The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-05-22
AT THE CAPITAL,
Regular Correspondence of the WING.
WASHINGTON, May 2Oth, 1897.

WASHINGTON, May both, 1897.
Secretary Bliss, Pension Commissioner
Evans, and Land Commissioner Herman.
each wrote letter to the Senate committee
that is investigating the workings of the
civil service law and rules, advocating a
cuItallmcnt OF the extension of the rules
made by Mr. Cleveland. Secretary Bliss
said THE chief clerk of this department
and the chiefs of divisions should, in nv
opinion, he exempt from the classified
service These officers occupy confidential
relations to the Secretary, and on their
! briefs or recommendations he is depcndeut
to large extend 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 appointment of such, should be
! more directly under the control of the
Secretary, 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: "The existing rules of the
civil service should be modified so far as
the bureaus OF all the departments are con-
cerned in respect to their applications to
chief clerks, chiefs of divisions, receiving
clerks and confidential clerks, to inspectors
and also to all the special agents of the
departments. If it is assumed that the
domnent party should shape the legislation
of the country in consonance with the
policies which it sustains, it has right to
know that the chiefs of divisions, who first
shape recommendations as they are called
for through the various divisions, are in
perfect sympathy with the party policies
The most important legislation in Congress
emanates from these divisions in the form
OF reports on measures pending before Con-
sress, 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 chief of divisions" These are
common sense arguments. Another batch
J of evidence showing the unblushing partisan
ship practiced by the Cleveland administra-
ton under the cloak of civil service reform
was submitted to the committee at its
regular weekly meeting.
Speaker Reed was one of the counsel in
the case in which the U. S. Supreme Court
decided that pension examining surgeons
were not government officials. This decis-
ion was made in 1873 but was either over
looked or ignored by the Cleveland admin
istration, which placed the boards of exam
lining surgeons under the Civil Service
rules. The closing words of Mr.. Reed's
argument in the case were as follows 'If
party should contract with the Commits
sioner of Pensions to furnish wood for the
Pension Office at 50 per cord, he would as
! justly be entitled to be considered an officer
of the United States as civil surgeon who
contracts with the Commissioner to make
examinations of applicants for pensions at
81 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 consid-
cred federal officers. One of these decis-
ions is interesting, as it applies to the
recently appointed referee at the Pension
Office, DR.. Raub. He was at one time a
pension examining surgeon, and received
an appointment as postmaster. lie APP