The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-16
HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS
WIPED OFF THE LIST
How the Administration Rewards
Republican Friends.
National League at Indianapolis
Makes Report Showing How the
System Is Ignored and Appoint
ments Made Without Examina-
tions, as Provided-Secretary
Bliss Open Defance-Recordso of
the Various Administrations.

indianapolis, Ind. Dec. 15.-The na-
toinal convention of the Civil Service
League closed this evening with a ban
quet at the Bates House. The topic of
| liveliest interest was the report of the
special investigating committee. of
which Mr.. Charles ]. Bonaparte of Bal
timore is president, appointed some
time ago to report upon the action, and
effect of such action, of the Mckinley
administration with reference to civil
rservice reform
The executive committee of the league
had studied this report, and the COM
mittee submitted it in two speeches. one
on the scope and effect of the presi-
dents order OF May 20 last taking To-
900 offices from the civil service list.
and the other on the Indian service At
the suggestion of Mr.. Bonaparte. the
reports were referred back to the COM
mittee for revision and possible ampli-
/ ficatiOn." 1t was this report that gave
rise to the story that the convention
had refused TO adopt the report of its
committee on resolutions. The report
on 1.-The Indian service under President
Mckinley" says:
The committee finds itself compelled
to report that probably no branch or
lIlc lCNCldi SCLNitC lido C0 @A-o-C Z
from the ravages of the spoilsmen dur
ing the present adninist ALTON than the
Indian service. That such should be
the fact is not only a misfortune, but
disappointment
Secretary Bliss Defiant.
"The choice of Mr.. Cornelius y. Bliss
as secretary of tine interior was ac-
cepted by many friends of good gov
eFrfnent as an assurance that the prog
ress made during the TWO former adj
ministrations would be continued, or at
least maintained SUCH was not the
case; no serious attempt seems to have
been made by the president or by Sec
retary Bliss to conduct the service n
non-partisan principles. On the con-
trary, the secretary was Influenced al
most wholly by partisan considerations
in making up appointments and remoV-
ais
Mr.. Bliss total want of synnpG<s-
with the merit system was sufficiently
indicated when he remarked in sub
stance to one who urged the retention
of very worthy and efficient officer.
that he believed there were plenty or
good Republicans fully as capable as
the official in question"
The commission commends Conmis-
sicner Jones and, continuing its report
on the action of the department, says
1.-THE appointments and removals made
purely for political reasons are so nu-
merous that it would be impossible to
review them adequately in the limited
space available
Good Men Removed.
The reports recite the removal of Dr.
HaIlman, F. Z. Lupp, Captain Stoucn,
David Day and others mentioned as
instances of good men turned down Ior
political reasons.
The report on the scope and effect
of President McKinley's order Of May
29 last, in part, was as follows:
The principal test of the Mckinley
administration to uphold the civil ser
vice law came naturally in connection
with those branches that had last been
classified. The original classification Of
1888 embraced 1924 places. OF these
Mr. Cleveland. during his first term.
added L. .939 During the administration
of President Harrison the rules were
further applied to 1908 positions. Dur
ing the second Cleveland term there
were added 36,7O5. making a total TO
that date of 32,997 to be accredited TO
the Republican administration. and %
GA to be credited to the Democratic
rule.
THE Mckinley administration. upon
its incoming showed the same disposl-
ton showed by its predecessors TO OBEY
the law in newly classified branches,
such as deputy internal revenue coll
lectors. employees of the United States
marshals. pension examining surgeons,
etc The practice of appointing persons
without examination as laborerS anu
subsequently, assigning them to clerical
or ether classified work was increased
The failure to extend the system where
practicable has been as yet as patent
as the failure to sustain it.
Census Appointments Made
The report charges that the census
bill providing for 5000 appointments
of the competitive system after de-
bate.
Such was the conditions, says the re-
port existing at the time the order or
May q. 1899, was issued. which the re-
port states removed absolutely from
the competitive class 300 officers, re-
moved from the classification and
transferred to a system of registration
to be devised by the secretary of war
s 500 positions then covered by regis
tration system controlled by the COM
mission and changed the rule removing
the safeguards against evasion
The report denies that as claimed.
the purpose of the change in the war
department was 10 establish a system
of employment similar to that in the
navy department 1t charges that IN
the treasury department appointments
are made first and examinations are
made afterwards. and those who fail are
kept in their places
.sSince May 29,' the report says.
there have been 313 transfers IN the
federal classified service. of which III
were made without examination These
transpire while supposed TO be positions
similar in nature in many cases diff
fered radically and were almost Inyari-
ably to higher positions.
In Postoffice Department.
In the postoffice department, it is
charged clerks are appointed without
examination at small postofIices about
to be brought within the classification
of the free delivery system and then are
Immediately transferred without exam
ination to similar appointments in Iarg-