The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-26
ing losses, 2-Kansas and Colorado. This
Isn't a bad showing, but. then. Thanks
giving comes only once a year.



An lntsrestIng fable.
An important table has been prepared
at the request of Secretary Gage, of the
treasury. for his information, but it is
notwlthout INTEREST," to the general public,
and especially those who are interested
In watching civil service developments
The table gives the apportionment of EN-
ployes to the treasury department by
states. The object OF the secretary, 1t is
stated, was to ascertain which states have
their quota OF employees in the treasury
department at Washington, which have
an excess OF their quota. and which have
not the full number OF appointees they
are entitled TO,
It Is stated that 1t Is not intended to
make a reapportlonment at the present
time, but the table is to he used as q
guide to future appointments, with a
view to correcting whatever inequalities
exist. The table shows some interesting
facts. not the least OF which is that the
states thatliAnearesttothe national cap
ital are among those that are credited
with having an excess of their quota of
employees In the treasury. and West Vir-
ginta is one of them,
The states distant from Washington
have less than the number they are en-
titled to. The probability Is that a SINH
lar table OF the employees OF the other de-
partments in Washington will show
about the same proportion OF apportiOn-
ment, and will indicate the same disre-
gard OF equitable division made by the
last Democratic administration In Its
practice Of civil service reform"
The table shows that there are seven
states with, an excess Of number OF en-
ployes they are entitled to. They are:
Connecticut, With ten In excess; Mary
land. 100; Virginia, 46; West Virginia,
~; District of Columbia, 1855; Maine. 2s;
New Hampshire, 16, In West Vlrginia's
case the number she is entitled to Is 30
and she has ~ app0lntees credited to
her.
There are 2,622 employees In the treas
ury department in the city OF Washing
ton. The worst cas- of d|isproportion is
that of the District Of Columbia, which
is entitled to 9 appoIntees and has S95.
No one believes that all these appolntees
are bona fde citizens OF the District Of
Columbia. They belong largely TO Mary
land, a few to West Virginia and a few to
Virginia During the Democratic regime,
when the quota OF these three states be-
came full and the attention of German.
and the Democratic controllers of pat
ronage in the other two nearby states
was called to the matter, 1t was so easy
to have the hungry surplus OF applicants
credited to the District OF Columbia,
which has no representative or senator
in Congress to protect its interests in the
matter OF patronage.
More than 300 of the employees Of this
one department credited TO the District
Of Columbia are citizens of Maryland
and Virginia, and 1t has been estimated
that three-fourths OF the Overflow" are
Senator Germans constituents. Much
of the overflow from West Virginia is
due to the energy displayed by William
L. Wilson in behalf of the eastern Pan
Handle, but there is reason to believe
that If the list of ~so-called West Virgin
ians in office is carefully revised some OF
Germans constituents may be found
among them, and that, after all, this
state has not its full quota,
The point in the whole matter is that
these states acquired their excuses of
what they were entitled to in the way OF
representatives in the treasury depart
mens under a Democratic administra-
ton, and that now all OF the offices are
under civil service laws. When there is
even a chance for a Republican to secure
a place after complying with all the civil
service provisions, he ascertalns that not
only is the states quota filled, but that It
Is oyerrun. 1t Is hoped that Secretary
Gage will do his best in equalIzlng the
apportionment 30 that each state will
know where 1t stands.