The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-23
MAKE NO CHANGE
N THE CONSULAR
SERVICE Of !. S.
This Efficient Branch OF the
Government Will Not Be
Thrown Open to Every Tom,
Dick and Harry.
CIVIL SERVICE MEN
WERE BADLY SCARED
BY Postponement of an Exam
nation, But There Was No
Cause for This Alarm -
Taft No Spokesman.
BY Sheldon S. Cline.


Washington, March 23.-The United
States consular service isn't going to
be thrown open to every Tom. Dick
and Harry who happens to have pol
itical pull, but the fact that man
has been active in politics isn't going
to bar him from appointment to
consular post. Such is the intimation
which has been conveyed from the
white house. President Roosevelts
executive order of June Z. 1906, was
intended to place consular appoint
ments on a strictly competitive basis,
but even Mr. Roosevelt did not feel
himself bound to the letter of the Or
der when it came to filling the higher
posts. Mr.. Taft, so the public is in
formed, will not hesitate to ignore the
order when he deems it wise to do SO.
Reformers Scared.
The fact that the consular examin-
alton which was to have been held
March Is was Indefinitely postponed
caused CONSERVATION in the ranks of
the civil service reformers. Word
went forth that the consular service
was to be turned over to the ''spoils-
men," and that in the future political
pull would count more than ability in
the making of appointments. This is
strongly denied by those close to the
president, but 1t is pointed out that
Mr.. Taft is bound neither by law nor
precedent to observe the Roosevelt or
der in every case.
Won't Change Order.
A stroke of the pen would wipe
the order entirely out, but the presi-
dent has no intention of doing this.
He is merely going to satisfy himself
of candidates qualifications; some
times a civil service examination may
be the means of making up his mind,
and in other cases he may arrive at
decision in other ways. The presi-
dent believes competitive examin-
alton is desirable test as to a mans
fitness for office, but he holds that
occasion may arise when there is
some reason for determining an ap-
pointment more weighty than the fact
that man stands at the head Of the
eligible list. :sA
Makes New Change.
One of the most revolutionary
changes Mr.. Taft has inaugurated in
the matter of making appointments
relates to the assistant secretaries of
the several departments. The presi-
dent believes that as the head of the
department is responsible for the
work OF those under them they ought
to be privileged to select their own
lieutenants. AS rule, therefore, the
president will appoint as assistant
secretaries and assistant postmasters
and attorneys general the men whom
the members of his cabinet may re-
commend. 4~aa
This seems SO eminently fair that
it is wonder no other president ever
adopted the method. Very often in
the past the assistant secretaries have
been appointed with consultation with
the department head and net infre-
quently the relations between the de-
partment heads and their assistants
have been anything but friendly
Things ought to run a lot more
smoothly in the departments under
the system which Mr.. Taft proposes
to inaugurate.