The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-20
Workings of Civil Service I'm
der Fire From North Caro-
lima Representatives
RANK FAVORITlSM
FOR REPUBLICANS
Overman, Pou and Goodwin
Start Investigation Which
May Result in Whole
sale Disclosures
By GEO. II. MANNING.


workings of the civil service commits
sion are to be shaken from top to
bottom and reforms are TO be accom-
plished at the hands of the Demo
tcratic party.
For years there have been mutter-
ings Of discomfort with the way the
commission was conducted, and the
rank injustices worked by that arm
of the government service established
with the intent TO take appointments
entirely out OF politics. but which for
the last decade has been shield to
cover up all sorts of preferences given
Republicans and thousands of cases
of injustice done to Democrats
framed Into Flames.
/ The first evidence given that the
sparks that had smouldered during
the sixteen long years of Republican
rule were to be famed to a flame to
torture the officeholders who for many
years have been the direct beneficial
( ries of the system, was when Senator
OVerman last week introduced
sweeping resolution calling for infor-
nation from the heads OF the differ
ent government departments through
President Wilson for a Compre hensive
report of conditions existing in the
government service as the result of
/ the civil service 1t calls for the laws
and orders under which the civia ser
vice commission exists and by which
1 the civil service system has been ex-
I tended: the number of civil service
employees in each department; the
/ number of persons covered into the
( civil service system by executive or
| der since January /, 1890, the date
/ and copy Of the order; the number of
! persons in the classified service from
each state and territory, and other in
/ formation along this line. The in
/ formation gained as a result of this
resolution is expected 10 unearth start
/ hing facts which will clearly show that
/ under the guise Of civil service rule
+ Republicans have been installed in Of
+ fee where Democrats have been re-
jected, and that hundreds of Republi-
. cans incapable of passing the civil
/ service examinations have been first
/ employed under the unclassified SER
/ vice, and after getting on the gov
| eminent payrolls have been advanced
] to clerkshlps without ever submitting
TO the required examinations
Broaden Its Scope.
| In order to broaden the scope Of the
investigation and strengthen the
hands OF the house committee on re-
form in the civil service Of which
REPRESENTATIVE Goodwin. of North
Carolina, is chairman, Representative
Pou, on Thursday introduced in the
house of representatives a resolution
empowering Mr.. Godwins committee
70 make thorough investigation OF
the civil service commission to deter
mine. to just what measure the civil
service laws have been violated.
one of the provisions of Mr. Pous
bill Is that the house committee as
certain whether or not il is a fact, as
has been alleged that in several of
the government departments over Sc
per cent of employees are OF one no.
litical faith-RepubIican.
Another Is TO see whether or not
certain States. chiefly Republican
strongholds, after having exhausted
their quota OF appointments in ac-
cordance with civil service law, have
placed their citizens in the govern
ment service by having them accred-
tied to some other State preferably a
Democratic bailiwick
1t Is also to be determined how
many people have been placed in the
! government service and given the
protection of the civil service law.
by reason of special dispensation at
. tAc fdlitS oI tRe FnlPt executive
Representative Godwin's committees
will not stop within these hnunds
but ' III so further and determine
what lnjustlceS have been worked in
regard to promotions and demotions
OF government employees. This uua
or inquiry Is expected, 10 show that
Democrats by the hundreds have
beeh reduced in salary by one blan-
ket order, and Republicans have had
their n
the balance even.
Telifaie Letters.
1he means employed 10 bring this
about ore shown to a degree by the
following letter which was sent tn
every Democrat in the auditors Office
or the postoffice department and
every Democrat in the auditors office
of the war department. The singular
coincidence was that no Republican
IN those bureaus received a similar
letter. and that many Republicans
received increases of salary about the
time that the recipients of the letter
received decreases.
"Novmber 4. 1897.
"Sir-ln has been represented to
me that other clerks in that office
receiving smaller salaries than your
self are more efficient in the dis
charoe of their duties
"A rule of the treasury department
requires tnat when this State of facts
exists, a readjustment of salary must
be made in order that it may be based
on merit only,
You will please submit to me in
your own handwriting without delay.
any statement you may desire to
make in regard to your length of
service, date of promotions, charac-
ter OF work and general efficiency. in
porder that proper decision may be
arrived at as TO the merits OF your
case.
Very respectfully,
HENRY A. CASTLE, Auditor"
This letter was sent out about six
months after the Inauguration OF
PRESIDENT William Mckinley, and com.
ing directly after the ascendancy of
me Republicans TO power and the
deteat or the Democrats would seem
TO indicate that the Republican party
was working these iniustices to Dem
ocrats and favoring Republicans as a
means OF evening up old political
scores.
All Are Tarheels.
Hundreds of letters along lines sim
! liar to the Castle letter have been sent
n hnrnnErsstS trit sIHs.