The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-11

the railway mail service, the classifca-
tion acted like magic in putting a nearly
/ complete stop 70 changes for partisan rea-
| sons. It was remarkable TO note in 1898,
the complete absence Of the unseemly OK
I hibitons which accompanied the whole
| sale removals of railway mail clerks in
/ 1852"
On the general subject Of civil service
! reform; In reference to the question
/ OF appointments, tenure Of ofIice, dismis-
sails and retirements, it may be said, as
/ the hrst generalization, that the facts
| show that the more barbarous the nation
| the more nakedly the spoils system is ap-
| piled in its political life, and that the
| gradual adoption of merit system, such
as that which is established by the civil
| service law of the United States is one of
the tests of nations progress in civiiiza-
| tion.'
the MINORITY REPORT.
! Commissioner johnson, in his minority
| report, takes issues with his colleagues as
| to the extension of the classified service
| ordered Jan. 3, 1893, to include free de-
| livery postoflices. He objected, no said,
to the extension at the time it was pro
| posed, but after the order was issued he
| says he endeavored as in duty bound to
| enforce 1t, but his opinion of the measure
| has never changed He thought then, as he
| thinks now, that under the circumstances
with the commission crippled for want Of
| n clerical force with which to do even
| the regular work of the commission, 1t
was i'll advised, unfair and harmful to
the cause of civil service reform. The
American people, says Mr.. Johnston,
| realize that the extension of the classi-
| fed service does not necessarily mean
| civil service reform. When that extern
siou increases by thousands the repre-
sentatives in offices of party whose
members, already in classified places,
| outnumber the members of the other
| party in classified places, in the proper
| tion of probably to TO |, and when such
| extension is ordered by an adminstra-
tion and goes into effect shortly before
| the government is turned over to another
administration of a different political
| faith and party affiliations, known TO be
| friendly to the cause Of civil SER
vice reform, it is difficult to reconcile it
to fair minded men of all parties, as
| a non-partisan measure and as difficult to
reconcile 1t to believers in genuine civil
| service reform as q helpful contribution
| TO that worthy and good cause. IL is not
surprising that such civil service reform
| should be distasteful TO the members of
the n-beneiiciary party and it may ac-
! count, at least in part, for the bitter
| prejudice against the system which exists
in certain quarters to-day"
THE PUBLIC SERVICE IMPROVED.
Further on he says "The public SER
| vice has unquestionably been greatly inn
proved through the agency of what is
! known as civil service reform This
| system, fairly treated, will not only prove
its usefulness, but it will certainly fix
itself In the respect and confidence Of the
people. 1t ought not to be handicapped by
such handling as will excite distrust and
arouse prejudice. Under popular gov
| resent radical methods, even when re-
sorted TO for the Arrangement Of measures
OF acknowledged merit. Civil service
reform needs the employment
of such methods in its be-
half Conservatively developed and
| conservatively administered-enfOr
the law and respecting and obeying the
law-1ust to Others. and especially just
| to itself, 10 is bound. sooner or later to
work out its own fulillment TO the salts
faction of the people and the good OF the
government.
"Places should be excepted from the
| force of the civil service rules upon n
common and invariable principle. The
test should be, whether or not the posi-
tion involves the execution of admins
trative policy, the exercise Of conhden-
tial duty, the decision of important mat
ters of discretion, and whether an exami-
nation test can be applied that
| will measure the fitness Of
the applicant for the service
required, Persons holding places in the
classified service should, of course, never
be removed from office except for cause,
but cannot agree with my colleagues
that the cause for removal should always
be stated in writing, and that whenever
the accused demands it the cause for re-
moval should be published in full. This
proposition is based on principles that
are at variance, in my Judgment,
with our governmental policy, and, II car
ried out, must evidently result in conse-
quences of the most embarrassing and
serious nature"
The sending to the President of this
minority report brought to crisis the
serious personal and official differences
that, ever since Mr.. J0hnstons appoin t.
ment as member of the commission, had
existed between him and his col
leagues. ana it is understood that
Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.. Lyman at once
! laid the matter before the President, rep
rescnting that as Mr. JohnstOn's views
differed so radically from those of the ma
| iority on vital questions Of policy, It
seemed quite impossible that the person
mel Of the commission could longer remain
as then existing. The result was Mr.
| Johnston's dismissal.
| GEORGE WOODS DEAD