The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-03-13

Furthermore, the charges made by
Mr. Reuterdahl, the marine artist and
q student, though unofficial. of navy
affairs, have at last attracted the at
tention of the senate committee on ma
val expenditures.
Perhaps 1t is not for the civilian to
pass judgment on the ships OF the
United States navy All he has to do
is to pay the taxes which defray its
cost, an expenditure which this year
will exceed S12O,OOO,OOO. But, after all,
the civilian has n right to listen to the
criticisms of >experts, and these critl-
ciSms are not at all favorable to the
present form Of naval organization.
Even though the American people are
of notoriously short memory, they may
when the steel works OF the
eminent philanthrOpist. Mr.. Carnegie,
were discovered to be selling armor
plate full Of blowholes to the navy.
There was an outcry, but the armor
plate scandal has been buried under
deluge Of Carnegie libraries. Now
comes the scandal OF the submarines
and following quickly upon it the tes-
timony of 4 responsible navy officer
that lie speed of the ships shown on
their tests is never equa!ci by % per
cent in actual service wien they have
coal and ammunition OH board.
The criticisms OF the a:Nm"ai!ion
hOiStS and the danger of exp! )H,"l iii
turrets are sufficiently well known to
need no repetition here. OF course the
langcr of explosion in Il foating steel
tank half filled with the most power
tul explosives ever known is not to be
lightly estimated or possibly guarded
against. TO my mind, rather anus
ing incident Of the first senatorial In
quiry into the naval situation was
when Senator Hale solemnly asked all
officer on the stand whether the dan
ger Of turrct explosions. like those In
the Georgia and the Indiana. was not
due to "the mania for rapid firing"
The witness mildly replied that he
could hardly regard the endeavor fOi
rapid firing and accurate aim as q
mania.
This investigation IS not going to
prove the American navy unworthy OF
the pride and the confidence with
which the people regard it. 1t is likely
to prove, however, that the organiZa-
ton of tile navy department, the stay
ut home men and the desk men and the
civilians who let contracts. is honey
combcd with Incidence. inefficiency and
graft. But even if it does show it that
condition will never be corrected until
there is complete change in the poll
tics Of the administration.
Public Service and Politics.
The public service should be divorced
from politics. No government office should
be used to control the results Of any cleo
ton whatsoever, whether 1t Is an cleo
ton for state or federal officers or pri-
mary held for the purpose OF electinG
delegates to q nominating convention. No
o!ficchOldcr belonging to dominant party
should act In any way which would cause
a scandal or create friction In any office
if the person belonged to the party in op-
position. Under the spoils system the
theory is that politics belong especially
to the otflceholders. Under the merit sys-
tenn the theory Is that politics belong tC
the people and that the people are quite
capable of managing their own affairs
without interference and dlctation on the
part Of those whom they have chosen tc
81, n1 ,N,,hlf IN, az
istrative positions.
Who do you think expressed these
admirable views-the late George vii
liam Curtis. the original and most eff
fective civil service reformer in the
United States, or William Dudley
Foulkc the present head Of the civil
service reform movement in this cOun
try? Not bit. 1t was Theodore
Roosevelt, who at the time was a
member of the civil service commits
sion. How curious the contrast be
tween his utterances as reformer and
his actions today as president. The
secretary Of war, his candidate for the
presidency, has not in three months
been in his Office ten days. Though q
public servant, he has neglected his
duties to pursue politics. The first as
sistant postmaster general was allow
ell to travel through the south for po
litical purposes and on his return
handed in nominal resignation in or
der to conduct the Taft campaign
Few ofIiceholders belonging to tho
Roosevelt party are today doing any
thing except work to get delegates tc
Chicago who will carry out the ROoSe
velt programme, whether it means the
nomination Of Taft or I carefully
planned stampede to Roosevelt. Never
has the power Of patronage been used
so unblushingly for political purposes
as it has under this former civil Serv'
ice rcfOrmer. Will it pay politically:
Don't forget that in 1892 benjamin
Harrison secured his denomination fol
the presidency by compelling federal
officcholdrrs to deliver delegations from
their states. He WAS Overwhelmingly
defeated The history Of that election
may be instructive to the president
and his pro,r@e. the absentee secretary
Of war
Washington. d. G..
Mrs. Rebccca Fundcrbcr9 Dead
Mrs. Rebecca Funderberg, an old
,,f liz