The times., 1898-11-01
GENERAL POLITICAL GOSSIP.


definitely If 1t undertakes to investigate
and punish all of the Government Of
| ficials who have either violated or evaded
| the plain mandates Of the civil service
law. 1t was made. apparent several
months ago that the Administration was
not In sympathy with the strict enforce
! ment Of the civil service law In many
particulars, and 1t was also foreshadow-
| ed at the time that Mr.. McKinley's man
ayers would find some plausible pretext
for modifying many Of the features OF
the present law. Senator Hanna, 1t is
| understood, took the ground at the start
that the Interpretation Of the law by the
Cleveland Administration had been un-
duly harsh and rigorous. He held that
the Civil Service Commission had exceed
ed Its authority and placed a different
construction on the law than had been in
tended by the authors of it. He thought
for Instance. that the clause relating to
pernfctous activity" was never design
ed to prevent an officeholder from taking
part In political campaigns or In having
convictions on political subjects and ex-
pressing them freely. In a word he held
that man did not relinquish any Of his
rights as an American citizen the moment
he became an ofnceholdsr under the Gov
ernment. Mr. Hanna's idea has evidently
been adopted by the Administration. The
word has been passed along the line
through all the various departments of
the Government that no employe would be
molested for taking an active part In
politics. or course no suggestion was
made In the notice that the activity
should be confined to any particular party,
but 1t was naturally understood that It
might be regarded as ''pernicious' If
We're exerted against the Republicans.
The Postofiice Department has taken
the most advanced stand along the lines
of Senator Hanna's recommendations. 1t
has formally notified all postmasters and
other employees of the department that
they could practically exercise their own
discretion in taking hand in politics.
This was received as a hint by the Re-
publican employees that they would be ex-
pected to get out and hustle. The ac-
tivity on the part of the postoffice peo-
pie became so pronounced that the Civil
Service Commission was finally obliged to
take cognizance OF 1t. In looking around
for horrible example, the commission
hnally hit upon the postmaster at Rich
| mond, although II could have easily To-
Gated several hundred more fragrant cases
much nearer headquarters. However. the
Richmond official was selected as the
victim" TO be exposed and held up to
public scorn and contumely
Secretary Doyle, of the commission. was
dispatched to Richmond with an able
corps of assistants to hold an inquest
upon the unfortunate Richmond postmas-
ter and his employees. The Postmaster
General, however, was equal TO the occa-
sion. He sent trusted inspector to Rich
mond with instructions to advise the
Richmond postmaster,fhat neither he nor
his clerks should pay any attention to
the Civil Service Commission; that they
were not under the Civil Service Commits
sion. and must not give II any informa-
ton. Secretary Doyle has returned to
Washington full of indignation, but with
no evidence Of any wrongdoing on the
part Of the Richmond postofIice officials.
= -.
The issue between the Civil Service
Commission and the .Postoffice Depart
ment has been fairly Joined, and it is
difficult to see how it can be set aside.
provided both sides stand firm II the
Civil Service Commission is inclined to
be obstinate 1t can perhaps force the
President to make a ruling on the case.
1t Is not likely that the Postmaster Cen
erai Will be called down by the President
as he probably has acted with his full
knowledge and approval At the same
time, II the Civil Service Commission
were an Independent body. II is easy To
see how 1t could make things uncomfort-
able for Mr.. Smith and also the Admin
lstraton. Some foolish people have i'm
"a oil "a Flsa@ b. .s.-
Just what 1t said, and that IL could NOT
be violated with impunity. However n
the commission should undertake to act
on this assumption there would probahIv
be several vacancies created on the com
| mission forthwith
The fact that President Proctor. of tho
commission, is former Democrat and
has only been permitted to hold his posi-
ton as a reward for his opposing Mr..
Bryan in 1896 will no doubt deter him
from doing anything to seriously embar-
rass Mr.. Mckinley. When one remem-
bers that such valiant and fearless per
son as Theodore Roosevelt, when he was
| president of the Civil Service Commits
sion. knuckled down 10 President Harri-
son, 1t would perhaps be unreasonable to
anticipate any fierce or determined stand
on the part of President Proctor.
The Roosevelt incident occurred in the
early stages of the Harrison Administra-
ton. Postmaster Johnson (said TO be the
handsomest man in the State of Mary
land), of Baltimore, and Postmaster
Paul, of Milwaukee, removed all of the
| Democratic employees of their respective
Off nd INT
| out consulting the Civil Service Commits
sion or requiring the new men to under
! go an examination. Mr.. Roosevelt was
| filled with rage at these open violations
| of the civil service law, and he declared
| in an interview that both johnson and
| Paul would have to go to the peniten-
| tiary for their crimes. However, a quiet
| tip from President Harrison to Roosevelt
| to drop the cases was sufficient. The
| cases were dropped and Mr.. Roosevelt dill
| not resign. Perhaps Senator Thomas C.
| Platt had this incident in his mind when
| he consented to Col. Roosevelt's nomina-
| tion for the governorship of New York.
Most people who have given any atten-
| ton to the matter are convinced that
| there is more politics mixed up in the
case of Capt. Carter than has yet ap-
peared upon the surface. 1t has been de-
monstrated that Capt. Carter has some
very powerful friends at court to. be able
| to hold up the findings of court-martial
| for more than six months, particularly
when the verdictcof the court was unani-
| nous and was rendered on evidence that
| prevented any other verdict than that of
| conviction. The court must have been
from what is known now, made up of
persons friendly to Capt. Carter. But for
b1,,