Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/230

 212 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

That this state of things existed under an administration which in some other departments was really a "reform administration" makes the facts even more disgraceful than they otherwise would be.

The following is an extract from a letter, dated March, 1898, from an ex-official (a Republican) of New York city, turned out of office by the present administration :

The customs governing appointments and removal of officials are for the most part, or at least at present, strictly partisan in character. The district leaders of Tammany Hall have promised positions to so many and the pres- sure is so great that it is proposed to wipe out the entire eligible list in the civil service and at once have examinations, which will relieve the pressure by making appointments as fast as they can be classified. It is proposed to take every position of importance off the classified service, leaving only clerkships and other minor positions. It is also proposed that if the new regulations had to be submitted to the State Civil-Service Board, the leaders of Tammany Hall would be compelled to confer with Senator Piatt, who is supposed to control the state board, to arrange that by their approving the new rules a division of the offices would be made in the proportion of 70 per cent, to the Democrats and 30 per cent, for the Republicans. The Democrats propose to discharge every man who was appointed during the "Strong" administration.

The local sentiment on the subject of appointments and removals by citizens generally is that the law in all cases should be observed, where now it is violated or evaded every day.

Among political leaders the civil-service law is looked upon as a good thing to stop pressure for place, as all the leaders have to do to get rid of a persistent office seeker is to tell him he can do nothing for him until he gets on the "list," and then, if he has the right " pull," he will be appointed.

The following extract from a letter of an ex-civil-service commis- sioner of New York city confirms the previous testimony as to the administration of 1895-6 and 1897 in the Department of Charities of that city :

.... The Civil-Service Commission kept close watch to prevent eva- sions of the rules, but on more than one occasion was estopped by the asseverations of the charities department. Although the Civil-Service Com- mission, with the evidence before it, had every reason to doubt the statements of the department, and no reason to change its opinion because of them, it can be understood that the position was a delicate one. My opinion is that the Board of Charities, under the presidency of Mr., was most ineffi- ciently administered, and that the reason for said inefficiency was the political

activity of Mr. and his continuous effort to appoint for political reasons

alone I have had evidence that even the better-paid employes, who