The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-19
Civil Service Reform.

In the August issue of the Illus
trated American, Senator Gallinger,
of New Hampshire, contributes Il
very significant article on the weak
spots in Civil Service Reform. There
are very few prominent men who
have ventured to openly declare
themselves against this popular re
form, and this article in question is
notable as showing the line of seri-
GUS arguments which are adduced
against it, especially the manner of
it's enforcement under the Cleveland
administration
r. dealing with the subject from a
"a a. partisan standpoint, the writer
very truthfully says that lit is indis-
putable that no proof whatever has
yet been forthcoming that the work
of the government is either better or
more economically performed now
than it was in the days when honesty
and capability, to be determined by
actual trial, under the supervision of
honest and capable heads Of bureaus
and departments, We're the funda-
mental requirements. In this cOnnec-
ton donot hesitate to put on record
my individual opinion, even at the
,<risk OF being classed among the
spoilsmen in public life, that instead
OF the service having been strength
ened and bettered, it has actually
been weakened and emasculated by
the idea that there shall be an in
definite tenure of office, and that
public officials are, sooner or later, to
become wards and pensioners of the
government, thus establishing an
Office-holding aristOcracy, after the
manner of China, India England
and certain other mOnarchial govern
ments. "
1t is a noteworthy fact that during
the last administration many thous-
ands of discharges were made, almost
wholly for political reasons. In a
single day several hundred dismissals
were made in one branch of the
service, and so far as could be
ascertained they all belonged to
one political party, One thousand
three hundred and ninety-four Union
soldiers were discharged, forced to re
sign, or reduced in the departments
at Washington from 1898 to 1897, to
make room for Democrats, scarce one
of whom had seen service in the
Union army, whilemany of them had
fought in the ranks of secession. In
the mint at Philadelphia, during that
time, over sixty Union soldiers We're
dismissed, thirty-two of whom re
ceived notice of discharge on Mem
orial Day, May 30, 1894.
Almost every bureau and depart
ment OF the government is practi-
cally in the hands OF the political
party that was defeated at the polls
last November, and as a consequence
high officials hesitate, and even re
fuse to discuss with their subordinates
matters of vital concern to the COY
ernment, for the reason that they
hold entirely different views from
their chiefs, and in many cases are
planning and plotting for a victory
OF the party to which they belong in
1900.
Speaking Of the absurdities in the
civil service examinations, Senator
Gallinger says they have been such
as to greatly weaken the law, and
have been technical ratherthan prac-
tical, but it is now promised that
they shall be more practical than
heretofore. 1t is rather remarkable
that twelve years should have passed
without the necessity for this having
been impressed upon the minds Of
the commission, and that now, when
they and the system are under fire,