The times., 1897-05-02
MANY WILLING WITNESSES
Hearings Before the Senate Com
mittee on Civil Service.
STATUTE HAS FEW FRIENDS
The Law Should Certainly Be Mod
fled, Is the General Republican
iew-Contentions Between Col.
ored Doctors Detailed TO the Conn
mittee- G. rieyanceS Reiterated.

There is no dearth OF Witnesses before
the serate' Committee on Civil Service
Administration 10 prove that there are
entirely too many Democrats in office.
Most of the witnesses have at some time
or other held offices, ana they range all
the way up from a mere messenger to
Cabinet officer. A dozen or more persons
have already furnished the committee with
information and suggestions, and il is
understood that more than half a hundred
are waiting their opportunity 10 appear.
The subcommittee, Of which Senator
Pritchard is chairman, and whose function
is TO collect information on which the
general committee viii make its recon-
mendations, met yesterday and pursuedits
inquiries.
The opinions of the Secretary of the Navy,
the Postmaster General and the Public
Printer, which were surnbitted in writing,
are particularly interesting, for the reason
that they Indicate what they desire to
have done, and may be done in due tine
by legerdemain, if not by law.
''I have not familiariZed myself with
all the existing rules Of the civil service,
and cannot therefore express any except
the general opinion that Wide they no
doubt need modification as time goes on
and as circumstances change, L cannot
specify what particular modification is
necessary.
Il am strongly of opinion that the civil
service law should be continued and not
repealed 1 have no doubt that room Will
be found for amendments from time To
time"
pol, 9
office, which is simply a great manufac-
turing plant, involving varied branches of
skilled labor of high grade, the civil ser
vice rules are, in my judgment, an OBJ
struction rather than an aid 90 efficiency
and economy. In my opinion the civil SER
vice rules as promulgated for enforcement
here should he modified radically, sus-
pended or repealed"
The Postmaster General wrote: Il am
in favor of a civil service law properly
constructed, by which I mean civil
service law which VIII secure recognition
of merit and the promotion of persons
specially qualified for public office.
cannot at this time say in detail what
changes or notifications would be most de-
sirable in my opinion, but By way of cate
! gorical answer to the question submitted
/ will express as my opinion that the law
| should be amended and continued
The oral evidence was given by six gen.
| uemen
| Mr. S E. Holman said that in Septem-
| Der. 1894, he was dismissed from his po-
| sition as assistant messenger OF the Treas
! ury, because Of his politics, the only COM
| pIaint against him being he usually went
| home to vote The Secretary of the
| Treasury, when appealed to TO reinstate
| him said that he was there long enough,
! and the application in his behalf failed.
| Mr. Holman claimed that he was dismissed
| by reason of being Republican
| Mr. j. T. Morton related his experiences
| as a clerk in the Postoffice Department
| under the first Cleveland Administration
| From good cerkship he was continuously
| reduced and degraded until May l, 1894
/ when he was asked to resign. He believed
| that all his misfortunes grew out of the
| factthat he was a colored man, having been
| for a long time the only colored clerk in the
| department
Mr.. 81. +. Weaver testified that he was
removed from the office OF the Sixth Audi
| tor in 1886. because of offensive partisan
Ship" Reinstated by Harrison, he wai
| removed by Carlisle without cause. Mr.
| Weaver served in the Union Army from
| 1861 to 1866.
| Mr.. j. NJ Miller, who rose from the place
| of laborer to q ST 400 clerkship In th'
| Interior, claimed to have been dismissed
| in 94 without cause. A place promised to
/ him in reinstatement was given To 9
! brothcr-in-law of the auditor, who aiss
| put his father-in-law in office, neither o
which appointees went In under civil ser
| vice examination, the witness stating tha
Mr.. Logan Carlisle did pretty much as NJ
pleased in these matters.
Mr. Carl Stierlin testified that he was
| reduced in 1895 from 81 800 to 5000 b,
/ Assistant Secretary Hamlin to make roon
FOR the promotion { another clerk. Tht