The evening times., 1899-06-05
HEAVY POLITICAL
RBPRSALS PROBABLE
The National Civil Service Re.
form Leagues Statement.
Ten Thousand Offices Out, of the
Classified Service.
Charges That the Civil Service Law
Has Not Beena Properly Enforce
ed by y'L1lr.,aMckinley.


New York, Jdhe S! The National Civil
Service Reform League regards the order
of President Mckinley of May 80 changing
the civil service7rules as backward step
OF the most pronOunced character. a state
ment regarding the order has been issued
54 William Street. The document follows
in part: 80
"The order foilowsi,a long succession of
violations of the law. Its immediate ef-
fects may be SCI forth as follows:
l. 1t withdraws irom the classified service no,
merely three OF four Thousand Offices and posi-
tions. but. rs nearly as can now be estimated.
TO- 100. II removes 1858 from the class Of posi-
tions filed hitherto either through competitive
examination through orderly practice Of
promotion. and it transfers 6il6 other positions
in the War Department filled hitherto through 4
competitive registration system. under the control
of the Civil Service Commission. 10 system to
be devised and placed in effect by the present
Secretary Of War.
9. II declares regular at least thousand ad-
ditonal appointments made temporarily without
eNamination-in many cases in direct disregard
of the LAWN branches that are not affected by
the exceptions. but that remain nom:nally com
peiitive.
3. 1t permits the permanent appointment of
persons employed. without examination, for emer-
gency purposes during the course Of the with
Spain. thus furnishing standing list Of many
thousands. from which positions in the War De
partment may be filled. without tests Of fitness,
for long time to come.
T. 1t alters the rules TO the effect that in future
any person appointed with without competitive
examination. without any examination. may
be placed by transfer in any classified position.
without regard TO the character similarity Of
the employmen,s interchanged. and after non
competitive examination only.
s. 1t permits the reinstatement, within the dis
cretion OF the respective department officers. of
persons separated from the service at any pre-
vious time for any stated rea-on.
THE effect of these changes in the body
OF the rules will be of a much more serious
nature than that of the absolute keep
'tions made. 1t will be practicable to I'll
competitive positions Of every description
either through arbitrary reinstatement
or through original appointment 10 lower
grade or to an exception position, without
tests OF any sort. or even by transfer from
the great emergency force Of the War De-
partment. to be followed in any such case
by a mere pass examination. AS general
experience has proven. pass examinations,
in the course Of time. degenerate almost
invariably into a farce. Ii will be prac-
ticable also TO restore to the service at the
incoming of each new Administration those
dismissed for any cause during the period
OF any Administration preceding.
THAT such a practice will lead to whole
sale political reprisals. and. coupled with
the other provisions referred to. to the re-
establishment on a large scale Of the spoils
system of rotation and fayoritism, cannot
be doubted"
After quoting the Republican party plat
form pledge on civil service and Mr.. Nc
Kinleys pledge on the same subject in ac-
cepting the nomination for the Presidency,
the statement continues:
1T must be said. though with profound
regret that the Civil Service law. as II
stood at the date of the convention. and
at the time of Mr.. McKinley's election. has
not been thoroughly or honestly enforced;
that conspicuous opportunities that have
been offered for its extension where p-ac-
ticabie' have been rejected. and that. I'm
ally. by the personal action OF the Presl-
dent steps are taken that undo much OF
the progress made in the past and intro
duce a spirit into the service the influence
OF which can hardly fail to produce general
decentralization.
After reviewing the attitude OF the pres
ent Administration toward civil service re-
form. the statement says:
Letters were addressed TO President Nc
KinIev by this league at various times.
asking that the necessary steps be taken
for the correction of the abuses developed.
and for the discipline o. those officers di-
rectly responsible for them. Adequate cor
rectiye measures were not. however, taken
and so far as the league has been able to
discover. in no case has an individual vio-
lator Of the law been punished. Not only
were these bad examples permitted to
stand. but among the unclassifed branches
removals for avowedly conspicuous exam
pie of this exists in the consular service.
where 80 per cent of the salaried officers
were changed.
The order that is now issued condones
most il not all. OF the infractions OF the
law itself, by removing the positions in
question wholly from the competitive class.
or by approving the appointments out
right To accomplish this II removes per-
manently from the competitive lists many
positions and classes Of positions for which
experience has shown copetition is not only
practicable but peculiarly desirable and
important.
.'The order not only condones grave Of
fences, and in so doing reduces materially
the area of the competitive system, but it
opens the way widely for practices that
may make competitive examination in the
future the exception rather than the rule.
1.-THE attempt made to take the starch
cut of the law in New York. with which
this backward step is to be classed. has
already resulted in reaction that has
placed the reform in that State in a more
advanced position than ever before. The
league expects confidently that the en-
lightened public opinion Of the country,
which of late years has so vigorously pro-
nounced itself in favor of the development
and extension Of the merit system will not
only prevent the restoration of the spoils
system in any degree. but will rally for
renewed efforts to carry the civil service
reform movement to its final consumma-