Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-05
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
A Correspondent Sarcastically Points
out how IL Is Manipulated by
Department Chiefs, Etc
WAsHrNGroN. d. c., Dec. 77, 1901

department. Chteis, Etc.
WAsHrNGroN. d. c., Dec 77, 1901
Eafi0r SWndaV Globe.
see from recent issues of the Star that
Mr.. Roosevelt (who claims to be civil
service man and soldiers frieud) is going
to ally himself with the department chiefs,
big and little, in their efforts to place the
civil service protective blanket over the
tribe Of department pets (mostly friends
and relatives Of the aforementioned chiefs)
who were appointed temporarily (2) on the
straight influence racket at the outbreak OF
the Spanish American war, and at other
times.
Il will be remembered that these so called
clerks we're appointed without the civil
ser ice, and without even pass examination
re- ngs (7o) thus directly ignoring all civil
service eligibles then and now OH file. The
act of appointing a wholesale tribe of iulu-
entails in this manner, even on the so-called
temporary (1) plea, was a direct violation
of the simplest principles Of the merit sys-
TEN, as well as an everlasting travesty up
OH the simplest principles of plain justice
II was stated at the time that the civil SET.
vice commission had not the requisite num-
Der of eligibles on file to meet this small
emergency, yet any person upon looking
over the civil service circulars will see that
the number on file at the time far exceeded
the number as claimed to be required on
the emergency work. Query Why were
not these civil service eligibles appointed,
even temporarily (as it was claimed at the
time Cd instead of working in a wholesale
influx of the District of Columbia aristoc.
racyl Simply because certain officials
wanted easy and stolen jobs for their
friends and relatives. Some officials
claimed, as a defense, that the parties to be
appointed on this temporary (2) racket
we're to be old soldiers who were needy
and deserving of the favor Those who
have come under my observation however
were not old soldiers, nor young ones
either nor the relatives Of any person or
persons who had ever seen any sure-enough
fighting. On the contrary, snowy females
often several in one family, and paper-col-
Jared male coddliugs whose sires are in some
lucrative position usually under the Gov
erument) are the bene ehciaries in all these
schemes to beat the civil service Mr.
Roosevelt will undoubtedly be called a
great man by the classes, residing ia the
Capital City, whose friends and relatives
have been smuRgled into ife-asting saaried
cribs under the free-for-all Government Of
This here free and enlightened United
States (2)." / wonder though if the people
of the country at large will think any better
Of Mr. Roosevelt for lending himself to such
an unworthy schemeT After putting a
wholesale raft, or influx, of pets under the
civil service, wellathen reform the So
called "Snivel Service" for their (the in
huentials) benefit Better reform first and
then let families Of inAuentials enter the
mill of honest competition along with those
who are on the outside One of those War
Department female pets stated to the effect,
sometime back, that her and hers were
Paramount Issues, and that the civil ser
vice didn't bother them in the least. Yes
indeed from the way that matters are
shaping themselves Of late there seem to be
a goodly number of Paramount Issues, "
and likely to be more of them
Let the department temporary (?) EN-
ployes know that they are no better thar
/ other people In my opinion they are no
as good as those Civil War veterans who
were discharged from the departments on
the reductions of the force racket some years
back. Certain Of these men had examina-
ton ratings, clerical, ranging well above the
ninety maj x anu AllilAhA AENOl0e' 10 GAIItk-
pond, yet they were unceremoniously fred.
Because the Census Office employees seek
to have their wotking force brought within
the classified service of the Government,
we'll every employe of the departments at
! large, appointed upon the straight-inhuence.
racket must be likewise brought under
cover.
The Census Office force is mostly made
up of persons residing in all parts of the
United States, and we're appointed accord
ing to quota. Furthermore they were all
required to go through an examination,
initial examination, as preliminary test to
their fitness. Now while this examination
was not strictly competitive, yet many
made good competitive ratings; and all had
to make an average of seventy FIVE clerical.
Some day / may become urneighborly
and give samples of the department infiu-
entails as I have seen them appointed upon
influence in my immediate vicinity. The
glaring evils Of familyism favoritism, class
ism ETC., have become patent to nearly
every observing person, and going into
particulars would hardly kindle a greater
FIRE in this line Sufficient that the innu-
ence evil has became a stencil in the most
rils of every decent and honest man, and il
is high time thata quietus was put upon
it instead of furtheriug it on a wholesale
scale.
If the civil service is ever to be aaythine
above a laughing stock, both it and its
principles should be respected and followed
to the letter. This step should have been
taken long ago, however and the coming
wholesale violation, if performed will only
be an overwhelming and sarcastic burden
for the civil service and the principles il
claims to back.
If the civil service is to become an
official fence, behind which danes, thieves
and corrupt officials hide, well--then the
quicker such an evil is done away with the
better for all claims toward honesty and
justice. X " q.