The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-09


civil service "classifisd list"
The order signed by the President the
other day brought into the classified list
moro than 80, 900 Office holders. 1t made
the biggest addition in lump that is
recorded since the civil service reform
movement began. II comprehends almost
all the Federal employees in the different
States throughout the country. The en-
pioyes of the postoffices, the custom
houses, the internal revenue Offices, the
deputy United States marshals. the en-
ployes OF the steamboat inspection SER
vice, marine hospital service. lighthouse
service, mints, assay offices, and, in fact,
all the officials below the grade OF those
subject to confirmation by the Senate and
above that of labor, with few excep-
tions OF every branch of the government
service can hereafter be removed only for
cause, and their successors can be appoint
ed only upon the recommendation OF the
civil service commission and after COM
petitive examination.
not under civil service reform rs prac-
ticed up to the signing Of the President Is
order are now removed from the stock OF
party spoiis. Undoubtedly the loss OF
patronage will be keenIy felt by the Con-
gressmen present and to come, but as a
matter OF fact good many OF these
offices have already been conducted in a
measure In the spirit of civil service re-
form, and change in the head OF de-
partment has not always, In recent years,
been followed by sweeping out OF
former employees. The extension places
government employees everywhere in the
country under the same protection as ia
enjoyed by those in service In the depart
ments at Washington, who for fifteen
years have been secure from dismissal
for political reasons.
The President has done public service
but he is not to be credited with any sim
certify or high purpose In the matter. The
Republican party, as party, has always
been more in favor of the civil service
law than has the Democracy, while no
administration has more outrageously
violated the spirit OF the law than has
CLEvELAND's. The CLEVELAND practices
have been very. different from the CLEvE-
LAND principles. The order extending
the civil service only serves to recall tho
axe OF MAXWELL that cut down Republi-
can postoifice employees from Maine TO
California. Now, Democrats, appointed
only on the spoils principle, Ve in Office,
and the civil service classified list is
spread over them like bcnediction. With
QUINCY running a-muck through the con-
sulates and MAXWELL chopping off heads
in the postofiices, the CLEVELAND record
of civil service reform Is as bai as II could
be-in fact, 1t puts the practice of 1t
back to the days when "to the vic
tors belong the spoils" was reoog-
nized and quite generally approved prin-
ciple Of sound politics.
But while the President is entitled 10
no honor for this belated act OF justice,
the chief purpose OF which is obviously
to protect the spoils appointments of his
party, 1t is nevertheless good act
that no has done. The motive smacks
OF psrtizanship rather than civil service
reform, but the civil. service reform move-
ment has long been justified, and this
order Of the President makes it complete
ly triumphant In that the classified
list now covers practically all depart
ments OF government, all offices wher-
ever located, and abont all the employees.
Step by step has progress to this end been
-A'"NNf oo o"oiy "ba iuiotiy thut now the
whole government sefyice il in the classi-
fed list, 1t is yet hard to realize It. The
evidence so far has been that every extern
sion OF the civil service law has helped to
improve the puplic service, and 1t is sig
nifcant that while one President has the
power under the present law 10 re-
classify any OF the employees or to curtail
or limit the classification made by his
predecessor, President HARRISON did not
rearrange President CEvELLAND's classi-
fication, nor did CLEVELAND on taking
Office again, meddie with the Harrison
extensions. And CLEvELASD's successor
is not likely to set back the movement by
revising the extension now' made, pro.
tocting as 1t does $4,000 employees, what