Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-12
Summary Dismissal Order
Theme of Discussion.
VIEWS OF ONE OF THEM
CLAIMS THAT CIVIL SERVICE
LAW IS NULLIFIED.
Chiefs of Various Departments Are
Growing ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
Vexed Question.

'DUrIuG the discussion following the pro-
mitigation of the Presidents summary dis
missll order" said an old and able clerk
of one Of tie uptown departments to a
star reporter the other day. the high
officials chiefs Of divisions and others in
the upper realms Of ofiicialdom were loud
in their praises of the measure. because,
as they stated, it facilitated. among other
things. the elimination of the 'dcadwood'
from the departments.
go ;Ee public outside of Washington.
and in some channels in this city it pre-
scented the picture of a just dispens alton to
he executed for the good Of the service
and 90 ;Ec general advantage of the
country at large. But that is only one side
OF the case.
''Iuc elimination Of the deadwood from
the government departments means the
summary deprivation of the means of liveli-
hood of hundreds Of oid and respectable
citizens of Washington: of small taxpayers,
respected members Of the community who
have devoted the best part of their lives
70 the service Of The government 1t means
the taking away without warning of the
only means Of maintenance these citizens
have. of turning them out Of positions IN
which They have faithfully served the
government. And all this merely because
they have grown old in the service. That
Is what is meant by the elimination of
deadwoud b.. the government departments.
Work of Years Undone.
The work of years of patient effort on
the part eff men individually and of the
civil service reform press of the country
Were uuuided in a single day by that
order Disguise it as they may attempt
to de-; place a different construction upon
thu real ~ teution' of the order if they
choose. The iudubitable fact remains that
the wording of the order is clear, distinct
and uueQuiyoCaI-the absolute unqualified
executive power is given heads of depart
meHts To rake summary removals II they
ear, TO exercise it. 1t cannot be distorted
into any halfway measure; it is positive,
fixed and certain.
There remains but one slender support to
he civil service structure, else conditions
in the departments in Washington will
have reverted to the old state before the
Introduction of the civil service as the
term is new accepted-the heads of the de-
pertmentS have not the power to refill the
vacancies their power of expulsion gives
them with persons of their own choosing or
from the outside except through the chan
nels of the CivI service commission.
If the method of removal prescribed by
the former rules of the civil service We're
found to be too cumbersome In execution.
and one of a more summary nature was
why cannot il be urged with
equal force that the method of refilling
the positions is also 200 cumbersome and
a speedier way of refling the vacancies
- necessary? The civil service is half
repealed by executive action now; why
not repeal the other half and make a whole
job of it by legislative enactment?
The notification order came like a thun-
derbolt from a clear sky to the advocates
of Civi service, not to mention the clerks
in the departments. and it was doubly
paralyzing since 1t emanated from a former
civil service commissioner. ..--....- ....
End Is Not Yet.
But the end is not yet. The civil service
reform element Of this country will not
stand idly by and permit this partial null
lifcatiou matter to pass unnoticed nor I'M
checked. II those who will destroy almost
In It's vital entirety the benefactions of the
civil service act stin pose as its friends.
then deliver us from its friends. II sub
stautidl ymIsculation of Its projections Is
an evidence of sincerity of purpose toward
It, better indeed Is II that it should be turn
ed over to It's aVowed enemies. Civil service
mas come To- be built upon and not to be I'M
dcrmined and cTumbed. II It's practical
crushing out of semblance of regular form
IS its strengthening, as the nulitfers state,
Il had best be left alone in what they are
wrongly pleased 10 term its weakness. 1t
has lasted through several decades as it is.
and IL ought to have been good enough to
endure as it was.
Il will tell YOU of one OF the very first
of the working effects of the
order Some of the chiefs and suDchiefs of
divisions in the various departments are
giving themselves airs and assuming an at
tltude Of arrogance in manner and speech
toward their clerks, which was quite I'M
known heretofore. There are many men oc-
cupyinE these positions who are untitled by
temperament to be placed In control, how
ever competent they may otherwise be.
1t was stated at the time of the issuing
Of the order that many chiefs would use
It as a weapon to wreak their personal
spite. Believing that all they have to do 10
-et rid OF clerks whom they do not like IS
TO report them for dismissal. these chiefs
have bTaced up with new lease OF official
authority which has crystallized into Off
ciousUess- While there are many clerks who
will crnge before these overbearing Off
cials. there are others who Will .Iot Timid
female clerks and nerveless male clerks
bound 20 be the greatest sufferers.
Virus of Arrogance.
- clerk in one Of the downtown depart
merits who boards with me told me last
might that her chief had been infected with
the same virus Of arrogance and was max
ing life miserable for three OF her fellow
clerks. Lately a large portion OF his time
had been spent In finding fault with the
work OF these clerks. He was afraid of
tEem before hut now his delight in making
them miserable is openly manifest. He has,
however, pleasant surprise In store for
him-pleasaut from the standpoint of the
three clerks. All are well connected politl
Cally, but one of them has especially strong
connections very close to the head of the
department. and OF which the chief has
not the slightest intimatiOn. His change
OF attitude has been called to the personal
attention OF the head of the department
by a gentleman in whom the Secretary has
confidence. Everybody in office circles
knows what this will mean TO the chief In
question when he allows his spite 10 carry
him too far.
There are some clerks, however. who
have sufficient manhood left not 10 be
afraid Those lacking this natural element
and those without friends will have to rely
upon this class to save the service from
the harmful effects OF conditions growing
out OF the order Even under the old rule,
rather than run counter to their chiefs,
clerks sank their individuality TO a great
extent IN submitting TO conditions which
would At once be resented in outside pur-
suits Now most OF the clerks will bury It
entirely. 1t is too bad that such is the
case as II puts a serious damper upon in
divldual effort and reacts to the detrment
OF good work and TO the good of the ser
vice.
Good" Clerks Affected.
at Is idle to say that the new rule will
not affect good clerks This is one of the
flctions which should now be met and con-
tradict,d; II is very misleading. The term
good as generally used in the depart
ments In this connection. is purely rela-
tive one. From the standpoint of the chief