The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-15

w dSuiHStOu correspondence st. Louis
Republic: The Republican and mug
wump organs are in glee over McKin
ley's recent civil service reform or
der. One would suppose that it CAV,
evidence of craftsmanship of a higf
degree, and that the president actually
had rendered public service. The
truth is that these emotional reform
ers' really are a gullible tribe. Tht
last order is,in fact, but another move
in the game of humbug that has beer
played with the civil service OF the gov
eminent since the present regulations
were adopted
Reduced to figures, Mckinley'S re-
cent order merely means that the num-
Der of internal revenue officials ex-
empted from examination has been in
creased from 6S to 219, while in the Gus
toms service 34S positions are added tC
\ brought within the civil service rules
In other words. a total of 354 govern
ment employees have been removed
! from the operation of the rules requir-
ing competitive examination before ap-
pointment.
There is not much in this record TO
excite emotion in the breast of a rea-
sonable being. The executive act which
has caused the greatest excitement in
| order of Mckinley that hereafter a
written charge must be filed to secure
the removal of a government employee,
and upon this the employee may have
hearing This looks very fair and
pretty. But the question obtrudes it
self, before whom is the clerk to have
this hearing? 1t will strike Che aver
age mind as a little strange that Nc
Kinley'S order provides that the clerk
will have "hearing' Gf he is foolish
enough to ask for it, before the ap
pointing power-before the man whose
sympathies are entirely against him.
and who desires his removal and not
his retention in office. This is, indeed,
a very great reform. 1t will insure not
only the removal of the clerk, but will
place on lasting record against him a
written charge to blacken his charac-
ter, and make a record of mock trial
in which he was heard and found
guilty of the charge
THE METHOD OF PROCEDURE.
Let us see how this will work: In the
pension bureau a Democratic clerk,
when a written charge is made, can
have a hearing before that dis
tinguished light of civil service reform.
H Clay Evans of Tennessee, who is the
Republican commissioner of pensions.
In the first four months that this re-
former held the office of commissioner
of pensions he removed II of Is of the
Democratic chiefs of divisions, assist
ant chiefs, superintendent, ETC. he
would have removed the very last one
of them, but it happened that John
Hancock, 4 brother of General Han
cock, the great Union soldier, held that
particular place. 1t was much coveted,
and there was every desire to take
place along with the others,
but after a full conference, in which
is said to have taken a hand,
it was decided that it would be just as
well not to remove General Hancocks |
brother for some time TO come. what |
the Republicans will do with him here
after is not yet known. Seventeen of Is
already have been displaced. and Han
cock will go in due time-when it can
be done in a quiet way
As indicated, the Democratic clerk /
who finds a written charge" filed /
against him hereafter in the pension
bureau, may have a hearing before
Evans. 1t would be wiser
for him to turn to history. and read of
The hearings that Jeffreys used 10
give defendants brought before his
bench on similar written charges in
he merry days known as the bloody
assize." Jeffreys had but one ad-
for all defendants:
plead guilty, you infamous rascal,
and save the time of this court, or d
YOU. it will be the worse for YOU
If the Democratic clerk does not feel
hue regard for the time sOf the depart
nent chief. wisdom would suggest that
lie value his own time at proper
igure and hunt another job just as soon
IS a written charge" is filed against
lin.
The last order of Mckinley can be
disposed of very briefly: 1t is the most
,agrant and un-American of all the lip
service that has yet been rendered IN
he socalled reform of the civil de-
,artments. It's effect will be merely
and unprincipled heads
# departments are by the new rule
provided with a means or escaping
criticism fer removing clerks or the
stTler political party The removals
will go on as heretofore. In fact, they
ave been going on right along; yester-
law. Is were dropped from one depart
nent without any hearing whatever.
AS these dispatches often have re-
erred to the prevailing civil service
ystem as ilumbug, pure and simple, ,
,erhaps it is in order TO give reason
or making this assertion. 1t is hum
Jug for the following reasons:
Nv act of congress the present rules ,
rere established in July, 1888. At that i
lme the pal y AS-0 O~~-- I
\ control of the government, without :
for nearly quartet OF a !
entury. During 20 odd years the Re !
ublicans had controlled appointments !
nd removals in the civil service, with ,
ut let or hindrance from any other
uarter. Consequently. when the new :
NV was passed requiring examination {
Or federal appointments, every de- I
artment of the government was filed !
18th a Republican heller or a Repup-
can favorite The rules were at hrst
nDlied TO the clerkships in the depart r
lent at Washington, the positions :
angling from $500 to $1,000 a year; and !
800 of these at once were placed I'M /.
er the new rules. 1t will appear at a r
lance that the weakness of the new i
Nv was that it did not compel some =
either present or future. .
, test the fitness of the $500 who thus 4
ere made secure in their places: Y
Whatever virtue the law was supposed y
Of