New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-07
TIE CFNSTS VETO.

THE CENSTS VETO.
President Roosevelt used plain language in
! his veto Of the census act. But no open-mlnded
person will say that his criticisms Of the SPOTS
/ section of that measure were undeserYed All
! the friends of the merit system OF appointments
will agree that Congress deliberately tried 20
secure parceIing out Of the census patronage
pro rata among Senators and Representatives
| by recurring the examination Of applicants 10
| he non-coupetitive Since every person who
masses q non-competitive examination Is ellgl-
bic 10 appointment without regard 70 his rank
on the eligible list, political and PERSONAL pres
sure must play large part in nnnenclhE
selections The Director Of the Census earn
estIy PRAYED to be delivered from that pressure
and the President strongly urged congress 10
proteat him by requiring Il competitive test ana
making applicants who passed examinations
eligible in the order of their fitness. But Con
gress clinging 10 the few scraps Of patronage
now left IT. determined TO adhere TO the vicious
system which filed the Census Bureau in 1880
and 1900 with incompetents backed by political
influence.
The President cites incontro7eTtble testl-
mony as to the bad results Of the non-compeu-
tive system of selection. Anybody familiar
with Washington life knows that the tempo
rarv force of the Census Bureau has been re-
cruited In the past from among the proteges
Of Representatives and Senators, most OF whom
would have failed OF appointment under any
strict application of the merit system. Mr.
Roosevelt as the foremost champion in public
life Of the principle OF free and honest competl-
ton in civil appointments. could not have been
expected to approve an attempt to perpetuate
an abuse By which the Census Bureau has been
made to take care of the dependents Of poIid-
clans instead of drawing its force from the
hest material offered, regardless Of political
and personal connections.
The boldness of the patronage raid author
lied BY the census act Is illustrated by its non
partisan character. The House and the Senate
acted on the good old principle that there
should be no politics IN politics. The Demo
Gratis were therefore let IN on the distribution
OF the spoiig This fact was brought out some
what humorously in the debate IN the House
of Representatives on February Is. 1908, when
Mr. Crumpacker, OF Indiana, chairman Of the
House Census Committee made an elaborate
explanation 10 show that the Director Of the
Census and others who complained of the bad
effects Of non-competitive examinations were
doing Congress an injustice, because Congress
intended TO have the non-competitive system
| produce exactly the same results as the com
! petitive system. It proposed to give the DIrec-
tor and the President, not exactly what they
! wanted, but something equally good" This
| exclamation naturally mystified the House and
| created some uneasiness which was allayed
/
! Democratic Representatives-Mr. Hay mem
| Der Of the Census Committee, and Mr.. Booher,
Of Missouri
| MI Hay-Ar. Chairman, after the exhaustive
statements and explanations Of the bill by the
| gentleman from Indiana MI. Crumpackerl I
hardly deem II necessary for me 10 say anything
ebout il. The only thing on which the gentIe-
man entirely silent and tChich seemed 10
/ exercise fhe minds of gentlemen on the floor
| 7cry much was as to how these additional en-
ployes were TO be appointed I understand that
/ the last time they were appointed upon the
| raconouendatfon OF Senators and members of
| the House and presume they going TO be
/ appointed in the way this time. OF course,
| l cannot speak by the card.
Mr. Booher-Do you know whether this slds
| of the chamber will be allowed to name any or
/ not?
MI Hay-I presume so, as this side of the
| chamber was allowed to name some before, and
I suppose the same rule will prevail as has pre-
vailed before.
do not know that there is any other subject
that my friend from Indiana did not expatate
upon very largely in response TO the great mum
/ Der Of questions which were put TO him about
| this bill.
Mr. Hay had no illusions about non-competi-
! tive and competitive examinations furnishing
/ the same results. He knew why non-competi-
tive examinations were wanted. The President
is therefore entirely justified when he says:
| To provide that the clerks and other employees
| shall be appointed after non competitive examl-
| nation and yet TO provide that they shall be
| lected without regard 10 political party afiilia
| tions means merely that the appointments shall
| be treated the perquisites of the politicians
Of both parties, instead of as the perquisites OF
the politicians of one party. 90 not believe in
the doctrine that TO the victor belong the spols:
but I think even less of the doctrine that the
spoils shall be divided without fight by the
professional politicians both Sides and this
would be the result Of permitting the bill in its
present shape TO become q law
! Congress has taken a narrow and selfish stand
/ in thus legislating for its own benefit and
/ AGAINST the good of the service The country
will certainly condemn its programme and APP
! plaud the more sensible and enlightened views
/ OF the President.