Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-23

the clerks exhibited in their work.
The entire force of the department will
be reviewed in this manner every three
months.
The Soldier Question.
mo man has been dismissed from service
In the Department OF the Interior because
he was a Union soldier or sailor" This
statement is made by the Secretary of the
Interior, the chief clerk of the department,
the commissioners of the several bureaus
and the chiefs of division. They make the
assertion with the emphasis OF truth, and
do not ask simply that they be believed
but offer the records OF the department
and the records of the clerks I'm evidence.
me officials are often annoyed by the
publication of sensational stories setting
forth that men are being discharged from
government Office because they wore the
blue and are members of the Grand Army
of the Republic.
In the recent dismissals from the pension
bureau wherever there could be any doubt
as to the accuracy of the efficiency record
the ex-Union soldier so the officials say
was given the benefit Of that doubt
1t is certain that number Of the clerks
dismissed and reduced in the land and
patent offices were democrats. In the dis
| missals which took place in those bureaus
| 1t Is not known that a single ex-Union
soldier was discharged. Another Official
told The Star man that when a clerk Is
absolutely valueless as such the department
cannot afford to keep him merely because
he is a member of the Grand Army Of the
Republic or any other organization"
In the early part Of the administrati ton
or the Interior Department certain changes
were made on political grounds. These, 1t
| is affirmed, were but Establishments of
changes made on partisan grounds under
| the preceding administration. Where the
| record showed that an appointee of the first
Cleveland administration had been reduced
without cause and an appointee of the Har-
nj N ctrat inn ,nta In ha N
way to the higher place the change was
| rectified by this regime.
Efficiency Records.
All changes now going on, department
officials allege, are these made on the
| basis of the efficiency record. Each clerk
has the right to see this record, and If
there has been any mistake In the marking
an appeal lies from il.
1t is said In the Secretary's Office that
the only clerks who have cause to fear the
new system Of making promotions and re-
dCctions are those who don't make records
One instance is cited of clerk from
| Georgia, who was promoted about six
months ago for faithful and effective serv-
| ice. AS soon as the promotion was made
| she felt, as nearly all promoted clerks do
| feel. that she could rest on her laurels and
ease up on the work. In the case in Ques-
| ton. as soon the promotion was real
| lied. the lady began to do little work. and
has been reduced At the end of the next
| quarter she may be repromoted il she
proves her efficiency.
In the offices not covered by the civil
service the claim is made that the same
consideration has been shown for ex-Union
veterans. There has been a large percent
age Of changes In this sphere Of depart
ment lift, but a large percentage of those
who have been appointed have been demo-
cratic Union veterans The captain Of the
interior watch Is a Union vet and so are
both lieutenants. The captain has been in
structed by the chief clerk TO give. where
ever possible, the best berths on the watch
to the old soldiers who were wounded and
this Is what has been done There are two
or three wounded republican ex-federals
who have remained on the watch despite
the severest political pressure. merely be-
cause they are wounded veterans of the
Union. They will remain on the watch till
the right kind Of a wounded democratic
Union soldier is brought forward for the
place.