The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-21
Lifting The Veil
Off False PretenCe


So far as civil service reform was eX-
emplified in the policy of the late ad-
ministraton, it furnished many excuses
for the attack which Hon. Charles ii.
Grosvenor, of Ohio, recently made on
the entire system. Mr. Grosvenor's
speech, which was delivered July 10, fills
twenty-five pages of the Congressional
Record. and is a powerful argument from
the standpoint of the facts which in
spired it. Some of these facts are as
follows: During three years of Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration the number of en-
ployes who lost their places by removal
or compulsory resignation were: In the
treasury department 17S9; in the inter-
ior department, 1,195; in the agricultural
department, 1,116. Including the other
departments, ,152 persons were deprived
of their positions by dismissal or en-
forced resignation in the three-year per-
iod named. These employees were eXper-
fenced and capable, and, according to
Mr.. Clevelands declared civil service
principles, should have been retained in
the service of the government. But they
had to go, and their exit was decreed
solely for political reasons. More than
95 per cent. of them were Democrats.
Some of the removals and appointments
were in the classified and some in the
unclassifed service, while there We're 4,263
promotions in the former and only 7Si
in the latter.
How promotions" were made to cover
a Democratic rush for spoils is thus ex-
planned by the New York Mail and Ex-
press: "These figures require a word of
explanation. If Logan Carlisle, in the
treasury department, or Secretary Nor
ton, in the agricultural department had
batch of Democratic friends whom
either wanted to land in offices for which
they were unable 10 pass the civil SER
vice examinations, he simply appointed
them to places in the unclassified SER
vice. Then by removing Republicans
from the classified service and promot-
ing his henchmen tc the places thus va
Gated, he was enabled to reward his
party friends and beat the civil service
rules with a single twist of the wrist.
How often this cunning trick was played
by the heads of departments under Mr.
Cleveland's bogus reform administration
is shown by the fact, already cited, that
during the three-year period quoted oY
General Grosvenor, there were 4,263 pro .
motions in the classified service and only
7Si in the unclassified service. These,
however, are only few of the disgrace
full facts disclosed by General Gros-
venors inquiry. He finds, for instance,
that 1,02S Union veterans were driven
from the departments during those three
years to make room for hungry Demo-
appointees were promoted during the re-
| uuired probationary period of six months
| in open disregard of civil service rules,
and that there are not a few cases in
which appointments to Office We're made
during the last administration in posi-
| tive violation of law" Furthermore, all
| of Mr.. Cleveland's extensions of the civil
| service rules were delayed until after
| Republicans had been driven out ard
| Democrats put in their places. The re-
| form administration never had any use
| for reform until political favors had been
| distributed Thus a double dishonesty
was perpetrated. First, the merit sys-
| tenn was maltreated by evasions and per-
versions and violations of the civil SER
vice rules; second, 1t was put into force
| only to tighten the grip of the new en-
| ployes on their places. 1t is not surpris-
| ing that General Grosvenor and many
| honest-minded men are disgusted with
the deceit and hypocrisy of civil service
| reform as it was practiced by the Cleye-
land administration. Judged by this test,
1t Is colossal humbug that can be easily
debauched into a carnival of partisan
| place-hunting.
| Nevertheless, 1t is not well to confound
| the system with the abuse of It, Hon
| estly administered, and regulated ac-
cording to changing conditions and neces-
| Si'iNS' ~ piOiiAotSS SHlNlelCJ III lne pup
| lie service, exercises a whole some re-
straint on the scramble for Office, and
| leaves the heads of departments f?Ce Ia
| attend to more important business than
that of hunting jobs for their political
| friends. General Grosvenor has done
well to denounce the wrongs that have
been committed in the name of reform
but he will probably be fou ld side by
side with President Mckinley to the
| extent that the latter shall deyelop n
policy of genuine and practical LOYALTY
to civil service principles in their in.
tegrity and honest application to the at.
| fairs Of tbG