New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-05


issued the following statement regarding inc rres'-
dents recent Civil Service order:
The National Civil Service Reform League after after
mature at Nav resar ehan NH the Cv
vice rules as n backward step of the most pro-
The order follows long succession OF violations
of both the spirit and the literal terms OF me Jaw
and rules in various branches OF the service anu
must be considered I'm It's relations 10 theSe' ,or
It's immediate effects. which have been under
stated may be set forth as follows: IA, ,o
First-Tt withdraws from the classified seGVlce
not merely three thousand or four thousand oncees
ana 10 m II removes SseS from the class of
positions filed hitherto either through compeulNe
notion and II transfers 646 other positions in the
War Department filled hitherto through Soii ~ ~
tive registration system. under the con'to' d o n
Civil Service Commission TO system 70 ne uevise1
and placed in effect by the present secretary oi
second-It declares regular at least one thousand
additional appointments made temporaf dire~ard Of
the lawn branches that are n3t a. eooureii,iye
Thrd-It permits the permanent appointment OF
persons employed. without examinatloh LOT em, t,h
Spain. thus furnishing a STANDING nSt Oh man nnauY
thousands from which positions IN the ar Depnrt,
Fonrth-It alters the rules to the effect that in
future any person appointed with or without COM
NAV be placed by transfer in any classified position
without regard 10 the character similarity Of the
employments nterchanged, and after non-compeu-
Fieth~It permits the reinstatement. within the
discretion OF the respective department ofncer OF
persons separated from the service az any pre-
vious time for. any stated reason; A,a,, -, ,ho
The effect Of these changes In the body OF b me
rules will be of a much more serious nature IMAM
that Of the absolute exceptions made IL VIII ne
to MI GompS IS PaSes renstatement
through original appointment TO lower siaI n;
sort or even by transfer from the great emer-
eency force Of the War Department ern no eX-
animation general experience has prGy ma t Sso
pass examinations in the course OF urne iii
al invariably
be practicable also TO restore to the service AT tLe
missed FOR any cause during the period Of any al;
ministration preceding That such practice VIII
With the other provisions referred to the re-
establishment on large scale OF me spS Ia,h,sd
ST. LOUIS PLATFORMS DECLARATION.
The Republican party at its last National Con-
declaration and pledge Hoo, 80 tho stotute
book bv the Republican party, which has always
sustained It. and renew our repeated deeiara-
forced force and extended wherever practicable
Mr. Mckinley in accepting the MN 9r ons
that pledge in these words: Malone, conv.r-
o1 hf b pledge 6r Of thf serSee laws be
tanned and thoroughly and honsty enforced wher,
ever practicable. is in keeping with the position or
the party for the last twenty four year,, ana WI
be fa,nfully observed our opponents decry these
Advantages gained after SO many years Of agita-
0n snd of pary a Reg witch both parties
have often denounced, that experience has con-
approved anu The Republican party earnestly OPP
poses this reaconary and entirely nn]n non tbs
question 1t will seek TO improve but never de-
that the Civil Service law as 1t stood at the date OF
the convention ana at the time OF MT Mchinley
forced: that conspicuous opportunities that nave
been 9 he reored and that finally by the per
sonal action of the President. steps are taken tnh
Enq0 c OF spr pto the service the influence OF
which can hardly fail to produce general democrat
To make plain the full significance of the stus-
tion brief review of the past attitude Oh me Ad-
ministratiOn toward Civil Service reform is re-
quired ,., ,uo.,
classification all clerks and others to be employed
for the war emergency purposes. This action was
based on n Respecting the
sources Of the Civil Service Commission Mhen y
70 offer as many Competent clerks as might be re-
quired at the shortest notice, the mistake was not
TO choose the method OF selection failed to call on
the ts lGr ne and We're
egitimaely of the emergency order IhoSe maze pace
! dreds Of these were made without examination, TO
the exclusion OF candidates regularly quailneu anu
registered such on the eligible lists OF the Co"-
At the succeeding session Of Congress the Census s
great force of clerks and statisticians to be ap.
pointed should be selected by the urec'oI u
o1f P6e nartcipaton Of the civil Service Commits
sion in any sense This action haa oeen &c t5
| course of this It had been shown, In part Dy Ime
Of 100 had been rendered extravaganty costly and
imperfect in consequence or the regecuon Oh ny
time. At the height OF this discussion the Presl-
dent in sending his annual message 10 congress
mend the application Of the competitive merit rules
in the manner that had been proposed linus be pe
plainly practicable was put aside Neither nave
pendent Executive action alone as yet peeh haue
RULE OF JULY. 1897.
The failure of the Administration TO maintain the
system as II existed has long been apparent. When
civil Service rules of President Cleveland had been
in operation for nearly year To continue TO give
! the Civil Service Commission required essentially
the cooperation of the appointing officers them
fused In July of 1897, President Mckinley pro-
an o dbl s fe the the 81 for @
! movais were required TO be stated In writing, and
an opportunity snSrHea 'n order Which was very
Generally and especially by this League, hailed
With warm satisfaction as an evidence OF his sup
But in many important branches this rule. as
well as those of earlier date governing appoint,
ments was practically ignored. In the Internal
Revenue Service and the OF Ts'G n ba
Government Printing Office and In many any Of Of the
general 5sgT were violated with mpuny In both these
and other branches, moreover. various melnods of
| temporary appointments were made, without eX-
amnations 70 be followed. frequently by the posi-
| five failure OF the Department officers to aid in
| securing permanent appointees.
| While in those branches of the service where the
law has been longest In effect its observance
tnued to satisfactory. the transgresslons occur
| ring in these others have been numerous that
| an unfortunate tone has been given to the whole.
Respecting the Internal Revenue Service and the
branches the Department of Justice outside
Washington. the claim was made that certain sec
tions OF the Revised Statutes warranted the setting
aside OF the Civil Service law. although the latter
was Of subsequent enactment and practically all
embracing in its scope The falacy Of this conten
lion was clearly shown by the Civil Service Com
mission In a published brief. and no written opln-
ion In its support has at any time appeared The
violations of law. however. continued. In every
part OF the country subordinate officers both in
two others. maintained