The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-05
Report of National Civil Ser- vice Reform League At-
 Jacks Par1 Methods
EXISTING CONDITIONS
 ARE MOST SCAADALOUS
Recommendation Are Made By the Committee That the Civil Service
 Commission Do Take Active
 Steps to Secure Reforms.

New York, April 1.-The report of tho special commission appointed by the Ma tional Civil Service Reform league to in- vestigate the matter of political activity on the part of the federal officeholders
 was made public today. The commit
 tee systematically gathered current press
 reports of alleged undue political activ-
 ity and sitting out the more serious ac-
 cusations through correspondence with the parties Involved and by detailed in- quiry into the circumstances, sought to determine the truth.
 The conclusions of the committee are that the charges are sustained. not able exception is reported in the alle- gatlons made during the campaign to the effect that MT. Roosevelt coerced several officeholders into the support of Mir. Taft for the republican nomination. With his
 permission the lists of the Presidents appointments for a considerable period prior to tho national convention were scanned by the committee which finds that evidence to sustain the charges made Is wholly lacking. On the contrary, MT. Roosevelt is credited with having ad- vanced the cause of civil service reform by so amending the civil service rules as to prohibit employees in the competi- tive service from taking part in political campaigns.
 On the broad question of the pernicious activity in politics of federal officehold- ers however, the committee finds that a most undesirable situation exists Of the
 more than 900 federal officeholders,
 one-third are not amenable to civil service control. These officers often exercise a powerful influence In politics and con-
 stitute, In the opinion of the committee.
 a menace to free institutions. Report of Committee. Following Is the report in part:
 To the Council of the National Civil Serv-
 ice Reform League:
 E From the time of President Jackson the holding of a federal office carried with it an implied obligation to help run the party machine. With an occasional pro test, this service came to be taken for granted by the public. In federal, state and municipal service it was open, inso- lent and dominating. President Hayes issued an advisory protest against It which came to nothing. After the adop- ton of the civil service act in 1883, this activity continued, although in lessening degree among those inferior officials who became relieved from coercion by being brought under the civil service rules. In 1886, in answer to a public demand, Pres ident Cleveland issued his well-known or der to limit this activity. It was only another advisory protest, and its enforce ment rested in himself and in unsympa- thizing heads of executive departments In 1902 President Roosevelt declared the t<,h hn cit Ir, hut made no change as to manner of enforce ment and it remained only protest. So far, no President believed that he could make a direct rule and enforce 1t with out causing an opposition which would block the wheels of the government to an unwarranted extent.
 Rooseveft's Order.
 Tn 1907 President Roosevelt took it up in earnest and made real order. He amended Section 1 of Rule 1 of the civil service rules by adding the following paragraph:
 Persons who by the provisions of these rules are in the competitive classi- fled service, while retaining the right to vote as they please and to express pri- vatey their opinions on all political sub jects, shall take no active part in polit- ical management or in political cam paigns."
 The enforcement of this rule was thrown upon the civil service commission. and the commission has performed it's duty. The order is an epoch in civil service re- form. The competitive classified service now embraces 222, 12b places, and the hold CTS of these places are confined to the quiet and efficient performance of their public duties and are completely abso1ved from the quasi-feudal allegiance which compelled them to devote time on de- mand to running primaries and conven- tAN Tl,a- fc fpA. le&tfa Ffr<f< which civil service reform has won
 The wholesome results of the separa- ton of the competitive service, so great in volume, from politics, furnish the most powerful weapon with which to drive pol itics out of the unclassifed service and to extend the system to state and mu- nicipal service. The patronage system cannot stand before the comparison.
 Patronage System.
 The patronage system, and the more emphaticaly since the recent order of President Roosevelt classifying as com petitive the fourth-class postmasters north of the Ohio and east of the Mis- sissippi. is now confined to corner of the service This corner however, em- braces over 100000 places, some of them having high salaries attached and filled by men of ability. thoroughly skilled In political manipulation. With few excep- tions. they hold their places on the recom- mendation of some politician, senator or a congressman of the dominant party. and in states where the party Is not dom inant, party committees, and private cit izens commonly known as referees, make the recommendations By whenever recommended. the officeholder feels a duty to his patron, and on demand will work days and nights in his interest. AS the higher salaried offices are filled through appointment "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate" they be classified under the civil serv- ice act of 1883, unless by direction of the Senate"
 In the main the federal service seems to be conducted with considerable ef- yet this practice violates every business principle. Except in the depart ments at Washington and few other places. the larger offices in the unclassa-