The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-04-24
THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.

duced bill in the lower House of Con
gress modifying very materially the present
existing Civil Service Law.
He contends that the law has been mis-.
construed and misdirected, and the primary
purpose of his bill is to carry into effect
what be contends was the real purpose OF
the Civil Service Act.
The bill as originally passed he claims
was intended to apply to certain clerical
forces employed in the departments al
Washington, and was designed to secure
capable and efficient men for positions
requiring skilled labor, and it was ex-
pressly provided in the seventh section Of
the law, which is now the law of the land
"Nor shall any person not in the executive
branch of the government, or any person
merely employed as laborer or workman
be required to be classified hereunder"
General Grosvenor contends that in plain
violation of this statute aggression after
aggression has been perpetrated, until the
laborers and all classes of employees have
been seized upon. 1t is simply the old
story OF aggressions of power.
Let those gentlemen who took the places
of the Republicans and soldiers four years
ago come forward now and demonstrate
that it was not fraud upon the public
service when they were appointed. Let us
have fair and square start, so that every
man in the classified service shall have
reached his position by a competitive exam
nation. If the friends of civil service
reform, as they call themselves are con-
scientious and honest believers in the
merit system, as they denominate it, here
is their opportunity. Let these ten or ff-
teen thousand people who have crowded
their way in as mere partisans under the
most partisan Administration this govern
ment ever had, let them come forward and
take the civil service examination and
stand upon all four with the common
people of the country"
"The people of the country have looked
on and have seen and now are able to real
lie chat this system is the grossest cover for
the spokesman, the real spokesman, the az
gressive spokesman, known in all the organi-
cations OF the government, for they have
seen it operate, and they know exactly
what it means, and when all the facts
which are in my possession are laid bare, the
people of this country will be astounded at
what has taken place during the last four
years. Evidence of the uprising is heard
on every hand. | received a letter this
morning from gentleman in one of the
great Middle Western States, in which
was told that 100, 600 names would be
forwarded to Congress within few weeks
in opposition to the system as it stands
administered to-day
The bill as prepared by Gen'l Grosvenor
declares that the Civil Service Act shall not
be construed to embrace any of the EN-
ployes in the Government Printing Office
or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
nor any persons employed merely as work
men or laborers, nor construed to allow the
appointment to office or promotion in any
classes of the civil service covered by the
act of any person who has not passed a COM
petitive examination, and all appointments
since March a., 1893, without competitive
examination, unless such appointees are
specially exempted, are declared illegal and
contrary to the intent and spirit of the act
The bill proposes that all persons who have
been employed or appointed in the classified
service since March 4, 1893, without exam
nations shall appear before the Civil Ser
vice Commission for examination within
ninety days, the examinations not to give
them preference over other citizens who are
qualified to enter the service. This bill
would compel all those now in office over
which President Cleveland extended the
shelter of the Civil Service Act to pass ex-
aminations.
Commenting on the condition of senti-
ment at Washington, Major Carson the
intelligent correspondent of the Philadel-
phia Ledger says that the extension of that
act to all grades of Government officials,
and the consequent removal of public
places from the clutch of the spokesman,
has undoubtedly resulted in making the
Civil Service law unpopular with the large
number of persons who take active part in
the formation Of nominating conventions
and other ante-election work, and this feel
ing of hostility to the civil service system
is being reflected at both ends of the Capi-
toll The inability of the President to
supply places for the army of applicants
that is now encamped in Washington is
doing much to excite opposition to the
Civil Service system, and there can be no
doubt that, if General Grosvenor presses
his bill with that earnestness which he
usually exhibits in matters in which he
feels special interest, it will be given very
general support in both branches of Con-
gress. AS this is matter that is peculiarly
interesting to the people generally, and is
likely to be brought before Congress in
some shape before long. what General
GrOsvenor says Of his bill and what is in
tended to be ACCOMPLISHED bv il will he