The Washington times., 1905-10-24
Alarm Self-Quieted.

Four days have sufficed to clear
away a great deal of the confusion
created by snap judgment On the
Presidents two recent orders affect
ing the executive service Last Thurs
day 1t was gravely announced the
spoils system had come back; and
Friday it was set forth with the same
gravity that the members of the
Cabinet had been scolded like school
boys, the dignity of Washington
correspondence assailed, and the
work of separate newspaper bureaus
dispairaged in favor OF that done by
the press services. AS a matter of
TACT, the spoils system is as far away
as ever 1t was, or further; the Cabi-
net has not been scolded; the dignity
OF Washington correspondence has
not been assailed, and the work of
the separate newspapers has not
been in the least dispairaged by any,
body.
IN order to quiet among reasonable
clerks any talk of the spoils system
returned or the disposition Of the
president to encourage talebearing
and lying--a suspicion it is hard to
believe was ever seriously consider
er-it ought to be enough to read
the Presidents order Apparently it
mas not been actually read even by
tnose who are opposed to 1T In print.
Two things are ordered and only
TWO: that when the head of a de-
partment is satisfied" of the >ineffi-
cheney or incapability of a clerk he
can remove him without hearing; and
when misconduct is committed in
the view and presence" of the head
OF department the offender may be
removed summarily.
These columns have pointed out
that neither Of these acts required
any new power. Instead of making
dismissals on Wednesdays, hereafter.
tney- "an be made on Mondays. Now
II this change We're fatal to the
principle of the civil service, the
Civil Service Commission might be
relied upon to discover the fact and.
discovering it, to do one of three
,iings-to protest to the President.
10 resign, or to keep still. Instead of
doing any one of the three the COM
mission issued through Mr.. Cooley
statement in defense Of the order
IN which that officer said:
Whilc-the new rule is not so far-reach-
ing or SO important as many people seem
the result of the amendment will he sIe
together beneficial The defect in the
government service today is not that
TOO few removals
This is due in part to an inherent de-
ttect In the Government service; the
loss for inefficiency, and is therefor
rather inclined to look leniently on
shortcomings Of his employees.
II Is in part due 70 the fact which,
every bureau chief in Washington can
testify to. that inefficient clerks inyar-
ls.piy lady nave the greatest amount OF po-
Lastly. it is due to the fact that under
the old rule heads II Offices sometimes |
1elt that so much red tape was involved |
In getting clerk out of the service that
X was easier to do nothing Ii is this |
last defect that the Presidents order |
Will remedy.
Yet by outsiders this same order, |
which the Civil Service Commission |
expects to do away with political pull |
as power superior to good work,
has been construed as an invitation |
to liars and challenge to the repu-
tatiOn of Ananias
As Tor the order affecting the Civ
ing out of news-it was issued at the |
request of the Cabinet, not, as a
scolding to it; and was designed by
the President TO serve the double |
purpose of protecting his aides from
hold-ups in the corridors of public
buildings and preventing discrimina-
tion among the newspaper cor
respondents.
II the text OF the the letter seems bad
lily chosen Git should not be forgotten
in this connection that the letter has
never been published in fulD the
Presidents purpose should be judg-
Cd by the letters effect Secretary
Taft has since delivered a formal ad-
dress in explanation of one of the
Administrations most important pro-
1ects, MIR. Bonaparte has explained
his view OF the immediate dismissal
order, and every member of the Cab
met has continued 10 meet the news
paper correspondents ano give ont
news freely. Could such men as are
now in the Cabinet remain in il If
they meant to defy their chief as
some newspapers have suggested? 1t
is inconceivable