Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-12-19
lean citizen OF whatever party the FOL.
lowing extract from his paper:

lean citizen OF whatever party the FOL
lowing extract from his paper:
Again there Is agitation at Warrington
Of the subject Of improving the classified
service Of the government. Means have
been provided for the selection Of cler.5s
in the executive departments. but no de
cent or practical means have been pro
yided for getting rid of incompetent CT
incapacitated clerks. Although not adj
mitted by those responsible for the pre:;-
ent condition, the federal government fcE
years has had and now has the most des-
pisable form Of civil pension list. Two
or three cabinet officers are reported 10
be In favor Of some action which will. ct
one fell swoop. take from the service
those who are not rendering good work
for the government. and 1t Is hoped they
will not stop till they have accomplished
results. But will they?
A few years ago tho commissioner OF
pensions told the writer that the service
in his bureau would be better, more would
be accomplished, II one.third of the clerks
in the pension Office were dropped from
the rolls. but they will be retained"
said he, because men in congress will
not vote for the displacement of their oy.n
constituents" They are there yet AID
will be for many years. 1t Is notoro -
that pne-third of the clerks in the execa-
tive departments at Washington are ell
ther incapac!tated by age OF were never
fitted for the work they are set to per-
form. Those undesirable ones who got in
through the civil service examinations
had tho book iarHin and nothing else,
them dropped out by the only means at
the command Of those who HAYS the aus
thority. After probation Of six months
from the initial appointment the pern.a-
:ant appointment Is made. and the eXecu-
tive officers ere compelled to pursue meth.
pas which criminal p.e--"''foF would
5 ,s y. ~ sx.iE e get rid Of l an unde-
ment. ~ 2 10. &c q 'H ga =
1t is now proposed to fix tenure for
all within and who may be appointed to
posti.o3 in the classified service. This
seems the only way to make and keep the
service ,efFcient.. The notion that any ex-
tated or inefficient employee in the inter-
est Of the public service has long since
I seHsfess tx saaqitianal clerks til
It's waa!a esst ssfSs .l5s govern:
thos. - R6a2e AntH BAY day
ment by staylns :. "eis sat1
stumble over one another, all.
becomes great keeper of his wards
One good way to improve and maintain
tenure of office and relieve the appointing
officers of some of the responsibility of re-
moval for inefficiency.
Three New States.
1t will be remembered that at the last
session the house passed the omnibus
statehood bill providing for the admis.
sion Of Arizona, New Mexico and Okla.
homa. While the house Republicans
did not put up much of fight to pre-.
vent the passage of the bill, it was thor.
oughly understood that down in the
bottom of their hearts most of them
We're opposed to the bill. OF course the
western Republicans, as rule, voted
with the Democrats and thereby gave
them strength enough to force the pas.
sage of the bill. Thercupon the senate
appointed an Investigating commit.
tee" headed by Senator Beveridge Of
Indiana. who visited the territories and
made most astounding report favor
ing the admission of New Mexico and
Oklahoma as one state, thing nobody
had ever thought Of or asked for. This
is proposition to join together the old
est and the newest civilizations in Amer.
lea. That the brilliant Hoosier senator
expects his bill to become law is to
impeach his sanity. Why, then, did he
offer it? The facts go to show that it is
a flank movement to prevent any new
state being admitted by this congress
which would be great Outrage. All
three are more fit for statehood thar
two or three states now among the for
ty-fve. This is peculiarly true of Okla
homa, which has half million pro
gressive. Industrious, patriotic people
the very cream of American citizenship
To keep her out by political tricl
would be a great outrage. If she gets
in at all, she will owe her statehood
chiefly to Democrats.
The Trusts.
A subcommittee of the judiciary com
mittee is wrestling with the great trust
problem. Nobody knows what it will
do. In the meantime Hon. John Yves
ley Gaines, who represents the ole
Hermitage district Of Tennessee, has
made two separate and distinct eff
forts on the floor to put anthracite Goa
on the free list. which would be q
great boon to millions of people; but Sc
far Brother Gaines has not been able
to induce the Republicans to accept
his proposition, and the Republicans
rule the roost. That Gaines Is In ear
nest there ia no doubt. That he Il
right Is equally clear.