New-York tribune., 1900-05-19
THE APPR4ISERSHIP GRAB.

Governor Roosevelts decision placing the new
inheritance tax appraisers in the exempt class
will doubtless contribute to his personal COM
fort in politics. A stand for Civil Service Re-
form in this would have involved unpleas-
ant relations with Senator Platt and the organ
ization ut whose dictation Controller Morgan
distributed the batch of appraisership spoils
where they would do the most good. and it
might even have disturbed the present unruf1ed
flow of harmony on whose breast the Governor
is floating TO a denomination. 1t was unkind
fate which just at this time forced the Governor
70 make choice between the merit system of his
love and the spols system of his interest 1t is
q pity the decision could not have been post
poned 70 some more convenient season when the
eXigeItces of practical politics would not have
overshadowed the pursuit Of the high ideals Of
which the Governor is SO frequent an advocate.
As it was, however, Senator Elsberg's special
pleading fer the spoilsnen had to be accepted,
and Mr.. Mazet and Mr Lexow and Senator
Coggeshalrs are confirmed in their jobs by
Executive approval
How great the pressure may have been in
this matter do not pretend to guess. Prob
ably it was severe, though Civil Service Com
missioner Burt was able to resist 1t. He, how
ever does not, like the Governor bear the bur-
den of carrying out great State policy and
harmoniZing various interests TO make them
WON together for good and ii would not be fair
to question til Governors sincere belief that in
this concession 10 the machine he was adapting
practical means TO practical ends and entitled
TO that exemption of his motives from question
for which he SO feelingly pleaded the other day
in his outlook sermon on the Commandments
But whatever the high motives which induced
Governor Roosevelt to approve spoils grabbing
that ultimate good may come from 1t. do not
tl,aE I;
the act considered in itself. is anything but
surrender TO spoilsmen. Mr. Roosevelt has been
a member of the National Civil Service Com
mission and knows perfectly well that officers
performing analogous duties of appraisal
chosen by competitive examination and that the
system works well 1t is ridiculous to pretend
that there is anything 'confdentiai' ii the vau-
alton of estates If there is it Is .confiden-
tal' wrong which should be abolished and this
work removed from the sphere of intrigue and
understandings 1t is plain clerical occupa-
ton, requiring nothing but expert ability. intel
ligence and honesty, and II is perfectly ensy to
test fitness for 1t by competitive examination
IT falls clearly within the class intended to be
competitive by the Constitution and is only
exempted by mere assumptions simply un-
proved. but entirely In violation Of Federal and
city experience-th8t competitive examinations
for such offices are inpracticabie.
The Governor In explanation of his action re-
peats the familiar old claim Of the spoilsmen
that the Controller should have liberty of choice
Did the Controller have liberty of choice? Every
body knows he did not. He took the men the
machine dictated The local machine in Brook
lyn had arranged TO dispose of the two Kings
County places when the State machine stepped
in and demanded one of them for an up State
politician and got ii. 1t is grotesque to talk
abou. Controller Morgans liberty of choice" in
picking Mazet up from the mud and making a
place for Lexow, one of the few district leaders
out of iob-for which, by the way Lexow's
district adopted resolutions thanking Quigg not
Morgan-and rewarding Senator Coggeshall for
not engaging in the Legislative business. whole
sale AMI retail, on his hook and spelling
Mr.. Platt's monopoly The appraisers and their
partisans know how they got their jobs the
Controller knows IL and the Governor knows it,
and there isn't any use attempting to throw
dust In peoples eyes. II may be that the rencn-
inGton of Governor Roosevelt and the conse-
quent safety of the Nation may depend on this
exemption of the appraisers and the faithful
carrying out of Mr.. Platt's and Mr. Quigg's
promises TO their place hunters If So well and
good The country must be saved even II
Quigg gets engrossed resolutions of thanks for