The Yale expositor., 1910-01-14

eral office holders as q result OF the
senate investigation are likely to be
OF great service in lettering the con-
dition of faithful employees of the gov
eminent whose merits have been
overlooked in order that political IA
vorites, whose work may not have
been up to the standard, should re-
ceive promotion. 1t can be said that
regardless Of party most Of the
senators of the United States have
not been any too strongly attached to
the civil service as it related to ap-
pointments, but when it comes to
question of promotions under the civil
service the senators are willing to &C.
quiesce in new rules.
Spirit of Law Violated.
II has been said before that 1t is
President Taft's desire that the spirit
of civil service shall prevail in all
departments. Thousands upon thou
sands of men and women are appoint
ed every year to minor Offices under
the rules Of the civil service, but when
they once secure their positions they
have found to their sorrow In many
instances that merit seems to count
for little when the question OF ad-
vancement comes up.
Not long ago Senator William Alden
Smith of Michigan. a Republican, ad-
dressed the senate in heated speech
in the course of which he declared
that many Of the bureau chiefs in the
departments OF government were moth
ing more nor less than petty tyrants
who had in their hands the power Of
promotion and who used it to advance
those whom they personally liked
while keeping back faithful men and
women who had worked hard but had
not sought to curry favor.
1t must be borne in mind that the
senate investigation of the civil serv-
ice system of the country will have
to do largely with the question of pro-
motions. The law does not speciflcal-
ly make provision for the advance
ment of the men and women from one
grade to another as result of good
work. 1t has been, taken for granted
that merit would prevail, but in this
thought little consideration has been
given to the frailties of human nature
as they show themselves in men who
for O brief period have been given au-
thority.
Commissioners All Right.
No criticism of the civil service
commissioners Of whom Gen. John G.
Black is the chief, is even suggested
in an evident desire of the senate to
have an investigation. 1t is conceded
that ordinarily the civil service exam
nations for government positions are
conducted honestly and that those
who pass get the places and that
those who fail do not get them. I'm
doubtedly the commissioners would
like to have the law extended SO that
clerk in a department who has done
good work will be sure to have his
services recognized by promotion ra-
Their than to have the better place
given to one who has a personal pull.
Bureau Chiefs to Blame.
Complaint is made that sometimes
bureau chiefs will recommend for pro-
motion clerk who happens to belong
to the same lodge that he does or who
attends the same church with him, or
is willing to show him favor because
their wives happen to be friends. In
some of the cases the promotion of
a favorite works hardship on a more
deserving one who is kept at his old
desk and at his old pay. In a sense
this is demoralizing and the senate
thinks that it should be stopped.
1t may be that as result of the in
vestigation law may be suggested
for adoption which will give old gov
eminent clerks a chance to retire on
pensions. Congress does not like the
prospect of civil pension list, but it
realizes that if one should be author
lied the government would save mon.
ey and at the same time increase the
amount Of daily work that is done
There are hundreds of worthy men
and women in the service who cannot
do days work. but who, because OF
their long and faithful service, are al
lowed to remain at their desks and
draw their pay. To turn them out
would in many cases mean suffering
and hardship and possibly the poor
house. This is great problem and
one that has been troubling congress
for years. It may be that action OF
some kind will be taken in the near
future.
President Becoming Earnest.
Members Of both parties in Wash
ington say that the president has be.
come more forcible in his intercourse
with the leaders Of his party than he
was during the debates on the tariff.
They say that when the tariff discus.
sion was on in congress Mr. Taft made
up his mind to reverse the Roosevelt
method and to plead with the sena-
tors and representatives rather than
to threaten them with the big stick
It Is also intimated that the president
has found that while "a soft answer
turneth away wrath" mild request
does not always bring an affirmative
answer. The belief Is that the pres