The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-05-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Nav 10

WASHINGTON. May 10, 1887.
President Mckinley told a delega
ton of G.. A. r. men from New York
City, who called to pressingly invite
him there, that he expected to attend
the memorial day exercises at West
Point, but would endeavor to return
to New York on the afternoon of Mon
day, the 31st inst, in time to also take
part in their exercises. On the 18th
inst, the President and his cabinet
will attend the dedication of the
! Washington monument in Philadel-
phia.
Many Republicans in both branches
of Congress are dissatisfied with pOr-
tions of the amended Dingley tariff
bill, last week reported to the Senate.
but they are not disposed to publicly
criticise the bill because they feel con
fident that changes which will be
made will remove most, if not all, OF
its Objectionable features. The bill
is TO be taken up by the Senate on
the 18th inst, and pushed through
that body as rapidly as possible.
Many changes are likely to be made
before it passes the Senate and still
more before it gets out of the Confer
ence Committee. No fears are felt
that the bill will not be ag-good
measure as can possibly get through
the Senate in the absence of straight
Republican majority, when it finally
goes to President Mckinley for his
signature.
Secretary Bliss, Pension Commits
sioner Evans, and Land Commissioner
| Hermann, each wrote a letter to the
Senate committee that is investigat-
ing the workings of the civil service
law and rules, advocating a curtail-
ment of the extension of the rules
made by Mr.. Cleveland Secretary
Bliss said: 1.-The chief clerk of this
department and the chiefs of divisions
should, in my opinion, be exempt from
the classified service These officers
occupy confidential relations to the
Secretary, and on their briefs or rec
concentrations he is dependent to
large extent for the proper conduct of
his office. | am Of the opinion also
that the special agents, such as land
and timber inspectors, mineral land
commissioners, and particularly the
special Indian agents, and the APP
pOintment of such, should be more di-
rectly under the control of the Secre-
tary, who is responsible for their ac-
TONS and who must depend upon
them very largely for his knowledge
of affairs III distant regions" Land
Commissioner Hermann said THE
existing rules of the civil service
should be modified so far as the bu-
reaus of all the departments are con
cerned in respect to their applications
to chief clerks, chiefs of divisions, re
ceiving clerks and confidential clerks,
to inspectors, and also to all the special
agents of the departments If r is
assumed that the dominant party
should shape the legislation of the
country in cOnsonance with the poll
cics which it sustains, it has right
to know that the chiefs of divisions,
who first shape recommendation as
they are called for through the
various divisions, are in perfect sym
pathy with the party policies. The
most important legislation in Con
gross emanatcs from these divisions
in the form OF reports on measures
pending before Congress, and which
are usually first submitted to the
heads of departments, and by them to
the heads of bureaus; who in turn sub
. nit to the chiefs Of divisions" These
are common sense arguments. An
Other batch of evidence showing the
unblUshin% craftsmanship practiced by
the Cleveland administration under
the cloak Of civil service reform was
submitted to the committee at its
regular weekly meeting.
Speaker Reed was one Of the c0un-
sci in the ease in which the L. S. SU-
preme Court decided that pension eX-
amininG surgeons were not govern
ment officials This decision was made
in 1873, but was either overlooked or
ignored by the Cleveland administers
ton, which placed the boards Of eX-
amining surgeons under the civil ser
vice rules The closing words of, MIR.
Reeds argument in the case were as
follows: IF Il party should contract
with the Commissioner OF Pensions to
furnish wood for the pension Office
at 81 per cord, he would as justly be
entitled to be considered an officer of
the United States as n civil surgeon
| who contracts with the Commissioner
to make examination off applicants
for pensions at SO per head" Speak
ing of this matter an old official said;
"There are many decisions on record
in the Interior Department. that pen
sion examining surgeons aresnot con