The Washington herald., 1908-01-06
Public office Is a Taft trust.

We are decidedly Of the opinion that if
the Taft boom IS to be managed within
and by the administration. one or more
designations from the government service
are in order The American people have
always regarded it grave misuse of
Executive power to employ the Federal
patronage for the promotion Of a Presi-
dental candidacy. Mr.. Roosevelt recog-
nized this feeling when he gave the third
term boomers TO understand, a short time
ago, that he would not permit Federal
officeholders to be chosen as Roosevelt
delegates TO the national convention Il
was then stated, in the Presidents behalf
that he would not consent TO a repeti-
tion Of the disgraceful methods by which
Harrison was nominated at Minneapolis
= 1892
Mr. Roosevelt was disclaiming any de-
sire to use the Federal machine for his
own behoof, but there has been no dis
claimer respecting the employment of the
Federal Offices for the advantage of the
Secretary OF War Notwithstanding that
the principle involved in one case is
precisely the same as that involved in the
other. What we are now seeing, and are
going to see TO still greater extent, as
the campaign progresses, is the enlist
ment of the entire body Of Officeholders
in the promotion of the Taft boom Not
only that, but the Federal machine is be-
Ing used to defeat the aspirations of
other candidates, as in the case OF Gov.
Hughes. What is going on in the Presi-
dents own State evokes this emphatic
protest from the New York Evening Post,
protest with which We are in hearty
accord:
What he lthe President has ro right to do.
what It Is grave scandal fCr him 10 do. is 10
employ the public service either for OF against any
candidate fer the Presidency. Yet we have be-
fore as the spectacle Of Cabinet members. assist
ant Secretaries heads Of department commission
rTS collectors and so on down % gaugeTs openly
campaigning as if by the Presidents ordars-Car-
tanly with bis entire aeIuioscgnce. This Is to be
resented ON every ground. It is against civil serr-
ica Tgf0rD-agaiust the rules which have been IN
force sinca President Hayes first promulgated
them It IS also against all political decaucv The
field should be left oTeH. Let the various caudi-
dates develop what strength they can aud then Jet
the national convention weigh their respective
claims without having the whole Federal patronage
flung into one scale
That is doctrine which the President. If
lie We're not 0bsessed by the idea Of nom
mating his own successor. would recog-
nize a. his own. Himself one of the most
eminent and devoted of civil service re-
formers. he knows we'll the demoralizing
influence upon the public service of max
ing use of it as a political machine. He
understands thoroughly the evils lurking
in a disposition of the Federal patronage
with regard solely 10 political effect. He
pas signed orders forbidding Federal en-
ployes to take part in political machina-
ti0nS. Are these now TO be hOnored IN
the breach? is the Taft candidacy an
open invitation to every Federal employe
with a particle of influence OF political
talent to neglect his duties and devote
himself to the furtherance of the inter
ests of Mr.. Roosevelts designated sue
cessor?
II so, then, in common decency. the
more prominent of them should resign
Public Office is not an appropriate posi-
ton for an open and avOwed Taft boom
eT. The public business is incompatible
with the business of corraIIing delegates
or il ought 10 be-. We are confident it
would be decidedly so if the delegates
were being corralled for somebody other
than Taft.