Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-11
AGAINST THE MERIT SYSTEM.
Trying tn Induce the President tn
Exempt Printers and Enxravers.


Exempt Printers and Enxravers.
Unusually strong efforts will be made
from now on to induce President Mckinley
TO remove the government printing Office
and bureau of engraving and printing from
under the protection of the civil service
law These efforts have already been made
but they are to be redoubled with the COM
ing of congressman. Many reasons are 20
be urged upon the President but the chief
allegation will be that the civil service is
swamping the republican party. 1t is
strongly limited that Chairman Hanna him
self will be the foremost and strongest adj
Eocate Of allowing these two institutions
10 become open to Spols hunters.
Protests have poured into the White
House and national committee since the
election against a continuation of the civil
service law, and particularly against its
protection of the two bureaus mentioned.
The results in several states and the close
shave In Ohio are charged to the law. The
lack OF places for republican workers is
said To have caused the apathy which char
acteriZed the republicans in a number of
the Ohio counties. Party leaders had ex-
pected 10 get places. but they found that
there was nothing for them.
Members OF Congress are putting before
the President the awful pressure upon
them for places and their inability to do
anything for their constituents. The aver
age representative is in an unenviable posi-
ton The large and juicy plums distrib-
uted by the President are given to the SEN
ators. The representatives have nothing
to give out but the post offices in their dis
tricts- Occasionally they induce their SEN
ator to join with them in securing one of
the larger places. but individually they
can do nothing. Now they want places
here in Washington.
II is hard to ascertain whether there is
any change in sentiment on the civil Serv-
ice from the last session of Congress. Nat
urally the heartiest complaints now come
from congressman who are opposed to the
law. but it is alleged that the opposition is
growing every day.
prominent member of the republican
national committee gives ii as his opinion
that if there not notifications of the
law in the direction of opening more places
the congressional elections next year will
prove the heaviest defeat for the republic
can party ever known. He attributes it all
to the civil service law. and allows nothing
for the usual reaction and for other ques-
TORS of Importance.
That a fight is to be made to abolish the
civil service at the coming session of Con-
gress is not doubted How strong it will
become is another question But, while the
matter is being agitated, the heaviest of
pressure will be brought on the President
to exempt the government printing office
and bureau of engraving and printing from
the operation of the law. Members of
Congress Will urge THAI with places open
they can somewhat stem the discomfort
manifesting itself among their constituents
Representative GrOsvenOr's View.
Representative Grosvenor of Ohio was at
the White House today and talked over the
situation in Ohio with the President. Gen.
Grosvenor was asked by Star reporter as
to the talk about removing the govern
ment printing office and bureau Of engrav-
ing and printing from under the civil serv-
Ice He said:
II am confident that neither one was
covered by the civil service law, and
haven't any doubt if the Attorney General
ever decides the case that he will say that
they are not under the protection of the
law The extension of the law over those
two places was pure usurpation. Both are
exempted by the terms of the statute
itself
80 Gen. Grosvenor did not care to give his
opinion on what Congress would do at the
coming session about the civil service law
but he made some remarks on the law
itself He said: In 1901 affidavits will
have TO be produced to prove that there
ever was "a civil service law. Next year
there will not be d man elected to Con-
gress west of the Alieghenies who does not
pledge himself against the law. There is
no use going into argument about the
absurdity of the system. Nothing can be
more absurd than the advertisements now
being printed in fifteen cities calling for
an examination for blacksmith some
where in Oklahoma L reiterate what l said
in a speech at Brooklyn-that the ma jority
of the Presidents of the United States
couldn't have stood an examination for a
fourth-elass clerkship.''