The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-08
FOR PURE POLITICS
President Taft Pushing Civil
Service Campaign.
OfficehOlders i'm the South Must
Attend to Business.
BREAK THE CLIQUES.
Executive Listens to Recon-
mendatiOns of Democrats.
Will Go the Roosevelt Admins
tratiOn One Better.

throughout the country, especially in
the south, was recently given a great
impetus by a report of the special
committee of the Civil Service Reform
association. which has found. after
careful investigation, that pernicious
political activity among federal office
holders has been entirely too common.
1t is the opinion of friends OF the
administration that this report, which
dealt with the tactics of southern Of
ficeholders in the plainest and, most
condemnatory language. will convince
all branches of the government that
no time should be lost in uplifting the
standards and the personnel of some
of the federal offices of the south.
This work was begun by Mr.. Taft
long before the special committee in
New York made its report. Before he
was inaugurated, indeed soon after
his election, Taft made it plain that
he intended to deliver the Republican
party of the south from the domina-
ton of the small cliques in each state,
which paid no attention to the election
of congressman or the strengthening
of the party, but devoted their time to
gobbling up jobs and voting fright"
in national conventions. Since he
became president he has stuck to that
policy
The old-time referees of the south
ern states have found that their re-
commentators are not charmed
words as they once were. Democratic
senators and representatives have
been able to go to the White House
and give advice concerning appoint
ments in their states, for Mr.. Taft re-
garded them as one means of insur-
ing the selection of only those men
who would be acceptable to the COM
munities in which they were to serve.
1t has been represented by some OF
those who wished to see the old re-
fierce system perpetuated that Mr..
Taft's policy would wreck the party in
the south. On the contrary. it is his
opinion, as it is the finding of the
special civil service committee. that
his policy is the only one which can
save the Republican organization in
the south from grave abuses.
President Taft has already taken
one step which will mean the Separa-
ton of one large class of officeholders
from any interest or activity in poll
tics. He has served notice that all APP
pointments to the federal bench shall
fiuence, that he will not allow senator's
to recommend for appointment candi-
dates for judgeships and that he him
self will attend in person to all such
appointments. In his first cabinet
meeting, he told the members of the
cabinet that they were to select their
assistants and subordinates without re-
gard to political pull, but with the
sole idea of securing efficiency.
Extend Civil Service.
Another great step toward eliminat-
ing the officeholder from too much
dabbling in primaries and elections will
come in the near future when this adj
ministration will go the Roosevelt adj
ministration one better and order all
fourth class postmasters put under
civil service. Now the fourth class
postmasters are under civil service only
in that territory north of the Ohio river
and east of the Mississippi. 1t is an
open secret that. with short time, this
order will be made to apply to the whole
country.
When Secretary of the Interior Bal
linger issued his order that all officials
of territorial governments should stay
at their homes and refrain from coming
to Washington for lobbying or other po-
litical purposes, he was merely crystal
liking a part of the presidents policy in
regard to off1ceholders and political ac-
tivity.
Thus. in many quarters, it is evident
that the president recognized the evils
of the system of off1ceholders taking
too strong a hand in politics, and that
he meant to lose no time in abolish
ing such a custom. He means that the
reform shall apply to all parts of the
country, but, like all those who are in
terested in the growth of the party in
the south, he sees that that section is
where the greatest enormities have ex-
listed.
1t is his purpose to do away with a
situation where the party is used mere
ly as a source of revenue to a few per-
sons who can hold office, and where the
getting of office is the primary purpose
while the strengthening of the party so
as TO give it n place in congress is not
looked after at all.
If a bill recently introduced in the
house by Congressman Victor Murdoch
of Kansas is passed, twenty-six states
of the Union will have to pay back to
the United States $2S 900, 900 loaned to
them in 1886 for internal improvements
Mr.. Murdoch introduced the bill as a
means of relieving the strained condi-
ton of the treasury, and he contends
that the states owe the money and
that they are pledged to return it to the
national government whenever called
upon to do SO.
In 1886 there was a surplus of s33-
100000 in the national treasury from
the tariff taxes. and a bill was passed
lending this amount to the various
states then in the Union, with the
understanding that it was to be re-
turned whenever they were called upon
to do so. The apportionment of the
money was made according to repre-
sentation in congress.
When three installments had been
paid in 1889, congress repealed the
act. When the repeating act was
passed it provided that the money ap-
portioned remain with the states un-
til otherwise directed by congress-"
While some of the states have kept
the fund segregated and loaned it out
at interest, other states have lost track
of it completely. All the southern
states lost their part of the fund dur
ing the reconstruction period, and in
many cases all the records relating to
| it were destroyed. New York how
ever, received s4,014,520.71, and has
kept the amount intact. 1t has been
loaned out at interest. and the amount
received from the investment put into
the state treasury. New Jersey and
Delaware are also said 10 have Kent