New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-09
Reform As IT IS PRA CTISED
JOSIAH QUINCY OUTDONE IN TIE TREAS
URY DEPARTMENT
THE OUTRAGEOUS THOUGH BRILLIANT DEVICES
by WHICH REGISTER TILLMAN SATISFIED
TENNESSEE DEMOCRATS CRAVING
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TIlBrSE.]
FOR OFFICE.

my TELEGRAPH TO THE TEBrNE]
Washington. Oct S.-Attention has been frequent
~ called in these dispatches to the fragrant vio-
lations OF the Civil Service Rules when nave
marked the conduct OF the appointing powers III
the Treasury Department, where since Nlai0" q,
a campaign OF ofice-looting has been cohuuc'eu
by Secretary Carlisle and his son Logan WIN an
energy equal that displayed in JOSIAH QUINCY
now memorable raid upon the Consular service
One OF the latest instances OF the evasion Vi TIC
Civil Service law for purely personal and partsaii
ends has just been made the occasion OF a serious
complaint to the Civil Service Commission anu 'he
President against j. +. Tillman. Register Vi '"u
Treasury since July l. Mr.. Tillman, II Is wen
established recently procured the discharge oil al,
81 800 clerk. Eugene G.. Gaddis on the iaise s,ou"i
Of ''ineficiency" simply and solely TO make
,,,ace for n hungry Tennessee Democrat. VINO han
not qualified by examination for any grade anu
who by a suberfuge OF the registers. Is no" oa
ried on the list OF employees as cohnueh.iai So
tary" though assigned really to the N'o" c'eiN
ship and performing no confidential uu''eS "'"'
,.,
r,h. b;storv NJ tho Gaddis case may bc interest
jnc as throwing some light on the methods ny
which the present management or the lredS"S
Department is daily transsressing both the Spn''
and the letter of the Civil Service laws III 10
pursuit Of available party patronage Mr. "au"' '
was Amounted 10 the classified service IN losf'
tailed to the Second Auditors Office In me
On February % 1885 he promoted from the
81 900 TO the 81, 200 grade; on october TO- lo'o' ~
the 81 400 grade and February 8. n.y. 10 the S"o
grade In September. 1892. after competitive OK
animation. he was raised to the $500 grade. mean
while having been transferred to the Office OF the
Register of the Treasury. on February - Oh 'iiS
wear he was detailed. on the application OF inc
United States Civil Service Commission. to duty
as a member of its central board OF examiners
and he was still upon this detached duty when' on
August H. 1923. he was summarily dismissed from
the classified service by Assistant Secretary GURUS
acting on the recommendation OF Register Illimah.
The ostensible reason given for the discharge.
"ineficiency" was an absurdity on Its face. Tor
Mr. Gadds had not been at work DAY III 'he
Registers Bureau since Mr.. Tillman's appointment
to the head of 1t. In February last, on MS detaH
to the Cvil Service Commission. the acting REGIS
ter of the Treasury vOuched for Mr.. Gaddls as Il
canable efficient and entirely trustworthy clerk
In July when the newly arrived Register was
looking about for some pretext on which 10 cre"te
an 81 500 vacancy. Assistant secretary GURUS "i'
induced to write n letter 10 the Cl'h service I'm
mission asking for Mr.. Gaddiss return 10 thc
Treasury. and adding that his services were needed
in the Registers Bureau. The commission rep'eu
officially on August 3 that II could not dispense
with Mr. Gaddis's services on the examining
board without serious detriment TO the ooaru
work The very next day the letter was written
by Mr. Curtis dsmissng Gadds from the cidss'
fed service for 'inefclency" the dismissal 10 take
effect on August H.
Tho real motive for this action can, OF course
p. found not very far below the surface. The new
Register II seems. had a henehman named NIL
l,kcn whose past political services were estimated
nv Mr. Tillman TO be worth at least an SlSD clerk
ship Milliken. not being qualihed TOT appointment
in the regular way. had To be got INTO once pS
some back stairs arrangement by Ia" OF GUS
If fh. Registry
to have confidential secretary" appointed at
Measure from within without the ciassihed
service For several years the sccretarys WORK
in tho office of the Register has been done by a
woman an expert stenographcr ana typewriter
who was employed at a salary OF WV Inns
modest stipend did not satisfy the ambitions OF
Ml,en who. besides did not care apparently 10
undertake its routine drudgery. To drag him into
the service at nll however. IT was necessary to
create n vacancy in the office Of secretary, while
to give him an $3.50 salary 1t was necessary to
decapitate some clerk OF that grade. Mr. Tilman
was equal 10 the situation. and. has been seen,
lost time In meeting H. At one stroke ne uis-
cheney" and forced the unlucky typewriter 70 give
up her 100 grade for place OF lowe: salary III
The place OF secretary and the salary or $3.50
being then available. the Tennessee henchinan was
appointed CONFIDENTIAL clerk" and put on the list
drawing the former examiner salaTy. ne W.,
writer reassigned Immediately to her ola WORK
qualified political hustler INTO CLASSIFIED srad.
to reach which had taken on his predecessor part
nearly years OF meritOrous enort.
Mr. Gaddis carried his case to the secretary Tor
redress, but might have been expected. re
charges against the Register Of fragrant and open
violation OF the civll Service law are now In the
10 be hoped will recommend the President
prompt and effective Interference on his part to
dismissed with such brutal disregard OF Official pro-
priety and the welfare OF the public service