The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-05
DEMOCRATS & I. |: I SHUN
The CIVIL SERVICE
In the South They Avoid oompe.
tition for Federal Ap-
pointments.
BY w. w. Jermane.

. ri.
Washington, Sept. 5.-Ever since the
the end of the last Cleveland admins
tration there has been more or less talk
of discrimination against democrats,
and especially against those from the.
southern states. in the public service.
It has even been charged that the rules
of the civil service commission itself
were frequently stretched to favor
& republican against a democratic ap-
plicant. ,
It is possible that there may have
been basis for some of these charges,
but it is obvious that many Of them >are
absolutely baseless. 1t is too much to
expect dominant party to 60 far out
of it's way to favor members of the OPP
position with places in the government
service, but Their is no reason to doubt
the impartiality of the methods of the
civil service commission or to believe
that it is Influenced by the politics of
those examined by it. IL
Stunned the Examinations. +
Some time ago Commissioner Greene
of the commission, made trip thru
Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennes-
see on official business, and while in
those states he investigated many mat
ters connected with the work Of the
body of which he is member. One
of the results was the discovery that
ticipating in civil service examination,
and thus there was explained, in a de-
gree, matter which has been troubling
the commission for some time past-the
difficulty or impossibihty of maintain
ing registers of southern eligibles suffi-
GENTLY large to enable the southern
states to receive their proper quota of
federal appointments Commissioner
Greene permitted himself to be inter.
viewed about the matter, so that the re.
suits of his investigations might be.
come widely known, and now the com
mission is doing everything in it's pow.
er to correct the conditions.
Causes of Hesitancy. !. -:
Various causes are assigned for the
reluctance of southern democrats to be.
come applicants for places. Mr.. Greene :
| idea is that most of them feel that the
spoil!s still. belong to the victors, AGA
| dem1c assurance to the contrary not
withstanding, and that, therefore, a
| democrat, regardless Of the showing hi
might be able to make, really stands
little chance of appointment. ''..
In an effort to correct this impress
sion, Mr.. Greene calls attention to thu
non-partizan character of; the appoint
ments made under the civil service law
and he insists that the only reason re
publicans are SO largely in the majority
in the. minor federal. Offices, of thu
south is because democratic citizens
have persistently failed to take the ex
aminations, thus giving the republican
applicants practically a clear field. anc
leaving the commission with list O:
eligibles composed almost wholly of re
publicans. When places are open It i
these republicans, of course, who ar,
! called on. ~.
Defeats Purpose of Law.
Mr.. Greene points out that such ,
condition Of: affairs really: defeats tn
purpose Of the, civil j. service act
! Without "a general participation b,
the public of all classes and parties ii
the competitive examinations held TO
the purpose of filing positions in tn
classified service, - says he, t'the inten
Of the law as to the non -partizan char
acter of appointments cannot be cal
ried out. If, however, there is tina
general partici patton in the souther
states which prevails in the norther
states, the civil service commission vii
undertake. to see that appointments ar
made to the service without any ,regar
whatever to the politics Of the eligi