Middletown transcript., 1898-01-08
REFORM IN CIVIL SERVICE.

REFORM IN CIVIL SERVICE.
The every Evening" either cannot
or will not understand. The TRAN
SCRIPT has said that under the rules
Of the Civil Service there ale employees
by the thousand Tho because of the in
firmities Of age are incompetent to dis
charge the duties naturally expected of
them. ''Every Evening" says this
should not be-the rules require their
dismissal-hence there are no such.
The law says thou shalt not kill, the
divine and the civil law, yet murders
are committed every day. We. affirm
from experience that there are employees
in the FederaEbuildings to-day who are
unfit to discharge the duties which
their salaries demand Of them and
many of them are unfit for any duty
except to kill time and to draw pay.
We say they are there because they
claim the protection Of the Civil Ser
vice rules, the "Every Evenings" dec
laration to the contrary, notwithstand-
ing.
The writer has been directed by SUI
perior officials to place such employees
in s.sunshiny corner" and let them
pass the time. In the following quo
tation from "EverY Evening" the en-
ploye's duty and only duty was to
stamp the date Of the receipt ofletters.
He knew enough to secure and to hold
his place under Civil Service rules but
not to stamp the letters correctly.
There was no other duty he could per-
form satisfactorily, except to draw his
salary. That is Civil Service Reform
as it is, the "Every Evenings" state
ments to the contrary, notwithstand-
ing. We quote:
1.-THE instance cited by the TRANSCRIPT,
of the employe "who did not, or could not,
stamp letters correctly" is far from conclu-
sive. IF it was no part of the duties
of that employe to stamp letters, and
he was able to perform his official duties
intelligently and correctly, then it made no
difference how he stamped letters. But if
it was material part Of his duties to stamp
letters, and he could not or would not do it
correctly, then he should have been sum-
marily dismissed. In fact, the Civil Ser
vice Reform regulations would dem and his
discharge. Civil Service Reform does not
shield incompetent officials, but aims to se-
cure good ones and keep them iu Office. 1t
is the spoils system that loads the public
service with incompetents."
But Civil Service Reform does shield
incompetent officials, we speak from
experience, and the statement by
"Every Evening" is like most mug
Wump twaddle-because matters should
be therefore they are. The TRANSCRIPT
is not opposed to any reform except
sham reform, and in this connection
we are led to affirm that "Every Even
ing'' cannot produce from its files any
protest made by it because of the re-
moval by Mr.. Cleveland Of governmen
employees who were Republicans-such
protests as EVERY Evening" has made
W hen similar dismissals we're made by
Mr.. Harrison or those made by President
Mckinley. Honest Civil Service Re-
form is not partisan. We leave this
statement-it is correct in every par
ticuIar-to the fair judgment Of our
readers.
"Every Evening" declares itself in
favor Of Estate, county and city Civil
Service Reform" In other words it
favors the continuance Of the present
State, county and city officials in the re-
spective offices which they hold during
their material lives or good behavior in
office. That is the way it is practiced
at Washington. There is no age limit
for retiring officials. We suppose the
"Every Evening" would first retire
the few Republicans in Office before ex.
tending the terms to life tenure, as that
is the Cleveland idea. There is not
one voter in hundred who faYors this
plan, excepting the employees them
selves and they usually lose the man
hood to vote. The original intention
Of Civil Service Reform may have been
good, but in practice it is a sham. the
fraud of the day.