Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-16
HOW JUDGE RYAN
Did an Act of Justice to Watch
man Ellis.
BUSTED THE SCHEME
OF the Appointment Clerk Who
Asked for stenOgraphers When
uopyists We're wanted-The Civil
Service Law No Protection To Em.
pAoyes and No Restraint on High
Oficials

The methods by which Department
chiefs and appointment clerks beat the
Civil Service law are many and varied To
be on the eligible list Of the Civil Service,
it is well known is no guarantee that the
applicant will ever get a desk In a Gov
ernment department unless he has some
pull, p other than his successful examina-
ton and his rating of % or 100. Here is case
in point which has just come to our kuowl-
edge IN the Department presided over by
Judge Ryan. The judge is an honest fair
mirded official aud was not a party to it.
Indeed when the matter was brought to his
attention he secured justice for the old
soldier applicant
A copyist was wanted and the appoint
ment clerk of the department asked the
certihcation of a steuographerl There were
FIVE soldiers on the eligible list as copyists
and the appointment clerk knew it Hence
If he asked for copyist one of these old
soldiers would be certified. The appoint
ment clerk didn't want either of these old
soldiers. But he did want friend or rela-
tive. He therefore asked for a stenog-
rapher and, Of course his friend or rela-
tive who had taken this examination was
certified to him. When the stenographer
as a copyst and the trick was turned
This went on month after month and the
ave old soldier copyists waited and cooled
their heels on Pennsylvania avenue.
Finally the head of the list, one Ellis
who had been a watchman, invoked the
services of a friend-an official in another
department--to whom he told his tale of
woe. There had been appointed numerous
stenographers, who had been assigned
/ desks as copyists after their certifcation by
/ the Civil Service Commissioners, aud Ellis
/ got tired Of the game. His friend made
the bold move Of going to Judge Ryan and
7 expiail'me~lO nlm the hOQcfy coochy antics
Of the appointment clerk. He pointed out
| the individuals who were certified as
stenographers and, every one of whom
we're working as copyists. Several of these
appointees were relatives Of officials in the
department, and the Judge got his first les
son in how the trick is done and the Civil
Service Commissioners, Congressmen and
Senators beautifully shelved.
He promised to remedy the matter iuso-
far as he could aud interviewing the ap-
pointment clerk he impressed upon that
individual the absolute necessity which
existed for a coPYIsT and NOT a steno-
grapher.- When the judge next required
copyist, he notified the appointment clerk
and he saw to it that the call was for copy
ist and not stenogr apher. To this fore
sight and forethought Of the judge, Mr.,
Ellis is indebted for his desk as a copyist,
otherwise he might remain on the eligible
list until the crack o. doom or until his
transference to Arlington
The Presidents order that preference
shall be given the honOrably discharged
veteran, as we'll as the Civil Service law are
set at naught in this disiugenuous fashion
by the appointment clerks and Department
chiefs.
The whole business is a roaring farce and
the fight made against the permanent census
law was simply the combined protest of
these chiefs and appointment clerks IN
having places filed by Congressional ap-
pointees which they had designed for
friends, relatives and people able to pay the
stipulated price-whether the price is
woman's honor or coin of the realm de-
pends on the conditions Why Congress is
not brave and honest enough to rip up the
whole fraudulent lay ogtis due principally
to the influence and interests which even
Congressmen cannot safely ignore.
The two or more thousand Census clerks
must be reduced to a few hundred before
this influence will permit the enactment of
the measure into law, and then even it Is
highly problematical whether the aforesaid
influence will allow it pass for fear a single
Census clerk will be transferred to the
departments. If the permanent Census will
itself absorb the few hundred clerks pro-
posed the interdictmeut against the passage
of the law by this influence may be with
drawn aud the Senate allowed to pass the
bill. Otherwise not Such is the terrible
condition of the public service under gen
tleman George Pendleton's 'sCivil Service law
When Mr.. Pendleton was endeavorng TO
pass this very measure we had the honor of
an afternoons argument with him, pointing
out its evil effects, besides the undemo.
cratic character of a measure which made
class distinctions between American cti-
zens aspiring to the public service. The in
famous law has done mUre than all other
causes combined to further the Imperial
program and to rob US of all but the name
of a Republic.
II is no protection to the honest, faithful
and meritorious government employe as has
been time and again demonstrated. The re-
cent case Of Mr.. ]. d. O'Connell is but one
of the many object lessons 1t teaches as be-
ing the convenient instrument which en-
abies corrupt officials TO plunder and rob
the Government with impunity, as no SUI
bordinate dares open his mouth and expose
either the concubines, the purchased ap-
pontments or the mal-feasance Of a depart
uent high official, appointment clerk or
other officer Of the Government without
bringing down on his devoted head the Of
fetal ak of some Cabinet officer Of the Cage
New York Custom House deaH type Of
odoriferous memory.