New-York tribune., 1899-07-29
TIE PRESIDENTS REASONS EXPLAINED
SECRETARY GAGE DEFENDS THE AMENDMENTS
TO THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES. GIVING
EXAMPLES OF OFFICES AFFECTED.
Gage IN The AUGUST Forum

Lyman J. Gage in The August Forum
II has been asserted that by President McKiney's
order 1900 or 10000 places have been removed from
the classified service and opened 70 the spouslnen.
II this allegation De true at all is true only IN
the most limited degree conceivable The larger ger
number OF places 70 which the order rela tes are
found in the bureaus OF Ordnance EnsI1eerinE a and
in the DepaTment ~ 10 those
found in the Navy Departmsnt 20 WhIcn tn1 pEssi
dents amended order, far these 5000 or 1000
places are concerned is to place them In the same
employees are now in and have long been in. az The
Navy yards-nothng more than this and nothing
Or the 5000 or 1900 appointees affected by the or
der 1000 are in the Department OF me IN
terror and are known pension examining sur
geons" or these a changing number (on the aver
age about 340O follow their regular ayoca tons as az
incidentailv Thev are paid by fees. none Of the
number last named receiving ron .o tneir a
annum Prior TO President McKinleys recent order
OUT exception. these pension examiners are rept-
p-ofession where they live and enjoying the conf
sence and respect Of the people among whom they
dwell BY provision Of the TVlr ,S SesVi fsesRrIe
Section Clauses (a). (o). (c) and (d)-the follow
ing excluded from classification
Clause al, $500 or under and partially epioyed SIG
Clause tcl employed in foreign country 80. -.
clause a. quasi naval military. enlisted for term a..
Total excluded from classification 9oo
$40. about 34O0 were pension examining surgeons
With more than fve-s!xrhs already exempted by
number subject to com npetitive examinations under
The law always huctuatng. and because II was
sIciaps would not 20 into competitive examinations
for appointment as pension examiners vas was
deemed wise 10 exempt them all ana thus put tnern
all on the same footing -.
Notwithstanding these exemptions, however Il Is
of Government servants. hitherto unprotected, put
now brought within the protection Of the Civil Ser
's g secons Lao 9y nahd nd 6f Rule II % Of Presn
Kinleys recent order Those sections IN erect "a ae
by reason or his political or religious afatiSrs IA e1
time fI1u Srousht within the classified service.
~ me- p2esdents order are deputy rnarshas and
6snytv @ Collectors Of internal revenue but these
affected in quite different Eay than by the aP
sbsis are excepted from any examination, competi-
tive or otherwise and from any system OF resistra. =.
abo,, uon iwe SDndred Technically speaking they are
nIoves ~ the United states marshas who appoint
Py9s PbeyT and 10 the marshas are they responsible for
eli their acts and doings II may be claimed WIN
stittion directly clothes ~ President and the de-
"a m, nefa5 5tsd @'e States sne buy Section M Re-
v!sed Statutes authorizes the collectors OF inteTIal
no f5eir own deputies From the collector the
deputy receives his commission 70 the collector tne
lector is responsible 10 the Government for the acts
and dongs OF The deputy and TO the public tne col
erty' received at the hands Of his deputies in the
discharge OF Their duties Ts@ 5ers or IS P6 5oub
for debate or purely legal grounds but the theory
that clothed with these respons5es rd and ba
powers OF appointment, tne narsndIs anu Le - ~,
ectors should be dntrammeled In their cnoice may
be followed TO logical conclusion without subject,
ing 10 the charge OF "pandering 70 the spotsmen
those who hold such theory and act in conformity
ess itcons that the President felt Il his duty
70 except these TWO classes OF appointees-Uni nied
states deputy marshals and deputy collectors OF IN
tive examination registration. So careful now
vas Ssspe ne 70 guard the merit principle that
before their appointment is made and the pay tor
must mass an examination conducted by the Com
mission equal in character 70 that nov employed In
ncrnettfve examinations for such offices.
The last group to which ] shall alude the only
remaining one numerically important enough 10 de,,
mand consideration Is that OF storekeepers ana
gaugers or these the average number employed IS
one thousand Hitherto the Law has required mat ra
Commission as the result OF competitive examina-
lions Blu, i is precisely IN sdeSs b Pfes fss Comms
sion in securing eligible lists and the result mas mas
snnointed without any examination AZ all. they
were appointed temporarily TO oe sure nut were ere
,Sa same reason that they were appointed in the
drst place: viz lack Of eigibes The greatest DIM
cuftv in the situation has been with the least i'm
eries run substantially without interruption mere
ssttled sections OF Georgia, Tennessee Nortn caro-,
lima etc the disteries are OF Sna GaPaSSlss aiie
-rn na r. OF the year only and Il Is IN these Iast
named districts that the pay is the smallest OWING
- ii-taS time OF service and the difficulty or secur
Inc eieibles the greatest. II was In order 70 put
The test OF merit upon this last named cIass oL az
So,,,r ,r,en,s that thew exempted from competi-
tya eTsminatons but those in more important sec
ors Ind cities were left subject 10 the competitive
IolSs St.a snu axaminatiors The line upon which
~ onestion divided was the compensation. Ine
anendment OF the President provides tnat store
teeoers and gaugers whose annual compensation ls
20 year or less may be appointed by the secTe-
49,. y tba treasury upon the nomination Of the
.oiActor subject however. 10 an examination as a
tsst of ftness equal in character 70 tnat now re
teS. I "a -, tbe Commission in a competitive exami-
nation for such places.