The herald., 1897-04-30
THE CIVIL SERVICE

From January l to March is, 1897, the
United States civil service commission
received, at its Washington office alone,
more than $4,000 applications for posi-
tions within the classified service. This
number is exclusive of the applications
filed in other large cities. In New York
alone 5000 applications were received,
and proportionately large numbers at
ether centers. The entire number exam
ired for all branches of the service dur
ing the past fiscal year was S1,27O. The
abnormal increase during the past few
months has, of course, been due to
changes in the administration. but grant
ing that some changes will be made, 1t
must nevertheless be true that many
thousands who have prepared them
selves and have taken the necessary ex-
aminations will remain without posi-
t!ons.
Vacancies in the classified service will
be few, and as this becomes generally
known, pressure for the unclassified
places becomes greater. These in
clude, excepting postmasterships and po-
sitions in .he labor service. 1900 presi-
Dental offices and 1S9 classified but ex-
cepted places, and some $500 petty posi-
tions, worthless for political purposes.
The presidential offices are divided as
follows: Diplomatic and consular ser
vice. $40; customs service, 215; internal
revenue service, 63; government print
ing office, 1; and departmental service,
COL
The desirable positions subject to arbi-
trary appointment are limited, therefore,
to the 1859 in the general service. filled
without examination, and to postmasters
and assistant postmasters.
OF the postmasters, Postmaster-Gen
e1al Gary has already announced that,
continuing the policy inaugurated by
Postmaster-General Bissell. all post
masters, including those in fourth -class
offices, will be permitted to serve out the
four-year terms for which they were
appointed, unless removed for causes
other than political.
Among the other presidential offices
there are many in which no changes will
be made. In the diplomatic and consular
service there are about fifty officers who
have been retained since Harrison's
time and who will not be affected by
any administration changes. Beside
these there are other officers, holding
high positions, whose politics differ from
those of the president but the character
of whose services will entitle them to
retention.
So that, as stated above, many Of
those clamoring for spoils will have to
go without satisfaction. And it is
matter for congratulation that the dis
graceful scenes which used to be enacted
in Washington on every change of presi-
dents are no longer to be observed. What
those scenes were may best be described
by quoting from the Washington Star,
which says:
"A comparison between the scenes in
this town today and those at the corre-
spending period in 1885 affords one of the
best testimonials TO the value of the civil
service law it is possible to conceive. 1t
justified to the full everything that Eas
been done to advance and make secure tie
principles of that reform. Nobody who re-
sided in Washington at that time can for
get, the great army of cffice hunters who
swarmed here upon the Inauguration of
Mr.. Cleveland for his first term. They
came from every direction, and in all
stages OF patronage hunger. The Demo-
cratic party had returned to power after
a quarter of a century spent In opposition
and thousands of its membeis LOOKED to
the new executive for immediate appoint
ment to office. There were men who, H. the
main, had been reared on the old political
cry, and as the victors they now demanded
the spoils. The great crush had its humor-
Gus features, but in the main II was pa
thetic The most insistent If the throng
swayed and sweltered in the hotel lobbies
and in the long corridors of tn Depart
ments for several months, hoping against
hope, ana reluctant to return home. At the
same time there were thousands of men
and women in the governments employ
faithful and entirely competent who were
trembling in their places. They had their
homes fitted up and were comfortable in