New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-25
THE GP0ILs SPIRIT STILL ACTIVE

III II D4Lc eF 4A4I SILL ACTIVE.
The old spoils system dies hard. There are
still statesmen who think that their success in
politics is 10 be measured by the amount Of
patronage they dispense and Tie number Of re-
tatners uhey can put IN Office and keep there
Singularly enough this ancient deIusion fingers
most obs1nately IL TIE TWO branches Of Con
gress II Is difficult 10 convince the average
Senator OF Representative rLat his functions ara
exclusively Legislative, and mat The selection OF
minor federal officials should be leFr 10 the TX
ecuuve Department 70 which. under anv "a
conal Interpretation Of The Constitution. II Drop-
erly belongs. Members Of the Senate have. of
course, contended thar their right 10 confirm or
Telect nominations IN The higher grades entities
men 10 act more or less as general Office
brokers' This assumption was carried 10 the
extreme ID The good old days when the Senate
undertook 10 enforce tie rule that no nomina-
non should be confirmed unless il had the ap-
proTal ID advance OF the Senators from whose
stale the nominee was selected Fortunately
THIS usuIparlon was al last beaten down, and
pg NE establishment OF the merit system IN
minor appointments the activities Of LEGISLATORS
ss au-round dispensers Of patronage were cur
tRlled-io their annoyance. perhaps, but TO the
signal and lasting Improvement Of the public
service.
The House OF Representatives has had its for
ner privileges seriously abridged by the passing
o. the old spoils methods What control over
appointments is now left is vested chiefly In the
Senate. II is not surprising, therefore. 10 find
the House from time 10 tine girding at the
Civil Service Commission and all It's works and
Offering last ditch resistance TO measures ca
culated 10 close the few preserves still omen To
TIE patronage hunter About wear ago a
ssachusetts Representative addressed 2 now
erful protest 10 the President bewaIlnr the de-
MAJ OF MS ''preroeative" 10 name a POSTMASTER
ID one OF uhe chief towns Il hs district Only
lew weeks ago an Indiana member threatened
10 rellne ron politics because he was unable 10
cohuol smaA appointment al INDIANAPOLIS
This fearfulness about losing the few scrans ~
spolls remaining has just manifested irself ao,,,
IN an organized attempt IN the House 10 defea,
q bill Of undoubied merit Recently ra,,or,aI -,
unanimous vote from the Ways and Means
Committee.
The BIZ purposes 10 give the Presisar+ ,ho
same power IN regulating the coIlection ~ ors-
toms as he has exercised from the beainn,ne, g.,
regulating the collection Of internal reven,.
IN the latter service TIE limits OF the collec+o
districts can be fixed by executive order ana the
NsL1cis can be SO arranged as To permit e
practical and economical administration IN the
customs service districts are created by Con
Rress and many ports Of entry are now main
Inlned ~ which 40 revenues are collected az all
OF al Which die amounts collected fail far sbor1
81 the cost Of collection The cost Of coIlecrina
a last year AZ Tappahannock. Va was Sl25 ~
az Annapolis. Nd. $50 s.; al Cherrvstone. Va
S-oo-@ aud al Albemarle y C. S32l 3s The
llieinai revenue OF the country Is coliectad-
under one sysiel1--at n net expense of I n ne,
cent c. ,.ls are coil-cfed-un.lf.r Ito orba,
ssslsa-aI Let expense Of S4s per cent Ye,