The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-07
In HANDS OF EXECUTIVE,
President Can Modify Civil Service
Rules if He Chooses.
FEATURES OF SITUATION NOT YET
MADE PROMINENT.
EIeyeIand's "B1anket Order" Was Undo ubt
eddy Big Mistake-Portland Man
Made Revenue Stamp Deputy-Ex-Gov.
Marble in Washington.
yPEcIAL TO TEE PREss.l

Mauc NeVcuuO 0tamP DcPuUy-L1sUOFs
Marble in Washington.
DPEcIAL TO TEE PREssl
Washington, January 6.-The debate on
the civil service sections Of the legisla-
tive appropriation bill has begun with
great spirit and amid considerable ex-
oitement. 1t is noticeable, however, that
the most influential and the oldest men
on the floor Of the House are not geuner-
ally participating in the onslaught.
Messrs. Grosvenor Of Ohio and Hep
burn of Iowa. are almost alone among
the older members who are participating
actually.
The reasons for this are two-fold. The
older statesmen do not want the spoils
system returned, realizing that Senator
or member of the House would have all
his time taken by the distribution of
offices, and that there would result other
evils rs great.
There is feeling very general among
all members of the House that certain
changes should be made. The blanket
order" of Cleveland was undoubtedly
5ill-advised. An illustration of this is
afforded by the shipping commissioner
ship of New York city. This is an Office
paying $4,000 yearly and requiring man
Of high administrative and executive
ability as we'll as Ct financial reliability.
ItIcan hardly be contended that any COM
petitive examination would be proper to
determine the selection Of such man.
Yet under the Cleveland "blanket order"
this place like all the other shipping
commissionerships Is under the civil SER
vice. j.
In filing the office there has not been
a recourse to the civil service commits.
zion, but man has been appointed
"from day to day pending the perina-
nent filing of the office.
There are many such cases as this. and
they are atfording fuel for 1.-THE fame Of
opposition to the law.
But there is one great fact which is not
brought into great prominenoe yet; and
this is that the entire body of the rules
and regulations Of the civil service have
been built, not by specific acts Of Con
gress, but by orders of the Presfdents.
The civil service law, itself, in the nature
of skeleton, was passed in 1888, and
under it's authority the Presidents have
from ti1no to time Issued orders bringing
first one department and then another of
the government under Its provisions.
The power which has brought these de-
49, ~ ,>Io nj ha To- in,
other words, the President has ample
power to remedy any injusuioes or incon-
sistences or foilies that may exist in the
system. He not only has the power; but
it is the line of his duty and not in the
line of the duty Of Congress.
Those spoilsmen who want more offices
put at the disposal OF the President for
distribution have not yet seemed to be
aware that the President can take out Of
the civil service all the Offices he may
want. They are trying in Congress to
make law to force him to do what he
may already do now if be wants to.
Most Of the. experienced members of
House are not in favor Of infringing
upon the duties of the President, which
the law has given him. He has the whole
matter in his own hands and they do not
see the necessity of assuming either his
prerogatives or his responsibilities
But it is not to be denied that those
who propose to change the law have
much strength on the Republican side
If they could join the Democrats they
could do about all they might want to
do. But the Democrats have generally
taken position that is troublesome for
the anti-civil service Republicans The
Democrats say that they will vote for the
entire repeal of the law but not for any
changes. The Republican members who
want to repeal the law outright are prob
ably too few to make an effectual union
with the Democrats. Most of the Repub-
Ijcanr opponents of the system want only
to make changes, and this the most of
the Democrats do not care tor.
The recent debate will not probably
result in much action because the rules
of the House prevent.
The subject before the House 10 the
section of the legislative bill making APP
preparation for the office of the civil ser.
vice commissioners, who administer the
law. The House might strike out this ap.
preparation and thus starve out the COM
missioners; but this would be lame
and uudignified plan of campaign, and
will probably not be resorted to, although
such course may be attempted. This is
all that can be done at this time, since
the rule prohibiting "riders" on appro-
printion bills will produce putting on
any notifications of the civil service law
under cover Of amendments.
There has been talk Of requesting the
committee on rules to bring in an order
permitting such rider to be added to
the bill; but as such an rider will have
to come before the House without the ex.
animation and approval Of any commit
tee. such course would be a very bad
precedent for the conduct of business in
the House. 1t is a precedent which the
committee on rules ore not likely to
make.
So after all the present debate is large.