The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-29
THE CASE OF MISS STALNAKER.
Injustice Done to n Woman by a Gov.
eminent Department..
Washington Post

w III WI L.
The experience of Miss Maud Stalnaker
with the Civil-service Commission and the
adjutant generals Office of the War De-
peared in the POST of the I'D inst. has at
tracted wide attention. Many of our con-
t~emporaries express sympathy with the
young lady, and all who refer to the sub
ject at all speak with admiration of her
almost encyclopedia attachments. The Post
is not inclined to put cenSure where ii does
not rightfully belong. but there certainly
must nave been an error committed some
where in the official machinery, or Miss
Stalnaker would not have been examined,
her sex was bound to exclude her. The adj
vertlsement to which this applicant re-
sponded was as follows:
THE Civil-service Commission will hold a
special examination on Oct. rs TO fill a va
cancy in the position of clerk. class two, in
the office of the adjutant general, L. S. a.,
for which special qualifications are re-
quired. The applicants should be able to
translate into English technical military
works in French, German. Spanish, and
Italian; to do typewriting in all of these
manuscripts for the press. and he should
be familiar with modern library methods.
with the classification of books, catalogu-
ing and indeXing. changing. preparation of
binding. etc. He will also be tested in the
use of the English language and literary
composition
1t will be seen that the word 'he'' oc-
ours in the announcement, but that is not
unusual in announcing competitions that
are open 10 DOtn sexes. al any rate, MISS
Stalnaker appeared. and received no init
nation that she was not wanted. The
examination was even more difficult than
was indicated in the advertisement. for,
besides translation from foreign languages
into English, the exercises required writ
ten translation from English into French,
German. Italian and Spanish. Miss Stall
maker was the only applicant who was
able TO pass the test. Her name was sent
to the adjutant generals office and she
had not the slightest reason to doubt that
the place was hers. But in a few days she
was invited TO call at the War Department
and was then and there informed that a
woman could. under no circumstances. have
the place. We submit that. under all the
circumstances this was such treatment as
no woman or man ought TO receive at the
hands of the government.
The Adjutant generals Office claims that
II made requisition on the Civil-service Com
mission for a male clerk. The commission
does not deny this. but holds that the law
admits of no discrimination as TO sex, But
the commission did not inform the appli-
cant tina a controversy was pending. and
that. If she should pass and be certified,
she would not fill the requisition and would
be morally certain to be rejected. She went
through the ordeal. passed an examination
that not one person IN a hundred thou
sand-probably not one in n "million-could
have passed, and was rejected for q cause
that had been officially made known tC
the commission before the advertisement
was printed
With the contention between the War
Department and the commission as to the
right to discriminate in the matter of sex
we do not care To interfere at this time
for we do not know what reasons may
have existed for demanding a male clerk
There are department positions for which
men are preferable, ana there are positions
| for which women are much TO be preferred
But it was a cruel wrong to permit Miss
Stalnaker TO undergo the examination In
ignorance OF the sex contention. We hope
that no repetition of this wrong will evel
occur.