Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-01
A vicious Reform.

n ' AtAouH AAtAuNANH
The effect Of the law Of 1883 upon
the U. S. civil service has been bad
Its object was to make merit, as deter
mined by competitive examinations
not politics, the test Of office-holding
But under the operation of the law
the few politicians who run the Admin.
istration have come to fill the vacan.
cies as they occur These appointees,
although they pass through the Civil
Service Commission, are generally the
lackeys and dependents Of the Admin
istrations gang Because of their
worthlessness, the appointees through
the old "spoils system still dominate
and manage nearly ever bureau. The
highest ambition Of these old-tlmers Is
to make more places and compel their
opponents to do the Office work, while
they and their friends do nothing
Merit and economy have nothing to do
with their policy or with the service as
IL is now conducted
The U. S. Government is so consti-
tuted that no abuse once established
and beneftting many people, can be
easily abated The Civil Service Com
mission is a case in point While 1t is
little less than a farce behind which
the ostensible purpose Of the law Of
1888 is defeated, it's champions see
nothing but good in it. The Commits
sioners and clerks get their salaries
out Of the fraud; the Administration
politicians are satisfied, and If but a
few Of the $4,000 appointees, through
the Commission since 1888, have pass
ed into the service as the result Of a
competitive examination-it is graft
flying that they have passed IAN exam
nation" As to the people appointed,
they are satisfactory" OF the bureau.
cracy, however, this reform is building
up, that threatens to usurp the func.
uons Of court and Congress, not word |
is said. If every employe becomes a |
villain and every bureau officer a dirty .
scoundrel it is all right, so long as the
flag and appropriation remains to the
reformers
OF the civil-service abuse Of McKin- |
ley's reign-his order Of July q, /.
1S97-the Civil Service Commission, in .
its last report speaks hopefully By |
this order it is provided that no en-
Dloye in the classified service shall be
removed or reduced except for Gust
cause" OF which he shall be informed
In writing and have a fair opportunity
for defense. Has this order been OBJ
served in a single case? If so, it has
been made nine times out Of ten the ex-
,use for an outrage beside which the
taking Of the life Of VIM. Goebel, Of
Kentucky, because the place he sought
was wanted by another, pales into in
Was this order intended
10 be kept in good faith? To take
money one takes trash to take human
ife is often to relieve the owner of a
burden, but he who takes a subordi-
late's good name to do what could be
accomplished without it, is a cowardly
.coundrel. Yet, it is this system OF
ying and moral assassination that the
Commission thinks, if put fully into
will prove popular. But, for
unately, all Cabinet officers are not
Ike Gage and can not be made like
i'm.
If the Administration wants a clerks
alary or a part Of it, let the officials
AXE IT, The law authorizes it and does
ot require that they shall destroy the
haracter Of the clerk in order to do
o. And, since in such cases the Off
ials in power are both accusers Of the
Jerk and sit as judges upon their own +
harges against him they should q
lake no charges until the employe r
elected for sacrifice shall have been =
to resign and refused. To -,
e about a subordinate and then re- :
uce or dismiss him upon the pretext r
( lying charges, or that he did OF did o
ot reply to the same, or was offensive
j his reply, in order to give his sal p
ry to a political opponent as has and 3
being done, should be made to atone. II
ct, it is this form Of civil-service dew
try that the Civil Service Commission
opes to see extended.