The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-28
CIVIL SERVICE VICTORY.


| The most important victory scored by
civil sercicc advocates In years. and with
out an effort OH their Part, has been IN,
remarkable condition OF affairs existing
on the House roll. as demonstrated nv
the remarks OF representatives on the
moor OF the house and the report of the
special Investigating committee" said
an attaehe 20 the civil service '.and 4, ~
bound TO have a potent influence on the
question In the future In the public mind.
There Is also one feature disclosed
which may be considered quite unac-
countable. and explanations should be I'm
order The special committee repor,ed
S5l employees on this roll and there are
just 3o1 representatives. including the
representative from UMh. Numerically.
then, each member OF the house has an
appontee, when IL is generally under-
stood that the''combne' had most. ff not
all, OF the places under its disposal n is
probably only coincidence.
THE people OF this country NAV now
realize what a chaos would REIGN I'm
Washington but for the operation OF tho
civil service laws. Dismissals BY the
scores and hundreds would be followed
by appointments OF others who would in
turn give way upon change OF Congress
or administration, or as their particular
influence lapsed. To still other appointoes.
instead OF working at their desks the
government employees would spend the
best part OF their time soheming and
working To keep their places. and the un-
settled. unsatisfactory. shifting turmoil
which would ensue would startlc and dis
gust the people
" The good old days OF ioaAng. inat-
tentionahsence from duty. hut stili draw
ing pay, fcgned illness fnefficipnt work
defiance OF superiors when backed up by
pohtlcal influence, the breaking un OF
MONIES and families because of disu7issais
Tor political reasons, substitutes dividing
the salary. lax rules tardv attendance
retention OF incompctcnts
ON the rolls, poor work. and all of these
and countless other abuses and evils OF
me spoils system would wipe the present
orderly and efficient condition out OF ex-
Istence inside or three months
congress while applying the law
strictly 10 the employees ~ the executive
apartments. has permitted its own EN-
pioyes To maintain system un,,rovr
elsewhere and which would NOT he tol-
'rattd except where Ia. spoils system "a
Il
nc states. whore similar. abuses have
been unearthed and corrected by STATE IN
'estigating committees IN fact. CONGRESS
VAS frank enough TO confess itself ~
,ody' unacquainted with the real condi-
ION existing. and the chairman OF the
which was obliged 20 report IN
ne house The bill which carried the APP
'ropriation for these employees facetio,isIv
cknowledged that he could give no spe.
iiic information concerning them IN re-
ponse TO queries FROM members on The
loor,
"rhe logical outcome viii be ths
trcnet ethenlnG of the civil service utlncl-
trv' ami IN future debates nm unaswer-
pie argument win be slvUn the advo-
atcs ~ these principals
ITO relieve the tcditm OF the session.
erhaps. The House has been in the
ahit' while sitting a. a. committee of the
mole ~ striking ont tho paragraph
rom tho appropriation HI which pro-
idf1 for ihc maintenance ana salaries
me eivil service commissioner, and
tn many eloquent and fiery
Dceches on the evils of the civil service
Nv. These speeches. OF course. appeared
the Congressional Record. and when
10 rcpTw entatiye returned home ne
puid rcfcr to ana exhibit thcm to those
his constituents who besct him FOR
ar"s. or course The House. upon rcas-
'mbling. promptly restored the stricken
~ paragraph, and passed the appropria-
on az required
The point Of interest I'm this connoc-
on is this: This grandstand play has
zen continued for years. liz will be in
resting 20 observe Ia view OF the re-
mt and unexpected disclosures To "A large
ajority i'm the House, whether II viii
repeated az an ensuing session
ashington Star