Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1894 — CIVIL SERVICE EXTENSION. [ARTICLE]

CIVIL SERVICE EXTENSION.

- Civil service reformers continue to maintain a vigorous propagada. In time, should they attain the full fruition of their desires, the working politician will not be able to answer satisfactorily that burning question. “What are we here for?” when the heelers strike him for a jo b about convention time. Year by year, since the reform was first inaugurated, additions have been made to the classified service, until but a meager list, comparatively, remains as a reward for partisan service to be bestowed by successful candidates upon their favorite henchmen. Administrations of opposing parties have risen to their opportunities to “get even” by extending the provisions of the act, and party platforms have practically indorsed their action. The weary congressman who sailed into his seaton a sea of promises to ifis constituents, finds this tendency to contract the number of places for which he can with, propriety, urge the claims of his beloved fellow citizens, a positive relief, and the belief is growing, that however disappointing it may be to individual ambition, the ultimate re-

sult of eliminating the unseemly scramble for official place from our politics can not but prove beneficial. The latest move in this direction by civil service reformers goes farther than any previous attempts, and, if successful, will remove some of the choicest “plums” from the tree, be • ing no less than a proposition to extend the ciyil service law to all minor government positions. Under this extension all postmasters of every grade will be protected. By the system proposed the postoffice at New York would rank first, Chi-cago-second, Philadelphia third, and so on, and the postmasters would hold their offices during life or good behavior, with chances of promotion for all except the highest grade. The pldn now under Consideration is very similar to that under which the great railway's of the country are operated. Dispatches from Washdngton state that many returning Democratic Congressmen attribute

their defeat to the spoils system, and express the hope that some plan will be devised that will relieve Congressmen- from >mak i tig • recommendations for any officejn the gift of the government Republicans are said to view the present agitation with suspicion, and are said to believe that it is part of a plan to enable the President to fasten the present officeholders on the permanently.