CHAPTER XX

CIVIL-SERVICE REFORM

N his Inaugural Address President McKinley

I said, "Reforms in the civil must go on, IN

said, “Reforms in the civil service must go on, but the change must be real and genuine, not perfunctory." As a member of Congress he had spoken and voted in favor of the Civil-Service Law, and in accord with the best sentiment of the country was heartily in favor of its enforcement. The civil-service rules were greatly extended by President Cleveland. At the beginning of his second Administration, the number of places in the classified list was 42,928. By various executive orders this number was extended to 87,117. Those not included were confined to the limited number of persons whose appointment required confirmation by the Senate, and to the employees of minor importance, such as fourth-class postmasters, clerks in post-offices other than free-delivery offices, laborers and workmen, and miscellaneous appointees receiving small salaries. Thus, nearly all the important positions were brought within the scope of the Civil-Service Law. President McKinley was thus enabled, at the outset of his Administration, to repel the hungry

horde of office-seekers with the statement in nearly every case that the office desired came within the classified service and was subject to competitive examination.

This reception, of course, did not please the large army of politicians, who had rendered good service to their party and wished recognition for themselves or their adherents. But it was a very substantial gain for the merit system, which, as Major McKinley had said in a congressional speech,' was "here and here to stay." Great pressure was brought to bear upon the President to induce him to revoke the orders of his predecessor, but he steadfastly resisted. The attack was then made in Congress, where no less than five bills were introduced to repeal or seriously modify the law. One of these proposed to take away from the classified list some 55,000 positions.

President McKinley, while firm in his determination not to be moved by the clamor of the placehunters, appealed to his Cabinet officers to make a careful examination of the working of the new rules and report to him. The result was an order, issued May 29, 1899, making certain changes which experience had proved necessary, and all intended to make a real improvement in the civil service. The order 1 April 24, 1890.

was violently attacked by the National Civil-Service Reform League, which issued a statement to the effect that 10,109 offices and positions were withdrawn from the classified service. As a matter of fact, no positions were removed from the classified service, but 9040 positions were brought into it. The order transferred from the examination to the registrative list 3790 positions, most of which were in the ordnance and engineering departments of the army. These positions were expressly made subject to the rules of the classified service. Any employee violating these rules or using his position in any way for political influence would be subject to instant dismissal. The very nature of the employment made the use of these positions as rewards for political services practically impossible. The registrative system was one that had been used effectively in the Navy Department for several years with the entire approval of the Civil-Service Commission and the cordial approbation of leading civil-service reformers. The extension of the system to the War Department was simply a move in the direction of better administration. On account of their confidential nature, 222 positions of importance were made subject to non-competitive instead of competitive examination, thus giving to the heads of departments a wider latitude for the selection of their private secretaries and confidential

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clerks. Another change exempted from the require-
ments of competitive examination and registration
2831 positions, of which 2691 were recommended for
exemption by the Civil-Service Commission. The
number of persons affected by the order of May 29
was less than ten per cent of the total list of employees
and none of these were removed from the classified
service. It would be difficult to discover in any of
the modifications a door by which crafty spoils
politicians could find entrance for their favorites
into the public service.

In his message of December, 1899, President
McKinley said that the sweeping additions to the
civil-service lists made by President Cleveland had re-
sulted in making some inclusions that were "wholly
illogical and unsuited to the work of the several
Departments, causing friction and embarrassment.
After long and very careful consideration it became
evident to the heads of the Departments, responsible
for their efficiency, that in order to remove these
difficulties and promote an efficient and harmonious
administration certain amendments were necessary.

All of the amendments had for their main object a more efficient and satisfactory administration of the system of appointments established by the CivilService Law. The results attained show that under their operation the public service has improved and

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that the civil-service system is relieved of many objectionable features which heretofore subjected it to just criticism and the administrative offices to the charge of unbusinesslike methods in the conduct of public affairs. It is believed that the merit system has been greatly strengthened and its permanence assured."