Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-12-18

| constituents" They are there yet and
will be for many years. 1t is notorious
| that one-third of the clerks in the execu-
tive departments at Washington are eli
ther incapacitated by age were never
| fitted for the work they are set to per-
form. Those undesirable ones who got in
through the civil service examinations
had the book larnin' " and nothing else
No one wants to be so cruel as to have
them dropped out by the only means at
the command of those who have the au-
thority. After probation of six months
from the initial appointment the perma-
nent appointment is made, and the execu-
tive officers are compelled to pursue meth
DDS which criminal prosecutor would
blush at In order to get rid of an unde-
strable classified employee of the govern
ment.
1t is now proposed to fix a tenure for
all within and who may be appointed to
position in the classified service. This
seems the only way to make and keep the
service efficient. The notion that any ex-
ecutive officer will dismiss an incapaci-
tated or inefficient employee in the inter-
est of the public service has long since
been exploded. He will call and call again
upon congress for additional clerks till
those who would best serve the govern
ment by staying at home until pay day
stumble over one another, and Uncle Sam
becomes a great keeper of his wards.
One good way to improve and maintain
an efficient classified service is to fix q
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 a 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
were opposed to the bill. OF course the
western Republicans, as a rule, voted
with the Democrats and thereby gave
them strength enough to force the pas
sage of the bill. Thereupon 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 a proposition to join together the old
est and the newest civilizations in Amer
lea. That the brilliant Hoosier senator
expects his bill to become a law is to
impeach his sanity. Why, then, did he
offer it? The facts go to show that it is
flank movement to prevent any new
state being admitted by this congress,
which would be great outrage. All
three are more fit for statehood than
two or three states now among the for
ty-five. 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 trick
would be 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 Wes-
ley Gaines, who represents the old
Hermitage district of Tennessee, has
made two separate and distinct eff
forts on the floor to put anthracite coal
on the free list, which would be a
great boon to millions of people; but so
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 is no doubt. That he is
right is equally clear.