The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-06-23
THAT CIVIL SERVICE ORDER.

to the spoils system again the. places
affected by his order, and even some
Republican papers have expressed 6
fear that the president had gone a lit
| tie too far But most of the criticisms
written seem to have been made either
! a misapprehension of the same. Geo.
E. Roberts, editor of the Fort Dodge,
Ia. Messenger, who is director of the
mint, writes his paper upon the subject
explaining what the order really means,
and shows that it is not letting down
the bars to the spoilsmen, but simply a
modification of a partisan order. which
was issued by Mr. Mckinley S predeces-
sor upon the eve of his retirement from
Office. Mr.. Roberts says:
The criticisms current upon the presi-
dents order modifying the civil service
rules is not very creditable to the can
dor o. good sense to the advocates of
civil service reform. The fact is that
President Mckinley has been faithful
friend to the cause of a nonpartisan
civil service, but because he has seen
fit to modify in slight degree the rules
adopted in the last days of the Cleve-
land administration, in order to make
them practical and effective, he has
been subjected to undiscriminating
criticism that is simply abuse.
About 500 people are employed in
the Philadelphia mint. Under the
Cleveland administration a wholesale
dismissal occurred, only about thirty
FIVE old employees being retained, and
these were filling technical positions
which made it impracticable to dis
place them. After the election of Nc.
Kinley but before his inauguration,
the mint was placed by presidential or
der under civil service rules, and those
Democrats are there yet. The order
was sweeping, including even the SUI
perintendents private secretary, his
cashier and chief clerk. Many Repub-
licans have felt that it was hardly fair
to sustain the sweeping order and main
tain the injustice which was done I'M
der the Cleveland administration. The
pressure has been very hard upon
President Mckinley to loosen up the
rules long enough or far enough to es-
ia blish at least a fair representation of
Republicans in these positions. The
criticism upon him is based upon the
assumption that he has yielded to this
pressure, but in fact he has not,
1t was inevitable that whenever the
change from the spoils system to the
non partisan system was made COM
plant would rise that the change was
made to protect partisans in their
places. That has not been moving
consideration in the present case.
The following positions in the Phila-
delphia mint, under the Presidents
REGENTS recent order have been except
ed from the rule which requires that
they shall be filled upon competitive
examinations; Chief clerk, private
secretary, cashier, deposit weigh clerk,
assistant coiner, assistant melter and
refner and assistant assayer; in all,
seven.
Now for the reasons: The chief
clerk is the superintendent main assis-
tent. He is deputy. He is the acting
superintendent in the absence of the su-
perintendent. The cashier has charge
of the money. The weigh clerk re-
ceives bullion and gives the superinten
dents receipt for it. The places are po-
sitions of trust. The superintendent
is held by heavy bonds responsible for
them, and he is fairly entitled to have
these places filed by people satisfactory
to him. No written examination can be
prepared which will surely develop all
the qualities which are required in
these positions. But under the presi-
dents order these places are thrown
open to be filled by the free choice of
the superintendent. The criticisms all
assume this, but it is untrue. The or
der reads that these places may be fill
ed by the superintendent, provided the
persons nominated by him shall have
passed the non-competitive examination
prescribed by the commission after con-
sultation with the proper officials of
the treasury department"
There is no letting down of the stan
dard of qualifications. But in fixing
these positions the superintendent of
the institution is released from the
necessity of choosing one of the three
passing highest in the examination. He
may make selection, and if the per-
son he selects stands the tests provided
by the civil service examination, the
APP pointment may be made. The party
making the appointment does not pro-
vide the tests. The tests apply general
ly to all institutions and hence cannot
be adapted to particular individuals.
| submit to any fair minded person
that tbic iS not ~, q hon Il o,,oo,o% Of tho