Middletown transcript., 1895-06-08
A SHAM AND ERAuD.

| IIcoluoHG SlotClduu udS CAUCuuCu
the civil service system so as to bring
under the operation of its rules all of
the employees of the Agricultural De-
partment except few of the highest
officials and the laborers and char
women. The Agricultural Depart
ment is engaged in careful scientific
research and most of its employees are
experts fitted by special training and
experience for the work they are doing.
The ordinary politician seeking an
appointment is quite untitled to do
that work. In this extension of the
civil service rules, the President has
shown an appreciation of the work
done inthis particular department, as
well as new evidence Of his devotion
to the principles Of Civil Service Re-
form. ."-Euery Erening.
If we should express in two words
our opinion of the above it would not
be elegant nor polite but accurate and
true. It would be: "Oh ! rot.''
Of all the frauds in this great
country of which the greatest show
man said, "The American people de-
light to be humbugged," Civil Service
Reform is the biggest. In the first
place the writer on the EUery Evening
knows nothing practically of the sub
ject, hence he feels the greater con-
fidence in his ability to explain its
merits III to the people. The spoils
system may have been bad, but it
could not have been worse than the
service under the present system. The
writer has heard old and experienced
and competent department employees
say that twenty per cent. of the clerks
could be discharged from certain
Bureaus and more work would be &C
complished. In measure the govern
ment departments have become elee-
mosenary institutions for the main
tenance of the poor relations of some
creature with pull. The creature is
not always man. The writer has
known clerks who have not done an
hours work il three months, retained
By the ciril seruice as an excuse.
The civil service is creating an Office
holding class who the longer they are
in official life, as rule, the more they
magnify their Importance ~ multiply
red tape proceedings, and finally look
upon the people as plebeians to be
taxed for their comfort and support.
The writer has seen them piteously
pleading for appointment, obsequious-
ly toadying for promotion, and then in |
dignantly protesting that six and half
hours day is beastly requirement of |
labor for gentlemen and ladies.
1t has been understood from the
first that Mr.. Cleveland would extend
the civil service as soon as he got out
all the Republicans possible and had
their places filled with Democrats.
That is the part of the "reform" SO
delightful to cuckoo birds of the |
Every Evening species. 1t is plainly
not for the public good.
Moreover the civil service does not
protect. All Delawareans may remem-
ber how Mr.. W. P. Corsa, Of Milford,
who is in the very department referred
to above, the Agricultural, was dis
missed last summer, though he is a
specialist and one of the most valuable
employees in his Bureau, and received
his appointment from a competitive
examination and without political aid.
He is Republican and from Mr..
Causey's home, hence his "scalp'' was
demanded. Did Every Evening pro-
test? No, but other Democrats did,
and they were strong enough to have
retained thus far. 1t was not civil
service that replaced him. Civil SER
vice makes mugwumps, political
eunuchs, who have no creed except to
look out for self, to play double, and
false if necessary. Not all the en-
ployes are of that class, but the manly
ones who have political principles are
departmental work horses as a rule.
We contend that any system that
works practically surrender of the |
privileges Of citizenship is pernicious
and an evil. Such is civil service re-
form. A volume could be written
upon 1.-THE biggest humbug of the
country to-day.
Since the above was in type, having
been written for last weeks paper,
three letter carriers, all Republicans,
have been dismissed from the Will
mington force 'because their services
are not required In few weeks, or
months at most, the service will re-
quire additional carriers and Demo-
Gratis will be appointed. That is Civil |
Service the way it is worked by all |
parties and by none less than by the |
Cleveland Administration. 1t is a |
fraud and deserves the condemnation
of the American people.
THE EUery Evening has been very
anxious of late about the attitude of |