Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-05-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF rHR MONITOR
Wdshin0ton. Mdu 10th, 1897.

City, who called TO presS1ngly 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
Monday the 31st inst, in time to also
take part in their exercises. On the
18th inst, the President and his cabi-
net will attend the dedication Of the
Washington monument in Philadel-
phia.
Many republicans in both branches
of Congress are dissatisfied with por-
tons 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 Conference
Committee. No fears are felt that
the bill Will not be S good a measure
as can possibly get through the SEN
ate in the absence of straight re-
publican majority, when it finally
goes to President Mckinley for his
signature.
Secretary Bliss, Pension Commits
sioner Evans, and Land Commission
er Herman, each wrote a letter to the
Senate committee that is Investigate
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: ''The chief clerk of this de-
partment and the chiefs of divisions
should, in my opinion, be exempt
from the classified service. These Of
ficers occupy confidential relations to
the Secretary, and on their briefs or
recommends tons he is dependent to
large extend for the proper con-
duct of his Office. L am Of the opinion
also that the special agents, rsuch as
land and timber inspectors, mineral
land com missioners, and particularly
the special Indian agents, and the
appointm ent of such, should be more
directly under the control of the Sec
rotary, who is responsible for their
actions, and who must depend upon
them very largely for his knowledge
of affairs in distant regions Land
Commissioner Herman said: 'EThe eX-
listing rules of the civil serviceSshould
be modified so far as the bureaus of
all the de partments are concerned in
respect to their applications to chief
clerks, chiefs of divisions, receiving
clerks and confde ntial clerks, to in
spectors, and also to all the special
agents of the departments. If it is
assumed that the dominant party
should shape the legislation of the
country in conson ance with!the party
policies. The most important legis
lation in Congress teammates from
these divisions in theBform of reports
on measures pendingibefore Congress
and which are usually first submitted
to the heads of departments, and by
them to the heads of bureaus, who in
turn submit to the chiefs Of divisions.
These are common sense arguments. !
Another batch of evidence showing
the unblushing craftsmanship practiced
by the Cleveland administration I'M
der the cloke of civile'service reform
was submitted to the committee at
its regular weekly meeting.
Speaker Reed was one of the coun-
Sc lin the case in which the U. S. Su
preme Court decided that pension
examining surgeons were not govern
ment officials. This decision was
made in 1873, but was either over
looked or ignored by the Cleveland |
administra ton, which placed the |
boards of examining surgeons under |
the civil service rules. s The closing
words of Mr.. Reeds argument in the |
case were as follows: eff party |
should contract with the commission
er of Pension to furnish wood for the |
Pension Office at 50, per cord, he |
would as justly be entitled to be con-
sidered an officer of the United States |
as civil surgeon who contracts with |
the Commissioner to make examina-
tions of applicants for pensions at 50,
per head" Speaking of this matter
an old official said: "There are many
decisions on record in the Interior
Department that pension. examining
surgeons are not considered federal
officers. One of these decisions is in
teresting, as it applies to the recently
appointed referee at the Pension Of
fee, Dr. Raub. He was at one time a