The times., 1897-05-30

CIdt6t & ncpuDllCdub, w ut DcPdi nnCho
branch, 10 Democrats, Republican,: Agri-
cultural Department branch, IL Demo-
Gratis, Republicans: State Department
branch, 8 Democrats, 8 Republicans; In
terror Department branch, 81 Democrats, 2
Republicans Navy Department branch. 18
Democrats, 3 Republicans: press division,
169 Democrats, 10 Republicans; bindery,
449 Democrats, 1f2 Republicans. bindery
branch. S5 Democrats, 20 Republicans;
folding-room, 395 Democrats, 100 Re-
pullicans: superintendent public documents,
2s Democrats, Republicans, clerks, office
chief clerk, 81 Democrats, Republicans;
miscellaneous, 228 Democrats, so Repub-
licans: total, 2,466 Democrats, 512 Re
publicans.
In this statement 127 temporary en-
ployes are included
The Public Printer was unable to tabu-
late the working force according to the
States from which the men were appointed.
This statement will be laid before The com
mittee at the next meeting.
Capt. r. II. Pratt, u S. A, superintend-
cnt of Carlisle Indian School. occupied the
greater part of the time, and told the COM
mttee the results of the application of
civil service in the Indian schools, and sub
| mitted mass of documents to prove that
his statements were sustained by the fig
ures-
OF the 105 superintendents in 1892
when the civil service reform rules were
enforced at the Indian schools, Capt
Pratt showed that but 26 of them We're IN
office at the end of 1895; OF the 7S matrons
only z remain, and of the 3 10 teachers
only 90 of the old ones now remain In
the service. He had observed the working
of the Indian schools for thirty years ana
had actually participated Ia the work
for twenty-tmee years.
Capt Pratt stated that he had wide
knowledge Of the time prior to the intro
duction OF the present system and abuses
of the so-called spoils system. This knowI-
edge and his information relative To the
present working of the service led him to
say that there were no greater abuses of
change practiced under the old system
than were practiced now. He doubted if
the old system could show as many radi-
cal and hurtful changes as those prac
ticed under the present system. That
the present mode of administering the SER
vice was equally as political as the old
was apparent, he thought, to every official
participating in the work
Capt Pratt laid great stress upon the iui-
possibility of getting suitable people under
| the civil service reform system, and the
| irritating delays occasioned. The failure
| of the present system to find out the ex-
| tensiye and personal qualities of appli-
cants, and to give due credit therefor was
| vital omission and not conducive To
| good work Capt. Pratt said that lie was
not opposed 10 civil service reform, but
he could not agree with any system that
dsfranchised the Judgment OF those in
| positions OF responsibility.
In a cross-examiBation, Commissioner
| Proctor sought 10 bring out certain alleged
statements Capt. Pratt had made to Mr..
| Roosevelt while he was a Inember OF the
Commission.
II stated to Mr.. Roosevelt said the
witness, that the concentration of ap-
| pointments in the Civil Service Commits
| sion the way that commission was con.
centrating them, would lead TO the ability
| OF some one faction TO get control of the
schools
''Did you refer to the CATHOLICS
al may have used the word Catholic
l have no hesitancy in giving what my
| experience and my Judgment suggests
| The proof OF it is in the showing | make
| here. One set of employees has been
| pretty nearly swept out or the schools
| and another put in. II the committee
| looks into the political beliefs of those
| who went out and those who came i'll,
| they will find that Republicans went out
| and their places were filled by Democrats.
/ And all OF these came in under the classi-
| fled service
Capt. Pratt then produced the repriniand
| sent hirn by Secretary Francis, which
| reached the witness on the very day the
| recent Administration went out of office
| This letter of Secretary Francis has been
! published heretofore. In ii Mr Pratt is
! repriman nded for having, in the Red Man
| aud other public prints, criticised the adj
| ministratio Of the civil service lie was
| charged with insubordination and the Sec
| retary stated that had il not been for his
| long service he should be ordered TO be
| dismissed He was, however, directed not
| to indulge in any more criticism of the
| orders OF the Civil Seryise Commission.
Capt Pratt said that this reprima nd
was based upon an ex parte presentation
| of alleged facts by the Indian Bureau, pre-
| pared by officials who We're inimical to
| MIN. The names of many witnesses who
| will uphold Capt. Pratt were given to the
| committee and they will be called to tes-
tify.
Gen. Frank Jones, of Chicago, late First
| Assistant Postma ster General. made
| brief statement, in which he denied EN-
phaticaliy and in toto the recent evidence
OF w. w Hid, who gave testimony with
respect to the working of the special agents
or postofficesp spies.
Mr.. Jones said he had read the testimony
Of Superintendent of the Free Delivery Ser
vice Machen, and knew it to be correct.
He therefore authorized it to be assumed
as his own.
The committee then adjourned until next
Saturday at 10 O'Clock in the morning.