New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
CIVIL SERVICE OPPONENTS.
SCOPE OF MR.. CLEvELANDS PLAN CON
SIDERED TOO FAR-REACHING.
SPOILSMEN TAKE PART IN THE FIGHT
EVILS OF THE SYSTEMS DESTRUCTION.

sPoILsMEN TAKE PART IN THE FIGHT
EVILS OF THE SYSTEMS DESTRUCTION.
fBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBuNE.l
Washington, Jan. THE consideration or the
Executive. Legislative and judicial Appropria-
ton bill. which was begun in the House OF rep
resentatives yesterday and continued to-day
has given to the opponents OF the civil service
law and regulations their annual opportunity
to attack both 1t is TO be observed that good
deal Of the opposition is aimed professedy AT
least, against the extension OF the Civil Service
rules over a good many thousand places. nota-
bly, In President Cleveland's second Adminis'ra-
tion which were not included in the Original
rules Mr. Cleveland's action may have peen
msinterpreted but II has done more 10 weaheh
the cause Of Civil Service reform In Congress
than all the attacks of the enemies or the sys-
tenn have ever done. Some OF the stanches'
friends Of reform. among whom are thoughtiui'
conservative men who heartily supported anu
voted for the Civil Service law In the HLNllth
Congress do not hesitate to declare In pri-
vate that the orders issued by President NC
Kinley's immediate predecessor carried the scope
of operations OF the law far beyond that IN
tended by It's trainers and supporters, who II
they had foreseen or imagined what has hap
pened would never have allowed 1t to be writ
ten in the statute books. They do not pro-
claim this from the housetops simply because
even the present state of affairs is better than
that which existed prior to the enactment OF
the law-far better for the public service ana
Infinitely better for themselves
POLITICAL sPOILSMEN.
Probably there are a few unthinking members
of the House Of Representatives. lustlui ai'e'
no,,,,caI spoils. who would rejoice to see the
ont Of existence. They are the sort Of men who
broke into applause yesterday when Mr. Evans
amendment to strike out the provision for the
maintenance of the Civil Service Commission
was carried by a narrow margin In the Commit
Toe ~ the Whole. on an unrecorded vote or less
than the members Of that body But such MEM
hers are comparatively few on the Repuphcah
side Of the House and not quite so numerous
nm the Democratic side as they were few years
ago Among the latter. majority profess 10
feel great anxiety for the future on account OF
the life tenure given to Government clerhs
and other employees by the Civil Service law anu
regulations. They choose to ignore the iao'
that no such life tenure" exists The right oi
the appointing power to dismiss for any cause
ne regarded as sufficient has never peeh SUI
cessfully controverted 1t seems an ungracious
thing to say but the truth is that an appreciao'e
share az the denunciatons OF the civil service
law IN Congress lack sincerity Of motive, now
| ever loud and vehement they may be Ihey
are mainly II not wholly, designed LOT holle
CONSUMPTION. and to gull and placate impatient
constituents who are greedy Tor appointments
in the Government service
DISAPPOINTED OFFICE-sEEKERs.
Some of the members who indulge IN tnat sort
Of thing know from recent experience tha'
.political patronage" has been injurious 10
them. Several Of them who were defeated ioi
denomination and others for reelection last year
have asserted--and probably with truth-that
their defeat was caused by too many dlsap-
pointed applicants for postofices" and other
Offices each Of whom attributed his failure 10
The ,ndisposition or neglect Of his Congress
man" TO push his claims or TO his lack OF IN
Auence. And yet these members decry ana OPP
nose the Civil Service law and regulations, tie
reneal of which would add Immensely TO theii
troubles 1t Is probably true, as one 0I .iie
older and most influential members OF tne HOUSE
of Representatives remarked 10 Tribune GU
respondent to-day: .., .. ,,orror,
".if the system should be DESTROYED 10 morrow
Washington would be overrun by horue Oh
n,ace- hunters great and small. within mon'h'
and nine out of ten of them would be dlsap-
nointed and return home to fight the Congress
mon tn whom they ascribed their failure 10 ee'
nlaces at the public crib. l think II sa1e 10
Estimate that the result would he the ueleat y.
at least two-thrds of the members VINO shouiu
be candidates for denomination next year.