Evening star., 1905-10-19
mot A SQUARE DEAL !"
A Department Clerks Criti-
cism of Presidents Order.
RIGHT OF EVERY MAN
EVEN THE CRIMINAL ENTITLED
TO A HEARING.
Commissioner Cooley, Who is Credited
With Inspiring the Amendment
Vigorously Defends It.

Fresh impetus was given to the discussion
by government clerks of the President S
latest civil service order. permitting dis
charge without hearing or notice, by the
knowledge that the first victim of the order
| was the chauffeur who had kept in the way
| OF the Presidents carriage Monday last
and who had been the means of clinching
| the idea that had existed for some time as
| to such order
| The instant dismissal of Walter S. Ell
| vidge, the Department Of Commerce and
| Labor messenger, who had handled the au-
| tomobole that troubled the President, did
| not become generally known in the depart
| ments until today, the information travel
| ing fast after 1t once became known yes
| terday. The effect of the dismissal was to
confirm the generally accepted view that
the new rule would prove a serious ham,
per to genuine civil service, in that it pre-
vented opportunity for defense.
Square Deal Not Suggested.
A well-known official of the Civil Service
Retirement Association of the treasury,
speaking today of the rule and the dismiss
sal of Elvidge, said: II do not know any
| thing about the case of this man. and, so
far as know, the President may have been
right In ordering his summary dismissal,
butlthe method of doing'it does not suggest
that square deal have heard so much
about In all parts of the country Elvidge
was entitled to have his statement record
ed, but he was denied this The funriamen-
tai basis of all law and of all right treat
ment of man for his fclowman is that of
oetense The meanest and vilest criminal
that ever lived is accorded the opportunity
to defend himself and prove his innocence
IL possible. That principle has heretofore
existed In the government service. The
PRESIDENTS action in his civil service order
and the dismissal of Elvidge 90 not indi-
cate much hope of fair deal In the future.
Every One Entitled to a Hearing.
Those of us who have had some expe-
rience In the world know how easily we
have condemned people on what appeared
to be undoubted proof in front of our very
eyes. we remember that in many cases
an explanation might have cleared up the
whole matter and brought a change of
feeling. That is why no man should have
MS chance to earn living taken from him
without the opportunity to tell his own
SIDE OF the matter. The meanest man that
ever llved Is entitled to that, and every fair
minded man will agree that this is the
principle upon which we should live In the
world.
Il can conceive that the President was
annoyed at the probable pranks of the
chauffeur who did not know who was be-
hind him, and likewise was ANNOYED at the
fact that he may have got some dust in
his eyes, but the President has preached
several sermons-one at Oyster Bay last
summer-on mans treatment of man and
the square, deal proposition. Some time
back the President wrote scorching letters
to the District Commissioners demanding
enforcement of the smoke ordinance be-
cause smoke arising from a big electric
lighting concern southeast of the White
House annoyed him and his family to some
extent. He was entitled to make that COM
plaint because the concern was violating
have violated any District law His claim
Is that 1t was his effort to avoid violation
of the law by keeping on the right-hand
side Of street that caused the President to
become vexed."
There was the same reluctance among
the clerks to speak for publication as yes
terday, the danger being too apparent in
these days of orders to keep close mouths
all along the line