Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-28
Efforts to Open the Census Service to
Spoilsmen.
BILL ON TEE SENATE CALENDAR
Injurious Effect of the Bargain Of
1888.
MIG HT BE RE P E A T E D


fight on their hands to prevent the de-
bauchment of the census service at the
coming session of Congress. The Senate
committee on census have already put
bill on the calendar, which endeavors to
mail down. the several thousand places
which will be provided for the benefit CT
the spells hunters. This bill will pass the
Senate, unless it's opponents make a big
fight, and it will then be necessary for the
civil service reformers to concentrate
their efforts on the House of Representa-
tives The eminent statisticians who sug-
gested the outlines of the census bill pro-
vided for putting 1t distinctly under the
civil service rules. This provision was
stricken out of the bill as reported. and it
was provided that substantially all the en-
ployes shall be appointed according to the
discretion of the director of the census, and
not otherwise" This bill has not yet been
passed, but 1t has many warm friends in
the Senate. The question of putting the
offices at the disposal Of the spOilsmen
may not be made party question, be-
cause of the hope Of either party that it
may win in 1900 and secure all the ap-
pointmentS for itself.
The Bargain of 1888.
A bargain upon this basas was made in
1888. both republican and democratic SEN
should be kept out of the civil service re-
form system and that the winning party
in the presidential election should have
them at it's disposal. The republicans were
the winners and the appointments were
chiefly made at their command. The
democrats came into power In 1893 and
proceeded to even up the service by remov
ing many of the republican appointees
and putting in their own friends. in the
face OF the fact that the net number Of
clerks was being reduced from time to
time. The result was that several hundred
appointments were made in 1894 and 1895,
end 1t was estimated by eminent authori-
ties that the decentralization caused in the
service cost the treasury more than two
million dollars.
The situation would be much worse If
the census office should be left in the
hands of the spoilsmen this time and there
should be change of administration in
1901. The change, instead of coming three
years after the enumeration, and when a
large part of the work was DONE would
come In the very midst of the fluctuations,
mum. A complete revolution within few
months. by which one set of clerks gave
way to new set, would cost the govern
ment many times what 1t cost to make
similar change in 1898.
Hard to Get the Best Men,
The seriousness of this situation is likely
to have marked influence upon the clas.;
of the new census. There are not at pres
cnt any candidates of recognized statistical
standing who willing to be seriously
considered until they know whether the
Office is to be run on the spoils principle or
under civil service rules. If several thou
sand clerks, to say nothing of tens of
thousands of enumerators. are to be APP
pointed as matter of personal favoritism
at the demand of members of Congress-
the director of the census will be a giyer
of aims rather than an economic student
There may be politicians eager for the op-
portunity of distributing several thousand
places. but men of standing as statisticians
look upon the possibility that the office will
be degraded to this level with a loathing
and disgust. The director himself would he
mapped out the work of tabulation and his
important assistants would also have to
give place to a set of recruits. The
situation Is thus a serious one not merely
for the cause of civil service reform, but
for the taking of the census in an orderly
and efficient manner.
Prospects in the Senate.
There is great danger that the measure
putting the service under the spoils sys-
tenn will pass the Senate. 1t may be posi-
BILE to defeat it in the House, but a new
danger will then arise in the committee of
conference. This committee, made up of
only two members of the dominant party
IN elther mouse and one or the minority
party, can easily be rugged to report in
favor of the spoils system. and the prestige
CT a conference report would be very likely
to carry their recommends tons through
both houses. 1t is of great Importance that
provision for taking the census should be
made early in the coming session, in order
that the President may have time to con-
slider the selection of proper director, and
that the director may have time to per-
feet his plans for systematic work. The
enumeration will probably be taken iE
April. instead of June. as heretofore
The attention of the President will be
called to the Importance of early action by
Congress. and he may make the matter the
subject of special reference in his annual
message. The absence of q permanent CEN
sus bureau has repeatedly caused haste and
embarrassment in completing the prepara-
lions for the work and has prevented as
scientific and accurate a census as is de-
sired by statisticians and economic stu
dents.