Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-25
SIXTH AUDITOR TALKS
Policy Pursued in Recognizing His
Office.
IL PROMOTIONS BASED ON MERIT
Says Political Activity Gained Pre-
ferment in the Past.
CLERKS GIVEN HEARINGS


There has been great deal of interest
here over the action of Sixth Auditor Hen
ry A. Castle, who has begun a reorganiza-
ton of the Office under his charge. There
are seven chiefs of divisions and about 800
| clerks in the Office of the sixth auditor (au-
| ditor for the Post Office Department., and
they are looking forward with the greatest
interest to the extent of the reorganiza-
| tic that is to be accomplished in the force
| Star reporter today asked. Captain
| Castle to, give his views regarding the ap-
plfcation of the civil service law to the
government service and the manner in
| which he thought his office should be gov
erned by it. Captain Castle is an old ad :
vocate of civil service reform and it has
always been understood that his appoint
| ment as sixth auditor was made largely
| upon the record he made as a practical
civil service reformer during the five years
| ne was postmaster at ST. Paul, Mimi,
winch place he held until last November.
| He has always been stanch republican,
and took prominent part in politics IL
| Minnesota during the thirty years of his
| residence there being editor-in-chief of the
ST. Paul Dispatch, a leading republican
| paper, for ten years. During the war he
| was captain Of an Illinois regiment taking
| up his residence in Minnesota shortly af-
! ter the close of hostilities.
Civil Service Reform.
| Civil service reform has manifestly come
to stay" replied Capt. Castle, in reply to
a question by The Star reporter There
! will be differences of opinion as to its scope
ard the practicability of its extension to all
| branches of the public service There will
| be reactions if it is extended too fast or
| too far. There will be friction and incon-
| sistency and dishonesty at times in its adj
ministration. but the general principle is
| sound. 1t has been thoroughly tried and
/ 1T has been accepted by the intelligence of
| the American people. 1t will never be dis
carded, but, on the contrary, it will con-
| tinue to extend it's operations wherever ex-
| pei1ence shall show that its methods are
| practicable. For more than fifteen years
| the civil service law has been in operation
in the post offices of all the leading cities
| or the United States. Each of these offices
| has been an object lesson to the business
| public, and to all its patrons The marvel
| Gus accuracy and celebrity of the postal
| service is largely due to this beneficent
| system, and the people have become so
accustomed to this efficiency that they will
| never consent to see It impaired. II an
attempt were made to destroy or seriously
| cripple the civil service system in these
| post offices every commercial body every
| labor organization, every business corpora
! ton and firm, the churches, the colleges
| the schools and the whole population would
| rise up in earnest, angry protest. And
| these object lessons in the post Offices have
| IN great measure inspired the demand
| Whlch is visible in many states for the en-
| actrlent of civil service laws applicable TO
| all branches of state. county and municipal
! government. This demand has already been
complied with in several OF the largest
| states of the Union, and the reform is thus
| vigorously marching on.
! hat has been stated refers to cities of
| ..o,W'o population or over, where this re-
| form has been longest in operation, and
1 ,1ry,
| the smaller cities, where it has been i'm
operation for a shorter period the results
| are not yet so fully apparent. but time and
| experience will render the people Of these
less populous communities equally enthu-
| siastic.'
| How. according to your observation.
Goes the administration of the law in the
| departments here compare with that in the
| city post ofices you speak OFF,
Merit System Ignored.
| LAS rule the requirements of the civil
service law have been honestly carried out
| in these post offices and the results at
! tanned have fully indicated it, The same
system has been ostensibly in force in the
departments at Washington during sub
| stanually the same period of time but
| ewing TO variety of circumstances, the
law has not been properly enforced in
many OF these departments. The merit
| system. as applied to promotions, has been
| TO considerable extent ignored and the
| Old, vicious practice of promotion by polit;-
cal influence has been allowed to prevail
| The idea apparently still fingers among
! employees of several of these departments
| That the success or failure of political par-
ties throughout the country, if not the fate
of the country itself, largely depends upon
| their partisan activity. And the senators
| and representatives from whose states or
| districts these employees come apparently
attach enormous weight to their votes and
| influence at their homes, sometimes a
| thousand miles away. If there ever was
| time when this important that time
mas now passed. In my opinion, We will
not have another democratic President in
this country for thirty years. The people
of the United States have had a dismal ex-
| perfence In that line, and have received a
| lesson which will last for a whole genera
| ton. Consequently, the jealous partisans
employed in the departments in a clerical
capacity may now, it seems to me. with
draw their attention somewhat from the
| political field at home and devote their
| surplus energies to the discharge of duties
for which they are paid salaries by the
| general government"
| Does the civil service law then tend to
interfere with political activity?'
Political Liberty Guaranteed.
mot necessarily. On the contrary 1t
! guarantees political liberty, and encourages
such political activity as does not interfere
with the pe:fol nance of official duty. The
salient point is, that political activity ceases
| to be a ground for official promotion in
clerical positions. and merit alone becomes
| the criterion"
What will be the effect on the republic
| can party?"
'The party will gain immensely by an
| honest enforcement of the law, and lose
| irretrievably by any backward step. The
| principle Is so thoroughly intrenched in the
| popular intellig ence that its abandonment
In the face of past pledges will be very
| generally resented"
What has been your previous experience
| In administering the civil service law?'
During my service Of nearly five years
as postmaster of st. Paul. under two adj
| ministrations of opposite politics, the con-
| duct of the office was entirely free from
any political considerations. Its two hun