Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-09-15
FEDERAL JOBS GO BEGGING.
Offices Southern Democrats Could Get
II They Tried.

II They Tried.
| The discovery made through the per-
sonal investigation Of Commissioner
Greene Of the United States civil SER
vice commission, says a Washington
correspondent, that Democrats as a
class refrain from participating In the
civil service examinations in the south
serves to explain in a measure point
which has puzzled the commission for
long time, namely, the difficulty in
maintaining registers of southern ell
gibles sufficiently large to enable the
southern states to receive their proper
quota in Federal appointments.
This information was obtained by
Commissioner Greene while In Ken
lucky. North Carolina and Tennessee
| on official business. Commissioner
Greene lost no time In making public
the result Of his investigation, and now
the civil service commission Is doing all
In its power to rectify this condition
of affairs.
Various causes are assigned for the
reluctance Of southern Democrats to
enter the lists for Federal plums. Mr..
Greene obtained the impression that the
main cause was the prevalence Of a
feeling that, despite academic assur-
ances to the contrary, the spoils still
belong to the victors. and that, there
fore, a Democrat, however good a
showing he might make in a competi-
tive examination, stands but little show
Of appointment To correct this I'M
preston Mr.. Greene has used the COL
umns of several newspapers Of the
non partisan character Of appointments
made under the civil service act and to
cite the fact that the only reason why
Republicans are In 80 large majority in
the minor Federal offices Of the south
is that Democrats have steadfastly de-
clined to take the examinations, there
by leaving the commission list COM
posed entirely Of Republicans from
which to make the Federal selections.
| without a general participation OF
the public of all classes and parties In
the competitive examinations held for
filling positions in the classified SER
vice." says Commissioner Greene, "the
intent Of the law as to the non-parti-
san character Of appointments cannot
be carried out. II, however, there Is
that general participation In the south
ern states which prevails In the north
ern states, the civil service commission
will undertake to see that appointments
are made in the classified service with
out regard to the politics Of eligibles."
The civil service rules positively pro-
hibit embodying In any examination
paper any statements or recommenda-
tions which will disclose the politics Of
the applicant on pain of having the ex-
| animation Cancelled. The papers are
forwarded to Washington and graded
by non partisan board Of examiners;
who have no means Of ascertaining the
politics of those whose papers they are
marking.
From these papers registers are made
up for the various states, and from
these registers names are certified to
the several departments In the order
of the grade obtained. II when a Sc
lection Is made for a southern state the
successful competitor is In nearly every
Instance a Republican. 1t does not
mean partisaaship on the part of any
one but that only Republicans have
become eligible for appointment.
The average rating obtained by COM
petltors from southern states Is lower
than tina: of the northern states. The
Democratic party, being the dominant
party, of course comprises the better
Intelligence as a whole of the communi-
| ty. 1t Is therefore evident that IL the
Democrats as a class should enter the
lists for Federal appointment the stand
ard of eligibles would be raised and
more Democrats than Republicans
would be appointed, because there are
more Democrats than Republicans In
the south who have the required quail
fcations.
The arrears of the southern states
are partly due to the large number of
calls that are made for stenographers
and typewriters and for filling posi-
tions requiring technical qualifications.
The northern states furnish much
larger proportion Of eligibles having
technical qualifications. With a view
of bringing up the quota Of the south
ern states, examinations were held
throughout the south on May 2 and 8
last for clerks and bookkeepers Alto
gether. 900 persons were examined, of
whom 1853 took the bookkeeping exam
Ination. OF the 900 examined, 164 were
women, twelve of whom were examined
| for bookkeepers.
The result of the examinations Is en-
couraging. as 1t adds 342 to the eligible
register for clerks and forty-three to
the register for bookkeepers. AS calls
are received for filling vacancies from
the clerk or bookkeeper register In any
of the departments eligibles from the
southern states will be first certified,
II being the rule to certify the three
eligibles standing highest Of the sex
called for from the state which at the
time has the least share Of appoint
ments
The first state entitled to an appoint
ment at this time is Louisiana. 1t will
take 20 appointments from Louisiana
| to bring it up into the list Of northern
states in the order Of apportion-
ment Unless a special effort had been
made to induce applicants from Louis
lana to come forward and take the ex-
animation 1t would have run further
and further behind in Its share Of ap-
pointments.
AS 1t is, eight men and five women
passed the examination for clerk, and
one woman passed for bookkeeper. 1t
will be observed, however, that this
does not provide nearly enough eligi-
bes to give Louisiana its due share Of
appointments.
The state next In turn for appoint
ments after Louisiana is Alabama. This
state will be entitled to thirty-five ap-
pointments to bring 1t up to the share
which Illinois now has. The May eX-