Evening star., 1899-07-15
Mr.. GAGE REPLIES|
(Contlnasd from First Pase.T

,S hiuSl hHoW knat tlere are eHglDleS unu6T
the civa service law other than those whose
names stand on the eligible lists Of the civil
service commission. How many soldiers
eilsiole Tor 'renstatement have been re-
stored as opportunity offered? How many
transfers. underbthe law, have been made
from other departments, to the benefit of
the service. aMerding some promotion to de-
serving ard experienced clerks. just as eligi-
.s s.e 10 appointment by transfer as any of
the candidatess whose names are on the
Waltins lists Of the commission? 1t is not
worth the time to look up the data, but
Ihis assert. that every appointment to the
n,assii,ed n,a, h service in the Treasury Depart
ment mas been made either by taking ''eIigi-
pres from commission lists by reinstating
eng1ples,' or by the transfer of "eligi-
ot o,es IN one OF these three ways and none
temporary Appointments.
he confuses this question-whether pur-
posely or not you must judge-with quite
anotner question, i.e., the appointment of
temporary clerks made Necessary by the
late war He knows that the law for he
quotes it,, under which this class now hold
appointments, expressly provides that they
snail be appointed. without compliance
with the conditions prescribed by the act
entitled an act to regulate and improve
the civl service approved Jany. 16. 1888"
Whlch act Is known as the civil service law.
why, then, does he bring these appoint
ments forward to support his injurious
charges that I have willfully disregarded
the civil service law? These appointments
have absolutely; nothing to do with the
ques tion of whether or not this department
has violated the civil service law. and
fail to understand his motive in reviewing
them, except 1t be that he is put to extreme
to obscure former MISREPRESENTATION which
were made with precfpitancy.
should never once have thought to call
attentton TO the temporary employees on ac-
count OF the war with Spain now serving in
n~tvx NIrsc ~
the sincere effort Of the Treasury Depart
ment to comply with, not only the letter,
but the spirit of the civil service law. had
1t not been for this attempt Of his to hold
up this class Of employees for the purpose Of
demonstrating this departments unfrtendly
attitude toward the law.
In Strict Accordance With Law.
Let me say, however, that when the act
Of March 81. 1893. was passed. providing
for sixty-five additional clerks In this de-
partment, it contained no specific provi-
sions as to how the appointments should be
made. From that date to July Z, 1S98
every appointment to the class indicated
service law.
If 1 had been disposed to disregard that
law it would not have been difficult to place
construction upon the act authorizing
these appointments which would have en-
abled me to make them outside OF the
classified service. On July 7, 1898, how
ever, Congress provided that these en-
ployes should be appointed without COM
pliance with the conditions prescribed by
the civil service act. Even after that law
was passed this department construed its
provisions to mean that the appointing
power could go where it wished for clerical
material, barring, Of course, the commits
sion's list
Instead Of resorting to the country at
large for this entire temporary force, / con-
ce!ved it to be my privilege. under the law
regular a
service a number IF experienced and val
liable clerks. e'rhey had come into the
Treasury Department in strict accord with
the civil service law. and when they were
transferred to the temporary roll they left
vacancies which could only be filed in ac-
cordance with the civil service law
Can he findanything in this action inim-
ical to the spirit of the civil service act?
Let me state;lfor his better information
that this construction of mine did not ac-
cord with that which Congress placed
upon the act, flor, aby the Legislative ap-
bill, approved February "a
1888, the legislhtivei authority decreed that
places upon the temporary roll which had
been filled by transfers from the regular
departmental service should be vacated on
or before the 1st day of July, this year.
A Friend of Reform.
I'm this connection I cannot avoid an ex-
preston of regret that, he seems to strain
far away from fact and truth in order to
justify. CRITICISM. l believe in the prin-
ciples which the Civil Service Reform
League is intended to foster and project
and / am heartily in accord with every in
teilgent effort it makes looking to the
public good. / am entitled to some fair
presumptions in this regard by reputation
earned by Jealous endeavor in the fields of
state and municipal reform. covering, per-
haps, more than all the years the secretary
of the league numbers; therefore 1T is
matter of keen regret to me that, instead
of receiving sympathetic encouragement
from body whose purposes are acknowl-
edged to be for the public good, only
captous criticism is accorded.
1T appears to me his citation that
member of Congress said that such appoint
ments would be few" and that he had
been assured by officers of the Treasury
Department that in the emergency existing
1t would not be practicable to get them
under the civil service rules. Is too vague
and uncertain specification to merit any
notice. How many officers so assured him?
Who were they, and, IT, he can name them.
what has it to do with the case?
Il might with propirety also inquire as to
the bearing Of your secretary's statement
that a son of an assistant secretary was
appointed ON the temporary roll, exempt
as it was by law from the classified service.
Has that fact-if it be fact-anything to
do with the observation, the violation,
of the civil service law? l respectfully SUBJ
nit that such evidences are poor support
to his main proposition. and Justify suspi-
ctOn as 10 tNS SfIlSSEiLy iOd HIS puEpOSG
bureau OF statistics Chief.
Another specification he presents--iegit-
innate in kind If it will hold together-is as
follows:
"You displaced the chief of the bureau
of statistics, making no charges and giving
no reason, except that you wished the po-
sition for another man." etc.
l am not!,called upon to explain to him,
nor to the gentlemen that he represents,
all the details of administrative action, and
neither he nor they have any right to pre-
judge them. However. l will waive this
point and state the facts in this particular
case. .,.,-.- r.
1t is true that the gentleman was asked
for his resignation. He was at the same
time assured however. that he would not
be removed, and that he was at entire lib
erty to decline the request If he SO desired
The gentleman requires no sympathy from
the league nor from the public. With fine
abilities in several directions. and possessed
of financial resources. he would not thank
either your secretary or me for dragging
his name into this discussion.
The Controllers Decision.
One more reference to the matter in
cluded in your secretary's letter. and I
shall have done. He says:
.Sut the act fArhatSs the most do mo o;,y