The Irish standard., 1900-07-07
A DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY.

Under this caption the Chicago Rec
ord, an independent paper of wide
circulation, has the following to say on
the broken pledge OF the Republican
party in reference to civil service re-
The Republican national platform OF
1896 contained this declaration and
pledge:
"The civil service law was placed on the
statute book by the Republican party,
which has always sustained it, and we
renew our repeated declarations that it
shall be thoroughly and honestly en-
forced and extended wherever practic,
able"
Mr.. Mckinley in his letter accepting
his first nomination used these words
"The pledge of the Republican ma
tional convention that our civil service
laws shall be sustained and thoroughly
and honestly enforced wherever practic-
able is in keeping with the position Of
the party for the past twenty-four years
and will be faithfully observed. Our
opponents decry these reforms. They
appear willing to abandon all the ad-
vantages gained after so many years
agitation and effort. They encourage
a return to party favoritism, which both
parties have often denounced, that ex-
perience has condemned and that the
people have repeatedly disapproved.
The Republican party opposes this reac-
tionary and entirely unjustifiable policy.
1t will take no backward step upon
this question. 1t will seek to improve,
but never degrade, the public service -
These declarations, if not quite just to
its opponents, fairly stated the attitude
OF the Republican party to the cause OF
civil service reform since it became a
burning question in American politics.
1t is to be widely regretted that the rec
ord OF this administration renders them
no longer true. By his executive order
of May go, 1899, Mr.. Mckinley with
drew more than ten thousand places
from the classified service, declared reg
lar about one thousand appointments
made temporarily, without examination
in many cases, in direct violation of the
law, authorized permanent appoint
ments in the war department. from the
list of many thousands of persons who
were temporarily employed during the
course of war against Spain, altered the
rules so as to authorize transfers from
the unclassifed to the classified service
and from one grade to another withou,
competitive examination, and provided
for the reinstatement in the discretion
OF department officers of persons al
any time separated from the service.
Congress, by an act Of July, 1893, ex
empted from civil service rules all clerk:
and others to be employed for war EN-
Urgency purposes. Under this act man,
hundreds of civil service appointment!
were made by the war department with
out examination, to the exclusion o
candidates regularly qualified and regis
tered on the eligible lists of the com
mission. In the following session O
congress the census bill was passed will
a provision that the great force of clerk
and statisticians required should b,
chosen by the director without compel
tive examination if he so chose ant
without the participation of the civil
service commission. This action wa!
taken, although it appeared in part from
the testimony of previous directors tina
the census of 1890 was extravaganza,
costly and imperfect because the bu
reau was then organized on the spoil.
basis. The president, although exer.
cising absolute power in our new &C.
QUESTIONS of territory, has nowhere in.
troduced the merit system of appoint.
ment to Office.