Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-05-11
EWING BROS.
LOOKING INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE.

| LOOKING INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The Senate committee appointed TO
look into the civil service and the work
ings of the reform law is very busy
these DAYS. It is an interesting subject
| and one of vast interest to thousands Of
! patriots who are hungry to serve their
! country and find the annoying and
senseless law in the way. Several let
ters from government officials giving
their opinions Of the law were read.
Secretary Bliss recommended that
each Commissioner of the department
have the right to appoint a private sec
retary. or confidential clerk, and that
the Chief Clerk of the department and
chiefs of departments be exempted
from the classified service. The ap-
pointment of special agents, such as
land. timber and mineral land commits
sioners and particularly special Indian
agents. he wrote, should be more direct
" under the control Of the Secretary
who is responsible for them. He sug-
gested an examining board of the Sec
retary and the four commissioners to
make special examinations for such
offices.
Commissioner of Pensions Evans and
Commissioner Herman, of the General
Land Office, recommended that the
chief clerk. appointment clerk, and
private secretary, chiefs of divisions
and examiners and inspectors should he
exempt from the classified service.
Director Wolcott of the Geological Sur
vey. and Wade Hampton, Commissioner
of Railroads, recommended a continu-
ance of the present law.
Thomas Robinson. a $1,000 treasury
clerk. complained that he had been dis
missed on demand of Georgia Senators
and others, because he had printed the
only Republican newspaper in Georgia
during Grants second campaign, dis
tinction which Mr. Robinson has since
probably worked for all there is in it.
William w. Hill, former Assistant
Superintendent of the free mail deliv-
cry. charged that there had been collu-
sion between the Postofiice depart
ment and the Civil Service Commission
to violate the law by the employment in
1894 and 1895. of fifty-nine spies whose
employment was not authorized by law
Much testimony in regard to fraud OF
various sorts and degrees was given
by Mr.. Hill. involving officials high and
low to consider which the committee
adjourned for a week.
In this sitting alone enough testi-
monv casting discredit on civil service
reform was taken to thoroughly dis
credit that farcical enactment and the
Civil Service Commission along with II.
And the fact that these things occurred
under the last Democratic adminIstra-
ton adds force to the argument against
the so-called merit system" for IL the
law was so frightfully abused under
the Cleveland administration, which
was more faithful in its observance OF
the civil service regulations than any OF
its predecessors, what, in the name OF
wholesale rascality, must have been the
state of affairs under preceding Repub-
1ican administrations what is the state
of affairs at present in Washington, as
regards the civil service? Even thus
early in the game the cabinet officers
of the Mckinley administration are ac-
cused of regularly violating the civil
service law.
Indeed, enough testimony is already
at hand to warrant Congress in Kidding
the civil service of the whole reform
humbug.