top of the lot over the head Of
clerk with years of experience the order which llohe
smith has revoked prevented that very thing
ON December T. loy. President Harrison addressed
"A letter To each lead OF Executive Department III
Washington directing that ~ plan he at once devised
and nut in operation for keeping efficiency record
oa all persons within the classified service with
view of placing promotions wholly upon tie basis OF
merit In TIE loticr President Harrison SAID
IL" is intended 10 carry into effect the supuau"hs Oh
the Civil service law In relation to promotions III ''e
classified service. in my opinion, the examination
for promotion OF those who present themselves sh"iu
be chiefly II not wholly upon their knowIrdse oil the
worj, in the bureau or department, In winch thcl
belong and the record OF efficiency made 10y them III
thef previous service
secretary Mobiles order the essential provisions oil
which were publish - The Tribune today shows
that the suggestions of the President were ao"peu
ana embodied in tn regulations governing promo
tans in t,e Inferior Department. 1t was not ionnd
"impracticallc, to execute the order umui II o"ereu
an obstacle 10 IIokc smiths scheme to promote beo
crate clerk, solely on partisan grounds
Among the Republican clerks in the PENSION
Bureau who recently reduced III giaue anu S'ii9
I'm order to allow the promotion of Democrats were
mon ,vbo had successfully passed the examination
required by Secretary Noble, in accordance VIII the
wise suggestions of Presldcn Harrison one oil ihem
an honoraMy discharged Union veteran WAS rc""''u
from 81 500 "A year t. S1,4O0, after eighteen years
of faithful serviee another was reduced rom GlVVV
10 81 200 year after fourteen years OF ehceh' ana
meri,orious service; third suffered the same IT,
duoon after eleven years of like faithful and ecieht
service and 80 OIL Facts like these Thoroughly dis
nose of the false prctence that the order was I'M
practicable or that 1t would allow man Ia't IRON
college" 20 make his way lover lhe AeauS VI VII
Gent clerks Of long experience
TIE falsity Of the preteXt that the present sec
rotary of the Interior IS sOlicitouS for the welfare
of clerks who have had tie benefit Of long experience
Is also clearly shown 10y the IA L. that have come 10
light regarding the recent reductions, diSmissaS anu
promotions In the Pension Bureau and The General
Ind Office Tic average length Of service "i
whose yearly salaries Wcr, reduced 7''V u" 9-oV
e,ch vas a fraction over seventeen years. ana
eliminating four cerh, whose terms ~ service iau
covered thirty year, none. the average "'' H"'.
tion over fifteen years. The average 'h-'" W
service of tyycn;yclght Democrat CLERKS "ho were
pro,no,ed to some the vacancies thus created ioi
r.r,isao reasons and purposes WAS iractioh over
eight years. Moreover, sixteen oi tAe twenty '.-"'
clerks thus promoted received th'r original appoint
nen,s during the first Administration Oh "roNer
Cleveland
IN which The performances in the Treasury DePar'
mont are ON a par with those Of the Interior De
nar,mcnt In hi, order regulating promotions III
the latter department secretary Noble carefully Cd
served the scope and re requirements OF Ia" r'''s'"
statutes Of the United STATES which provid" tha''
Persons honorably discharged from the military
NJ naval service by reason OF disability resulting |
frcn wounds or sickness incurred in the line OF dnV
shan he preferred FOR appointments 10 civil ohc'H'
proyidei they are found 10 possess the business ca
pacily necessary Tor the proper dSchars' % inc d
ties OF such Offices" and that in making any re-
duction force in any Of IN" Executive Departments
the head Of such department shan retain those per
sons WHO may le equally qualified who have been
hcnorably discharged from the military or naval ser
vice Of the United States, and the widow, and orphans
OF deceased soldiers ana sailors
These statutes appear TO have been repeatedly vio-
lated Even their existence has been coohy Ignored
By secretary iIoke Smith and secretary carlisle u
their anxiety to reward Democratic pariisans.
Neither Of them however. could have made tue SIG |
ecson or observation which Assistant Secretary |
Bins OF the Interior Department is reported TO have
offered when "a Union veteran. minus a lex when n
left on the battlefield, and who was one OF the |
clerks dismissed in the recent reduction Of force In
the General Land Oflcc, applied 10 him for rein
statement. II said that when this clerk called
attention u his disability. ana TO the law l"arne on
the case, the Assistant secretary remarked, in sub
stance that he Sins also left leg on the battle
fed. and that Tie did not receive pension. sims
lost his leg fighting against his country; The clark
lost his leg fighting for his country.
Among the thirty four clerks In the Pension Bureau
" hose salaries reduced because they were Re |
publioans fourteen who served in the |
[ mon Army or Navy during the war. Or four who |
S lstaiaed "a loss OF $500 a year each one has been
clerk IN the Department seventeen years twelve
years. eleven years and on" four years; of eight
WHO sustained a loss OF 300 year each, two have
been clerks in the department twcnty-nne years |
one eighteen years seventeen years, |
ore sixteen years, fourteen years, one |
twelve years ana eleven years; of two who |
susi sined loss OF 500 wear each. one has been
eli, rk twentysevcn and one twenty two ycars
The aggregate clerical service OF these foartcep
amounted TO 239 years the average being fraction
over seventeen years. The yearly sum taken from |
hem - D. given TO Democrats amounts to $4,000 |
such IS The reward OF cicicncy experience and ser
VIC. In the Union Army Navy under the IlOke
smith regime.
In the Treasury Department Secretary Carlisle has
lot only placed every canddai" for promotion at the
mercy OF a Democratic partisan board composed OF
Is son. his private secretary and chief Of bureau
Dr. div sion. and provided that examination shall
lie competitive or non-.ompettve as the secretary |
blay elect. but he has abrOgated the cd and whole
some rule which provided for promotions from grade
to grade, that he may hereafter designate
person IN any grade for promotion 10
any other. The last provision IS one Of Tho
evil results OF which clearly and iby Il
u,tratcd by Hoke SMITHS action in the Interior
- apartment. Eut secretary Carlisle has gone even
further Among the chiefs OF division dismissed last