Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-01-21
Hon. W. a. zones on civil service.

In reply to criticism in the Fred
ericksburg Star, on his recent vote on
the proposition to strike out the par
agraph in the legisls tive. judicial,
and .xHcutive appropriation bill
Which provides for the payment 1.-THE
salaries of the civil service commits
sioners and the clerks and other EN-.
ployes of the Civil-Service Bureau
during the next fiscal year, Hon W.
A. Jones, in a letter to that paper.
says in,part:
81 am opposed to the present civil
service system, and if the opportuni-
ty is ever afforded me shall vote to
abolish it, root and branch. The
proposition against which I voted
was not to abolish the civil service
system, and was not intended to have
that effect. The amendment, which
you say 1 should have supported, was
proposed by Mr.. Evans, republican
from the State OF Kentucky, who ex-
pressly disavowed any purpose or de-
sire to repeal the law creating the
Civil-Service Bureau Mr.. Evans
knew, as did every other Representa-
tive, that the Withholding of the
salaries of the civil service commits
sioners and their subordinates for
one year would not abolish the sys-
TEN. But Mr.. Evans and every body
else also knew that if the House
struck out the appropriations for
these salaries thing altogether I'M
likely-the Senate would promptly
restore them. So that Mr.. Evans
amendment was not only an undigni
fed proceeding, but one that every
honest and sincere opponent of the
civil service humbug knew would
avail nothing if adopted, and as |
have shown, was not intended to ac-
complish the abolition OF the obnox-
ious system. What, then was the
purpose of the amendment? 1t was,
in my opinion, to make a demonstra-
ton such as would induce the Presi-
dent-to employ arepublican express
sion-to modify the administration
of the law" In other words, to has
ten the issuance of the executive or.
der, long looked for and hoped for by
republican politicians and Office
seekers, to take the Public Printers
office from within the operation OF
the civil-service law. In that Office
there are, if am not mistaken, some
half dozen or more democrats from
the county OF Spotsylvania, whose
positions are much coveted by
republicans, and. although | am
opposed to the law, | shall not
knowingly cast any vote for any re-
publican measure, the avowed pur-
pose of which is not to repeal the
law, but to bring about a condition
of affairs which will keep in the de-
partments and under the protection
of the law every republican office
holder and turn out every democrat
in the only bureau in which there
happens to be any considerable mum.
Der OF them. If the republicans, and
they unquestionably have the power
to do so, will bring forward bill to
wipe out this undemocratic system, !"
| will give it my most cordial sup
port. l will not, though, if know it,
aid them in SO modifying the ad-
ministration of the law" as to enable
them merely to turn out the few
democrats that are now holding Fed
eral appointments. A majority of
the democrats voting upon MIR. Evans
amendment voted as l did. The con-
siderations which controlled my acs
ton must have influenced theirs,
since they, like myself, are opposed
to a life tenure in office, ard hold
that Federal appointments in the de-
partments of the government should
be for a fixed term of years.