The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-27
SPOILS TO THE VICTORS.
PRESIDENTS ORDER MEANS RE-
 TURN TO OLD SYSTEM.
Pronunciamento Looked Upon as . Bid for Southern Favor as Well as
 Conviction of an

Washington, Oct. 26--(special. )AIt Is interesting to note that the Presi- dents executive order of October F is also regarded in some quarters as a meant to meet an alleged defect in the civil service system. It is urged along this line that the President knowing that the Southern people have never liked civil service reform, and that they are extremely skeptical of the right eousness of the system, to say nothing of their belief that the system will never be practically enforced, are ready to approve the order giving the right of removal without regard to the civil service. In other words, it is back to the spoils system and back to Jackson ian Democracy, that they say President Roosevelt has gone.
 Incidentally considered, the prospect of practice in any degree of the right assumed by the Presidents order is in some important quarters the occasion of maav disquieting reflections. For instance. those Conggessmen who have been looking upon the civil service, as conducted previously to the executive order, as a protection from the time consuming annoyances of office seekers. now appear to realize that this class of patriots will again get busy.
 And there are Congressman, too, who have pets in office of whose security they are now not as assured as they were before October r. The Congress sional pet in office is usually the per- son who got there on account of some thing more facetious than clerical merit as attested by the Civil Service Commission. Besides there are a great many men and women in office who were not appointed through the civil service rules but were already in office and were embraced in former executive
 ,x,t,s s1t ;- al-- flied service. Thousands of these nev- CT stood an examination. It is this large class who of all the Department office holders have been most disturbed by the order of October T..
 No emphasis of assertion. no dexter ity of argument can persuade the aver age Government clerk that he is not how we'll or how hard he may work to do his duty. If the man who has the right 10 discharge him, civil ser vice or no civil service, wants his place for another person, that is the end of it. Civil Service Commissioner Cooley's attempted defense of the order as all light had no effect whatever upon the fears of the Department clerks. The order gave the right to dismiss a clerk or employe without hearing, and when a civil service commissioner said it was all right 1t only clinched the trouble and agitated the nightmare anew.
 oficers of the Cabinet, who at first welcomed the order of the President as giving them power they naturally liked, are now confronted with the be- deviling possibility of Congressman rum ming to them with applications along with stories of the unfitness of persons in offlce, whose jobs these Congressmen covst for political friends. The Cabi- net chiefs have grown peusive over this contingency, and are nervins them selves to meet the pressure. Several of them are ambitious to be President, and 1t is idle to talk to them about withstanding the importunities and al- lrremsnts of politicians The Cabinet aspirants arg politicians themselves and they know that they will not be in :he game unless they give as well as take.
 The President Of the United States has taken away the old excuse of those whose influence was sought by the of fice-seeker that the civil service pro- tected the persons whose places were wanted. Whether the person with a pull" likes it or not. 1t will be assumed that his influence is greater than ever Already instances are cropping out of conversations and communications of uneasy persons fin office with those whom they presume can prevent the loss of positions.
 It would take volumes to tell of the contingencies that loom ominously in the minds of the thousands of clerks, of the suspicious of their comrades, of en- vies. of jealousies, of islander, of heart less exercises of unlimited right of re- moval. of the eager, panting, remorse- less hunger for place of the pefson on the outside, who Is now told to go ahead, that the way is open for him to get job.
 Beyond any question of doubt the temptations to do injustice and the op- portunities to gratify selfish ends fin the operation of the civil service have been terribly increased by President Roose- velt's order. It has given the enemies Of the civil service system a better cue than ever to denounce 1t as a mockery and a putrid sham.
 At least that Is the way Washington 0nrn0aanf Pf1na