The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
CIvIL-sERvIcE RULES.
Proposed Changes Reported to Have
Been Discussed by the Cabinet.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Dec 21.-At the Cabinet
meeting to-day the ground plan was laid
for the Presidents forthcoming order mod
flying the civil-service regulations, exempt-
ing certain officials nov on the classified
list and taking in others not now pro-
tected The general tenor of the reports
to be made by the Cabinet officers to the
Senate resolution was agreed on. Their
letters will be in harmony with the Presi-
dents order and will show justification for
the executive action. The letters and the
order will leave Congress nothing to do in
the way of amending or in any way tinker
ing with the law While ii can be assumed
as one of the certainties that the Presi-
dent will do nothing to impair the civil
service system or anything that will look
like a blow attack upon it, nor allow
Congress to do anything OF the sort, 1t is
generally believed that the President is
willing to recognize the substantial justice
of many of the criticisms which have been
lodged against the civil-service regulations
as they are now administered and that
he stands ready and willing to make such
notifications as will correct the abuses and
weaknesses complained of without inter-
vention of Congress. The only thing which
will be left for the anti-civil-service ele-
ment will be to demand the unconditional
repeal of the civil-service law, and there
are not q half dozen Republicans i'm Com
gress who have the courage to take that
hat-footed stand. 1t is therefore, reason
ably safe to assume that after the Presi-
dent issues his new order revising the
classified service the civil-service fight,
which threatened TO be an interesting
theme in Congress this winter, will hatten
out thus clearing away threatening OBJ
stacle in the way of discussion OF the
financial question Advocates of the policy
of cowardice and inaction have been rely
ing on a long-continued civil-Service de-
bate as one of the means of putting on
congressional agitation on the currency is
sue, and the elimination of this factor Will
be a disappointment to them.
An Associated Press dispatch says the
Cabinet meeting was devoted almost entirely
to a discussion Of the operation OF the civil
service law. The resolution adopted by the
Senate last Friday, calling on the executive
heads of the several departments of the
eoIeTnment for information coneerninr fhe
application of the ciyil-serVice law TO their
departments and for an expression of their
ought to he made in 1t, was the subject di-
rectly under discussion All the members
of the Cabinet were present, except Secre-
tary Alger, and there was no dissent from
the proposition that the civil-service law
ought to be and would be upheld. The prin-
ciple of the system, IN the opinion or all
must be maintained, but there was some diff
ference of opinion to the extent of its
applications. In connection with the Senate
resolution 1t was pointed out that In some
of the departments, notably those OF the
state and the navy, comparatively few
changes could be made that would be an
Improvement on present conditions Ia
some other departments exceptions to the
operation of the law, In the opinion OF the
Cabinet members, ought to be made. Some
positions they reported we're included in the
blank order of President Cleveland that
might better not have been included In
such cases, isolated here and there in sew
eral of the departments, 1t would in the
Judgment OF the heads of these departments,
be quite proper for the President to modify
Mr. Cleveand's order. While the system
was pretty thoroughly discussed. IL can be
said upon the authority of three members
of the Cabinet that no definite policy was
outlined, beyond determination 10 main
tain the principle of the civil service. Ne
effort was made to-day to adopt a reply t.
the Senate that would embody uniform e1-
pressiOns OF opinion. liz is likely that each
member of the Cabinet will prepare his ren40
in his own way, embodying such sugg6Gr