The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-27

Office he wants regardless Of congressional
protests, and just az often he conccives an
aversion which cannot be overcome BY any
pressure. All these things give curiously
luctuating and inconsistent appearance to
his policy in making appointments.
A Plan to Fix Responsibility.
Now the great question among congress
men is, What is to be dones Everybody
agrees that the old system is not to be re-
stored, for the country is too big, and the
civil service reform principle is too well
established, and the people wouldn t stand
the change anyhow. AT the Same time tho
present system is great trial to members,
as the people expect of them so much more
than they are able to do. In view OF all the
difficultie4 several congressman have con-
ferred and thought out plan by which,
as they think, the principles OF civil serv-
ice reform could be better sustained and
the congressman made the responsible APP
pointing powers.
What they purpose is briefly as follows:
All the 40, 600 offices above mentioned are
to remain as now; all other offices divided
into two grades. All those below certain
rank, including all the postofices in dis
trict, except in the great cities, are to be
absolutely at the disposal of the congress
man of that district, and all those above
that grade are to belong as of right to the
senators. Where both senators ae Of the
same party as the president an equal di-
vision is to be made, and where neither is
of the presidents party the present system
is to be continued. The senator or mem
Der having the appointment is to file rec
ommendation to be kept as a permanent
record and to be considered as continuing
Endorsement for the appointee. In case
such appointee proves unworthy, the con-
gresham is to be strictly responsible, not
the president 1t is to be assumed that the
president knows only what has been told
him of the appointee.
The Carlisle System.
It is easy TO conceive of the practical
difficulties in the way of such system,
but it would certainly relieve both presi-
dent and congressman of many of their
present embarrassments. The member
would receive notice that certain offices
were at his disposal, and it would be his
own loss if he did not fill them properly.
Several congressman say, however-and
they are generally working members-that
they wish the whole thing could be taken
out of their hands at once and forever so
they could say with authority to their con-
stituents that they had no offices to give
and SO there was no use wasting time and
stationery. How the appointees could be
selected under such a system none of them
can say, for it is evident that neither the
president nor the heads of departments
could know one in hundred of the appli-
cants. A southern member laughingly says
that it will result in the general adoption
of the Carlisle system, each cabinet officer
looking out for his own state. 1t is alleged,
I know not how truly, that natives Of
Kentucky, no matter what state they hail
from, are the preferred candidates in the
treasury department.
Pathetic Appeals.
The average congressman experience
with applicants for pensions is at once
amusing and pathetic. Ohio, Indiana, Illi-
nois and Kansas appear at present to be the
states in which there are the most and the
hungriest applicants. The member spoke
of has for years never had less than 200 let
tiers per month and sometimes 800, i'm
ploring him to see about applications, and,
incredible as it may seem, he has never
neglected case Very little indeed can
any member do as the system now is, but
he can give the applicant clear and moro
specific statement of the condition of his
claim and the needed proof than is found
in the formal notifications of the depart
ment The letters from widows are espe-
cially pathetic They nearly always speak
of their povefDy and write with such sub
lime confidence in the members ability to
get the claim through that it is painful
indeed to have to reply that nothing can
be done.
They are asked to speak at all sorts Of
meetings in aid of all sorts of moral move
ments, and many of them do. They are
expected to patronize the state associations
composed Of government employees from
their respective states. They arc the hon
ored guests at dinners or other social func-
tions given by well to do residents from tho
respective states, and they are always in
vited to take leading place in any move