s ▁ ▁Civil ▁Service ▁Commission ▁re forms ▁had ▁limited ▁success , ▁as ▁his ▁cabinet ▁implemented ▁a ▁mer it ▁system ▁that ▁increased ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁qualified ▁candidates ▁and ▁re lied ▁less ▁on ▁con gression al ▁patron age . ▁ ▁Inter ior ▁Secretary ▁Columb us ▁Del ano , ▁however , ▁ex empt ed ▁his ▁department ▁from ▁compet itive ▁exam in ations , ▁and ▁Congress ▁refused ▁to ▁en act ▁permanent ▁Civil ▁Service ▁reform . ▁ ▁Zach aria h ▁Ch and ler , ▁who ▁succeeded ▁Del ano , ▁made ▁swe eping ▁re forms ▁in ▁the ▁entire ▁Inter ior ▁Department ; ▁Grant ▁ordered ▁Ch and ler ▁to ▁fire ▁all ▁cor rupt ▁cler ks ▁in ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Indian ▁Affairs . ▁ ▁Grant ▁appointed ▁reform ers ▁Edwards ▁Pier rep ont ▁and ▁Marshall ▁Jew ell ▁as ▁Att orney ▁General ▁and ▁Post master ▁General , ▁respectively , ▁who ▁supported ▁Br ist ow ' s ▁investig ations . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁Pier rep ont ▁clean ed ▁up ▁cor ruption ▁among ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Att or ne ys ▁and ▁Marsh als ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁ ▁The ▁P end leton ▁Act ▁ ▁The ▁Civil ▁Service ▁Reform ▁Act ▁( called ▁" the ▁P end leton ▁Act ") ▁is ▁an ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁federal ▁law ▁that ▁created ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Civil ▁Service ▁Commission . ▁It ▁eventually ▁placed ▁most ▁federal ▁employees ▁on ▁the ▁mer it ▁system ▁and ▁marked ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁so - called ▁" sp o ils ▁system ". ▁D raft ed ▁during ▁the ▁Ch ester ▁A