New-York tribune., 1904-10-18
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
PRESIDENTS RECORD.
Mach Good Done-He Has Made
Fer Exceptions TO the Rules.
frnn,E TIE rnTpr,sr nrRrAu.l

vveshington. Oct. 17.-Richard H Dana. OF
,,ston. recently addressed a letter TO Afford
-r.-rsner Cooley, Civil Service Commissioner.
.,nressinE surprise at the recent attacks made
!, rbs President. based on allegations OF his
-solation or evasion OF the Civil Service law.
~ Dana declared that he had supposed that
p-ss,dent Roosevelt had done good Of the high
-. order FOR Civil Service reform, and asked
commissioner Cooley TO send him an authori-
arrive statement covering the allegations and
s,aguted points Mr.. Cooley has complied with
.,,s request, and has written Mr.. Dana a COM
,yshenave letter. which is as follows
beg to acknowledge receipt OF your letter
~ October 3, and 20 express my appreciation OF
re opportunity IL offers briefly TO outline the
work OF the commission during the last three
The Democrats In their platform declared:
.aT'he Democratic party stands committed 20
tbe prtrcple OF Civil Service reform, and we
semand is honest, just and impartial enforce
-snr We dsnounce the Republican party for
ite continuous and sinister encroschuents upon
vuiss whereby II has arbitrarily dispensed with
examinations for office in the interest OF favor
,res and employed al manner OF devices 70
override and set aside the principles upon which
the civil service Is based
For this reputation Of the spohs plank OF the
Chicago and Kansas City platforms 1 have
nothing but praise. Both great parties are now
committed 70 the principle Of Civil Service re-
form The charge that the Republican party
asrbftrarilv dispensed with examinations in the
interest OF favori-es and has employed all man
ner Of devices TO set aside and override the
PRINCIPLES upon which the Civil Service Is
based disclOses either deliberate mendacity or
cross ignorance OF the part Of its authors. Moth
ing OF Importance has been done BY the Presi-
serr EXCEPT with the concurrence % the Civil
service Commission If therefore. the rules
have beer violated as charged II tie platform,
eve-v commissioner who has served under Presi-
6ent Roosevelt has been guilty of such hagTant
conduct as 70 call for his Impeachment; ana
among those who shoUle have been mus m
peache6 are tbs late John tooert FrocleE.
Democrat and an ex-Confederate. from Ken
lucky, for ter years president OF this col1lrlls-
sion, whom shall always remember Win AZ
gec+ion as one OF the most disinterested and
high minded public servants il has been my
good fortune 20 know; William Dudley touIke;
row a member Of the Council of the National
civil Services Reform League. whose devotion 70
-be cause IS too well known 10 need comment,
and James Rudolph Garfield, whose appointment
on the commission was generally regarceo as
an ideal one. As yoB very justly say II your let
-er President Roosevelt has done more WoTk OF
& high order for the permanent good Q! me
-sfo-n, perfectinE details, improving methods.
closing back door entrances into the service:
puuishing evasions, sId 50 preparing the ground
sor better ana larger work II the future. than
env ore Of his predecessors. In point q fact,
ne classified service has been extended very
materially and the rules nave 0een lo.o-
with vigor and an trnparrialfty never BEFORE
known. Furthermore the machinery OF the
system has been perfected and revision OF the
rules made which has met the approval OF even
lhe most radical civil Service retoruers-
COMPARISON OF EXCEPTIONS.
The editorial charge of The Boston Herald"
4hst President Roosevelt mas suspended the
rules for the benefit of individuals more taaI
sixty times. while Mckinley suspended theIn
only once CT twice, produces an impression so
utterly false as 10 make wonder how a
reputable journal could have published u The
records show that President Mckinley made
efgbt thousand executions. 81 average Of two
thousand year, while Mr.. Roosevelt has made
giXry-one 81 three years, OF an average q tWen-
-ra- -sp-Fr repaHH don mas
prolific n gain for Civil Service reform. sne ne
has universally very properly been regarded as
1he strongest friend OF the reform ever n ne
White House up to tne tine M tSooseVe!t De-
came President yet during his second admin
ssUrartcn. for reasons which were in large part
entirely 5ustdable, ne increased the excepted
list by two hundred positions during four years.
average OF fifty year whereas MP. Roose-
1fI- has excepted as the records show, twenty
year, or only 40 per cent OF the number eI-
oePted by M Cleveland The classified service
IS much larger now u-sn during the Cleveland
have been suspended form less than one-twen-
t1eth q ! per cent OF the appointments made IN
The last three years. ore appointment out OF
every Two Thousand They comprise, for exam
pie, a White House steward. a Navy Depart
TnsHt coachular, q superintendent of the govern
nnent Hospital for the Insane. and other cases
where for special reasons, the application Of the
rules was considered frnpracticable- The record
of the President is absolutely clear this score.
The plan q making exceptions for indivie uals.
rather than excepting whole classes, was inau-
gursted st the suggestion Of Commissioners
Froccer and FoUlke for the express and specific
purpose OF reducing the number of excepted
ites
Il must Be understood that exceptions were
msde for individuals under previous admins
fratons; but instead Of making them IN the
way contemplated by the act they were made
nnoer TIE guise Of excepting whole classes. A
S,s lson q eKceptons Inaoe therefore.
should show The classes excepted under previous
administrations. and IN special exceptions made
lnaer he existing administration The back
IoUs Low closed which previously existed
hlouLo also be taken into account. have my
SCI joined n recommending a considerable
LSLloer q exceptions, and IN no instance have
80 aware OF the politics OF the person whose
S1cepuon Wss recommended. II every case
rave mace the recomnendation for easong af-
lectns the efficiency Of the service Il must
Ie conceded BY every fair minded man that the
tosIllois excepted during the Cleveland and
-4chAI--ey administrations were almost inva-
Ilaoly tled by political appointees Such has
- ueen ne case under the Roosevelt admins
IaLon President Roosevelt has decreased the
---li4DeF o. excepted places from 6644 70 $3.50;
1la OF the EiXry-one exceptions only thirty
slIee nave been made without examination OF
ellAe kln1 II instead of the application OF
- poAcy already outlined. the position of
cSaeni-lau had been generally excepted, instead
y me solitary coachnRn IN the Navy Depart
llenr II would have been found that the number
VI coachTnen would increase and many excep-
uohs would creep IN instead Of one. Cornnais-
Eoners Proctor ana Foulke With the concur
renee 0f President Roosevelt eliminated this
sonse. The Civil Service act contains the fol-
lowing provision:
And any necessary exceptions from said eight
ornamental provisions Of the rules shall be set
sorth n connection with such rules and the rea-
tons therefor shall be stated IN the annual re-
ports of the commission"
NDTvIDUALs INSTEAD OF CLASSES
81, ne law thus oontemplasss the necessity Of
--eslonal exceptions 20 the Civil Service rules
So 80 the provision that the reasons for these
60 De stated IN the annual reports 0f the
-..Asslon- N former administrations the exc