The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-02
RANDOM POLITICAL NOTES.

He army OIL olllce seekers Is greater
than the army of office holders, or, as
Mr.. Blaine used to say. there are more
pegs than there are holes to put them
in This was never go much the fact as
It Is now. Civil service reform has
worked wonders In the line of decreasing
the amount Of patronage at the disposal
OF a new administration, even If il has
not improved the federal service, and no
one Is prepared to prove that 1t has not
done that. Laying aside all sentiment
regarding the right or wrong Of the law
which limits the patronage at the dis
poSal or an incoming administration,
and looking at the matter in another
way, it seems hardship that thousands
of good and deserving Republicans who
will be applicants for place, as a result
of the recent great victory won by the
party, must be disappointed because a
law preventing the removal of Demo-
cratic office holders stands In the way.
The places which do not come under the
classified service are now so limited that
many will be disappointed. But what
cannot be helped must be endured and
the patriots who stand ready to serve
their country, and who cannot be pro-
vided for, understand the conditions well
enough to take the disappointment phil
osOphically, and rest with the satisfac-
tion Of knowing that they will share in
whatever of general good to the coun-
try will come out Of the restoration of
the Republican party TO power and the
defeat OF Organism, Populism and all
the evils they represented.
AS an Illustration of the changed con-
ditionS due 10 the extension. or rather
the application. of the civil service law
to the offices that were once at the dis
posal Of an administration, under what
was known as the 'spoils SYSTEM" when
party workers could he rewarded to n
very great extent, 1t may be well TO cite
the single Instance of the internal reve-
nue. bureau, in the treasury department.
From the last report of Hon. John w.
Mason. who was commissioner Of inter-
nal revenue under President Harrison.
find that he had at his disposal $685.
places. as follows:
tollectoi5. - ...'.''.''......." %
Deputy cOllectors..... -. .......... OCT
Clerks In collectors Offices. ......... 1856
Fortcrs and messengers. ........... 20
officers enforcing sugar bounty..... i5S
GauEcrs. .....-.... ..................- 5lS
Storekcepcr-Saugcra.. e. ..........1, 100
Total..... ..................3, 9S5
These places were not in the classified
list and Mr., Mason was enabled to fill
them with Republicans. which he did.
at the time of his going out OF Office less
than 100 of them being occupied by DEM
ocrats and. to Mr.. ,Mason's credit be It
said. the service was never moro efii-
cicnt than II was under him. The OIL
cial records bear out that statement.
Since then the sugar bounty has been
abolished. leaving the actual number of
men on the payroll 1T 3.527. outside of
the Washington Office, and all appointed
or controlled by the commissioner. On
the 9Th of last May. after the Democratic
administration had had time to fiji all
these offices with Democrats. and In the
last year of Democratic control. all Of
these offices except the siXty-thrcc col
lcctors and ono cashier in each of the
sixty three collection districts, were
placed under civil service rules, or, in
other words, placed on the classified list,
There s no redress. 4 new President
cannut undo the act Of his predecessor IN
this matter. OF course, for a Demo-
cratic administration TO make such an
order, taking advantage of the law
to keep IN It's partlsan3, Is all right, but
for n Republican administration 10 sus
pend II would be partisan and Illegal!
In addition TO the above appoin,ecs Of
the revenue bureau. there were 200 per-
Sons In the Office ut Washington, lnclud-
Ing the commissioner and his deputy,
chemists, heads of divisions. stcnoGrl-
phcr. clerks and messengers. or this
number. however, all were under civil
service regulations. except the commits
sIoncr, his deputy. chiefs OF divisions
and messengers Now all arc under
civil service except tho commissioner.
who cannot even select his avn deputy.
who nets In his place IN hia absence. nor
his own private secretary. TO this cX-
tent nrc the dispensers OF patronage
Handicapped In this one comparatively
small branch Of the public service, and
It Ia only sample of the situation IN
nearly all other branches. Hence II Is
TINT there IN small hope for thosc who
expect much IN the way of government
position II Is tho Inv and II, seems to
BIO popular with everybody except those