Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-04-06
Charge That He CoerCed Of.
fiCidlS to Nominate Taft
Is DlsprOVed in
Report.
WOULD HAVE ALL
OFFICERS IN SERVICE
League Says That Only Third OF
Government Officials Come
Under Rules and Wants
the Rest CldS-
SIfled.

New York. April 6.-The report OF
a special committee of the National
Civil Service Reform league regard
ing the political activity of federal
Office holders was made public to-
day A summary of the report fol-
lows
Reports of undue political activity
on the part of federal office holders
appearing in the press Of the country
were gathered together through the
aid of an efficient clipping bureau
These were examined and the per-
sons mentioned in them were writ
ten to with requests for full in
formation, correction or denial. The
replies were carefully inspected and
the most important of these cases
We're followed up by an investigation
by an assistant secretary of the league
on the spot. Final drafts of our con-
clusions were submitted to all office
holders and political leaders who
We're unfavorably involved.
Charges of coercion of Office hold
ers by the president to secure the
nomination of particular candidate
have been inquired into. but evidence
to sustain those charges is wholly
lacking. President Ruosevelt's ap-
poiutment lists for considerab BILE
pcr.cd were, with his permission eX-
amined From those lists ii would
appea: that presidential appointments
prior to the convention were made
in the usua' napner Oh the recon-
mendation of se7atJrs, congressman
and others claiming the patronage of
the offices involved.
President Roosevelt took a decd-
ed step in advance toward checking
the evils resulting from this activity
of office holders in politics by his or
der of June 3, 1907, amended the
civil service rules by forbidding en-
ployes in the competitive service from
taking part in political management
or in political campaigns. This or
der was enforced in the last cam
paign.
The official roll Of delegates to the
Republican national convention at
Chicago was compared with the lat
est government Blue Book. 1t was
found that of the delegates to the
Chicago convention federal Office
holders constituted one in ten and
of the delegations from the southern
states nearly one in three, and some
southern states. more than half.
These Office holders We're political.
that is, outside Of the jurisdiction of
the civil service act, and in most
cases their appointment was subject
to confirmation by the United states
Senate.
The Office holders in the south
practically control the Republican
party organization in their respective
states and frequently resort to unfair
means in order to retain their pow
er.
Their support is a tremendous po-
litical asset TO any candidate for
nomination. As the southern Demo
cratic states have as many votes in
the Republican national convention
as the Republican states OF equal
population. under ordinary circum-
stances. the southern delegates would
control the balance of power in the
national convention.
These organizations controlled by
office holders are mainly interested
in the distribution of the patronage
and the naming of delegates to con-
NenIOuS. II Is not TO lue interest OF
these office holding cliques to elect
Republican congressman or to bring
about party growth and party sue
cess. which would mean curtailment
or loss Of the control of the patron
age.
The conditions in regard to the ac-
tivity of unclassified federal office
holders in politics are at their worst
in the south, but throughout the
country i'm accordance with estab-
lished custom. they are expected to
be active in primaries ard cOnven-
tions I'm the interests Of whose favor
they are continued i'm Office. This
leads to neglect of official duty and
absenteeism on a larke scale, and
the government is now paying large
sums in salaries TO officials whose
main interest and activity is devoted
10 politics, while their offices are left
In the control Of subordinates
The active participation by per
sons who have a personal interest at
stake I'm caucuses, primaries, conven-
tions and elections seriously interfere
with a free choice of candidates by