The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-05-13
Ills SWEEPING ORDER.
President Cleveland and the Civil
Service.
FEW REWARDS FOR THE WORKERS
Hut the Leaders Can stu Pluck Political
Piums-The Next Step Of the Reform
ers-Creation Of . Civil Pension List.
Age In the Departments.

licans 10 take possession of in case they
win the presidency this year. There is
substantially nothing left for the rank and
file of the party. TIE same number of
places is open for the leaders, for the men
who are influential enough TO get foreign
en- bassadorships, ministers posts and con-
sulships collectorships OF customs and In
ternal revenue, United States marshal
ships and district attorneyships, but the
small fry have been practically frozen out.
The gaugerships, inspectorships, clerkships
and all that grade of employment, whether
in Washington or out through the country,
which in times past the great army of po-
litical workers have depended upon for
their reward, have been swept out of reach.
The extent TO which the presidents sweep
ing order has removed politics from the
civil service of the United States may be
judged by the fact that the only govern
ment einployments now outside the civil
service classification are those places for
which nominations must be sent by the
president to the senate, the fourth class
postmasterships and few laborers and
messengers. In other words, only the
highest and the lowest remain subject TO
the will of the president and his followers.
1t is estimated that the employees of the
government now number loo, 600 persons.
OF these So, 900 are under the civil service.
OF the 75, 900 places left outside the civil
service more than go, 600 are fourth class
postmasters, mere local appointments, and
the present incumbents, according TO ira
dition, are not to be disturbed till their
four years terms have expired.
The Political Horde.
If the Republicans obtain possession of
the government at the November elections
the probabilities are that there will be q
great pressure upon the new president i'm
mediately after his Inauguration to revoke
some Of the orders of his predecessors and
throw down the bars for the horde of poll
ticians who will be seeking government
employment. 1t is not believed, however,
that any man who is likely TO become pres
ident of the United States will be willing
TO revoke a civil service order. There Is a
feeling that the sentiment of the country
upholds the enforcement of the civil serv-
ice from politics and that the people would
condemn any president who took back
ward step in this reform SO long agitated
10y many of the best men in the country.
Contrary to the general impression, a
great many public men, such as senators
and representatives, are heartily glad of
the change that has been wrought by these
orders placing SO many civil employees
under the protection of the law. Under
the old system half the time of public men
has been spent in the effort To secure places
for their henchmen. Often the task is u
hopeless one, and the senator or member
knows he will have his labor for his pains.
But good faith with his constituent re-
quires him To make the effort.
The Exempt Glass.
T.. 4.
nation of the civil service by these execu-
tive orders Is going 10 make any easier the
life of u president of the United States.
The places which are placed under the agis
of the civil service do not belong To the
president ; domain in practice. Nominally
he has the right to iii them, but he never
bothers his head about them. They are
left wholly to his subordinates. The pres
ident 10 be inaugurated next March will
have just the same trouble with the office
seekers as his predecessors have had. The
men who want foreign posts collector
ships, marshalships and such offices of the
higher class are the ones who bring the pres
sure upon the White House. These are the
men who camp in the hotels of this city
every four years and lay siege to the mas
ter Of the White House. They will be ut
IL next spring, as heretofore, and no civil
service order yet issued will keep them
away.
Some day, it is believed, all the postof-
fees in the country, excepting those in the
larger cities, will be- taken out of the hands
of the politicians and put under civil serv-
ice rules. At the present time no good
way of doing this has been discovered, but
it is predicted by the civil service reformers
that that is the next step They may be
depended upon to cultivate public senti-
ment to this end. They contend that the
smaller postoffices are exceedingly impor-
tant to the people and their good and skill
full management matter In which not
only the people but the government are
vitality interested. Why, then, they ask,
should these offices be given ont rs politi-
cal prizes without regard to the experience
or fitness of the appointeesy Perhaps the
day will soon come when even the village
postoffice, which Petroleum " Nasty cele-
brated and Senator Hawley recently ideal
lied in a senate speech, will pass eternally
out of the realm of the politician.
The Next Step.
One effect of the permanent establish
ment of civil service reform In Washington
will be the creation of a civil pension list.
That is regarded as inevitable. Already
bills have been introduced In congress to
this end, and one of them has received "a
great deal of consideration, though 1t is
hardly likely to pass this congress. 1t
provides that certain share of the salaries
of clerks shall be withheld every month
and go into fund, out of which pensions
shall be paid when clerks retire for age
AS employment in the government depart
ments is now permanent during good be-
havior thousands of men and women will
grow old in 1t, and "A civil pension is an
absolute necessity to provide for their ne
cessities in the evening of life. The large
number of old men and women now en-
ployed in the departments is rather notice
able.
Figures compiled as to the treasury de-
partment show that there are employed in
that great building no fewer than 264 men
and women who have passed their sixty
fifth year. In most of the departments
the men and women we'll along in years
predominate, in striking contrast to the
rule decade or two ago, when nearly all
the clerks were young men and women
appointed through political preference
The changes that have been wrought In
our civil service since the first step was
taken, 10 years ago, amounts TO revolu-
tiop and snr oovarpmanf Ia psxy tracti.