The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-27


rule Of modified activity which he did
not enforce. He dismissed a republic
can and a democrat for violating that
rule, and then reinstated the democrat
left the republican out. When Mr..
Roosevelt became president the at
tempt to keep the entire service out
OF politics had broken down. He took
frank and open stand. No man in
the 10000 places in the classified SER
vice should NEEDLE in politics, but the
rest were left free to do so. do not
believe that any federal place holder
should work in politics, and President
Roosevelt does not believe in it, but
in his Judgment he carried the reform
as far as it could be carried at the
time. Considering the stupendous gain
which has been made, due more to
Roosevelt than to any other one in
fuence, no reformer who is not an in
CRATE will turn against him for this de-
cision. The rest will come in good time
and eventually measures requiring
congressional action will be taken
whereby the entire service will in eff
feet be classified.
"It is true that large number of
members of the unclassified service
have worked in politics this year, but
they have been left entire freedom as
to whom they shall work for. The
charge that they have been ordered
to work either before or since the NOM
nations for any particular man, or
that they have been used by President
Roosevelt in behalf of any man, or that
their freedom to work for any particu-
lar man has been in the slightest de-
gree abridged or that they have been
In the least degree censured Or would
have run the least danger of losing
their places for working for man not
in favor with the president is absolute
ly without foundation. They have
worked and now work, as they have al
ways worked. They have worked no
more than they have always worked,
and every man woh has been familiar
with the civil service or knows any
thing at all about it knows this to be
true"
But Mr.. Swift does not stop here.
What would Bryan do?
What about Lamb and Taggart?
Says Mr.. Swift:
"Mr. Bryan is silent as to what, II
elected, he proposes to do with the
classified civil service, which now en-
braces 10000 places. This part Of the
service is covered by the merit sys-
tenn. In 1896 and again in 1900 Mr..
Bryan boldly declared for the desstruc-
ton of that system. gather from his
speeches that he has never been wrong
in any position he has taken on any
public question-free trade, tariff re-
form, free silver, public ownership of
railroads, and of course the merit sys-
tenn. II he has ever frankly confess
ed that he was mistaken on any ques-
ton have been unable to discover 1t.
Is he ready to confess that he was mis-
taken in proposing to destroy the mer-
1t sytem in 1896 and in 1900? It is not
an answer to say that the present Bry-
an platform proposes to enforce the
law. That was in bothplatforms upon
which Cleveland was elected, and in
his first administration, thanks to his
party leaders the law went to the dogs
and when he enforced it in his second
administration his party kicked him
out and went over to Bryan. Cleve-
land was friend Of the law. The rec
ord is that Bryan is its declared enc
my.
1.-THE history OF civil service reform
bristles with examples OF how the law
may be killed in administration. The
Germans and the voorheeses have
been succeeded by the Taggarts and
the Lambs, mortal enemies Of the mer-
1t system, and these are the men who
are at the elbow of Mr.. Bryan and who
have his ear today. Mr.. Taft's record
needs no correction. In season and
out of season. openly and without re-
servation, he has always been the out
spoken friend Of the law. We know
what he will do. President Roosevelt
has done more for the merit system
than all other presidents together, and
Mr.. TAFT will continue this along with
the other Roosevelt policies. The
merit system now extends into every
corner Of Indiana. and of the whole
country. 1t has proved itself the most
democratic method of distributing pub
| lie that has ever been devised. and its
good economic results are beyond ques-
ton. 1t has opened a vast field OF en-
ployment which may be obtained with