The Omaha guide., 1936-12-19
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
DEPARTMENT OF THE NEGRO
FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE

S1Ab NdAlHdlSu dfOWtu tAt0 uCfp-
ton to the principle of Civil Ser
vice reform. Governor Landon in
iected the issue before accepting
the platform as drawn up by his
party. Not to be outdone, President
Roosevelt forthwith extended the
Civil Service so as to include post
master of lower lank and grade.
The Civil Service Reform League
has been aroused to renewed inter-
est and activity touching this great
reform which it inaugurated more
than fifty years ago.
1t is probably Tot the conscious
ness of the President, the Congress
or of the Civil Service Reform Lea
que that its principles are vitiat-
ed when applied to the Negro race.
For years l have Individually tried
my best through the press and di-
rect correspondence, to impress up
on these dignitaries how this law
breaks down when applied to citi-
zens of color. 1t would seem that |
have failed utterly. 1t is difficult to
impress upon public consciousness
a matter about which it does not
desire to be reminded.
Several years ago | had an inn
portant conference with the then
Civil Service Commissioner, ex-
Governor Campbell. He frankly told
me that the colored applicant did
not have the ghost of a chance OF
appointment to clerical service ex-
cept in certain segregated assign
ments. He expressed his full appre-
citation of the injustice to the race.
The responsibility, he ecared, does
not lodge with the Civil Service
Commission itself, which grades all
applicants fairly, and certifies them
according to their standing; but
when the case comes before the ap-
pointing officer, there is the rub.
These appointing officers are CIV
en- certain ~discretions by the law
to select among the names submit
ted or they may reject the entire
list. The identity of the applicant
must be known to the appointing
officer else he would be deprived of
discretion, which it appears, the
law intends he should have.
The exchange of fingerprints for
photographs would be of little bene-
fit for the colored applicant since
his identity must be established.
The introduction of photographs as
a means of identification was for
the purpose of preventing the fraud
of substituted names The Civil
Service Commission advised me
some year ago that the substitution
of fIngerprints for photographs
would be a very expensive proce-
dure recurring the Commission to
maintain fngerprint experts where
ever a Civil Service examination is
held.
The control of the departments
of the government is placed in the
hands of the President by the Con-
stitution. He has full authority over
the entire Civil Service machinery.
IF the matter of basic injustice to
the colored race al be cearly inn
pressed upon his mind, there is not
the slightest doubt that he would
find some remedy either in the mod
iication of the law or in its enforce
ment.
Now is the stragetic time for the
colored race to unite in some eff
fective method of impressing this
injustice upon members of Congress
and upon the President in such
manner that they will be constrain-
ed to grant he colored applicant
fair play or stu1tify the good name
of the government. To invite the
colored applicants to Civil Service
!, examination and then to cheat him
out of his justly earned reward
would be condemned by gamblers.
Surely the Federal Government can
not be guided by a lower standard
of ethics.
Congressman Mitchell has ex-
pressed his purpose of introducing
a bill in Congress to substitute fin
gerprints for photographs as can
Of identifying Civil Service appli-
cants. As stated above this would
do little or no good. But as the lead
err of the race political character as
a civic an political character as
we'll as individuals who have the
ear of public officials by their act
ivity in the last campaign, should
F.TT H~Is-J T.--.- nT.R,1n1I