The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1903-07-30
A Lost Civil Service Reformer.

In view of the record it is not easy to
understand why anybody should seri-
ously consider Theodore Roosevelt as
a friend of civil service reform. Once
upon time he was n civil service COM
missioner, and while he held that Office,
he wrote spicy condemnation of
James s. Clarkson of Iowa, us an enemy
of the merit system. Clarkson was in
deed known throughout the country as
dead game spokesman and pie hunter
of the first rank. Mr.. Roosevelt had
hardly communicated a gentle warmth
to the presidential chair before he had
appointed this typical spokesman to a
fat federal office in New York city; and
the only sane reason ever given for this
appointment was that he would prove
valuable agent in corralling the negro
vote of the South for the president in
1904. While Mr.. Roosevelt was civil
service commissioner he was instru-
mental in securing the adoption Of a
rule which guaranteed to officials
whose dismissal from the service was
under consideration, the right to know
what charges were brought against
them and to answer the charges.
About year ago a Miss Rebecca Tay-
lor, an employee in one of the depart
ments, wrote to the Washington Post
several letters in which SHE took issue
with the presidents utterances and
policy with regard to the Philippines,
1T was an entirely legitimate and par
liamentary criticism, but because it
was hard to answer, probably, the
president was annoyed about it. The
very rule which he had had adopted
was annulled and Miss Taylor was
discharged from her position, and de,
nighed the right to know the charges
filed against her, If any were ever filed
at ALL
And the tendency to demoralize and
emasculate the merit system has gone
steadily on during this civil service re
form administration. For instance thu
civil service law of 1883 established {
classified service which does not EN-
brace laborers or nominations to bt
confirmed by the senate. This service
the president can enlarge as he sees fit
Those who expect to get into the CLASH
fed service are required to stand {
competitive examination. But sys
tenn has grown up under the Roosevelt
administration by which the civil serv
ice law is violated in a wholesale man
ner. For instance, officials or polite
ians who want to provide lady friends
and political henchmen with clerkship
aud do not want the trouble OF com
petitive examination, have them ap
pointed as laborers," such employees
not being under the classified service
1t is said there are very near thOus
and persons acting as clerks in the va
rious departments who have avade(
the law by having themselves desig
mated as laborers. 1t was recently de
veloped that orders were given not t.
require any work of some of these
women laborers. In this way public
officials have provided for their light
o-loves at the public expense.
Until November 27, 1901, the rura
free delivery service was not classified
8 and it had been accordingly packeC
with political heelers and hangers-on
In view of the classification that was t,
: come, thousands of these persons wer'
promoted. to be clerks in Washington
without having to submit to any exami
nation.
In the White House itself it il
charged that the civil service law ha
been as fagrantly lodged as it has beef
elsewhere. The upper household serv
ants there are carried on the pay roll
as day laborers in the public ground
{ or buildings.
, There has been throughout tn
, Roosevelt administration an entire dis
, regard of the spirit and the letter o
civil service reform. The presiden
| has used the civil service to promot
: his own fortunes, to punish those VIII
disagree with him and to build up hi
machine. He has more than doubled
, the expenses of maintaining the Whit
House. He appropriated to the use o
@ himself and his cronies a $500, 900 yes
t sci of the navy, and had it fitted u
t like palace at the public expense. Ii
= has had another naval vessel off Oyste
r Bay reporting to Admiral Baby Roose