The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-21
TAFT'S CIVIL SERVICE. CuAI-
IE:N(I.

In his speech at Detroit on Monday
President TAFT boldly challenged Mr..
Bryan or anybody else to tell the
pubic what particular contract or re-
s'raini of interstate trade lie would
condemn which would not be condemn
ed within this definition of the Court"
the definition laid down in the dc
cisions in the Standard oil and Amer.
lean Tobacco eases. OF course. MIR.
Bryan Will accept the challenge. AMI
rf9at he viii confuse the issue we have
( the least doubt. There WAS another
however. in the Presidents
)eabcech at detroit, touching upon an
entirely different matter wh!ca we
< Should be pleased to hGva the Dame
Gratis accept at the next session of
( Congress IT is challenge ito IN.
clude in the civil service every col
ieotor deputy collector and everybody
connected with the internal revenue
system In local collections. and nut the
"hole service on an effective. nom
partisan basis" The President chal-
lengcd those who have charged him
with using the patronage of his Of
nee TO accomplish something TO come
"aFo ana Join me in legislation
winch VIII enable me to put every
local officer be he postmaster inter.
nal revenue collector, customs col,.c.
Tor or anybody else filling an office or
the United states, In any OF the States
of the Union, under the CLASSIFIED civil,
it would be 4 source of economv"
ana would give the President more
tlme 10 devote to other duties" lie
said that he knew at would savc
sood many Congressman their seats"
and would tend to the elevation or
The public service; but he did NOT
believe the Congress would do If
IN MS speech, Mr.. Taft said: wrhev
nave charged me with using patron
age to accomplish something. 81
nave am not conscious of it," The
baltimore Sun is inclined TO doub.
'his statement and does NOT updar
stand how the President could have
heen unconscious of the alleged fact
mat ne cut off the Federal patronag GO
OF the Republican Insurgents in Con
sress who refused to support tho Al
ministration bills without amendment,
IN support OF its opinion that tho
president must have been conscio,.
OF such use of his patronage, The Sun
paper quotes a letter written by the
PRESIDENTS Secretary. Charles p. Nor
Ton. in September last year. in which
he said: While Republican legisla-
ton pending in Congress was opposcd
by certain Republicans the PresIdon.
felt 1t TO be his duty to tho Marty
and to the country to withhold Fed
eral patronage from certain Senator's
ana congressman who seemed TO be IN
opposition TO the Administrators eff
forts TO carry out the promises OF the
party platform. Mr. Norton did write
such a letter. and yet the President
IN MS zeal for the Accomplishment of
ms own pledges and the promises OF
ms party platform might not have
peen conscious OF using patronage 10
attain his ends We have sufficient
faith in his good intentions and sum
cient proof OF his disregard of mr.
tisan considerations in the larger
thihgs OF his Administration to ac-
eept MS statement at Detroit at its
iull race value. He did mot use the
Federal patronage certainly for Al
ministrauon purposes when he an
pointed Edward ID. White, of I.ouisi-
ana, Chief Justice OF the United Stntos
ton, of Tennessee. and Lamar. of
Georgia. on the Supreme Bench; when
he appointed Conner. OF North Caro-
lima. TO the Circuit Bench, and smith.
OIL South Carolina. TO tile pist,ic;
Bench. Besides, in the matter ms
noted by Mr. Norton. he was deal.
Ing with condition in his own marry
and not with a theory Of the wisest
end best means OF attaining the ends
OF good government
Leaving this incident out OF fur,he +
consideration al present, the ohaI.
iense for adequate legislation tina,
VIII remove any future use of Feo.
etal patronage is perfectly clear ana
has Inc ring OF the true metal. what
VIII those who have charged the pr,s.
ident with the abuse OF patronage do
about II? That is the question OF i'm
mediate Importance. we have not Inn
ieast doubt that the challenge was Is
SUED in good faith. Al the close OF
1917 there were nearly 100000 en-.
ployes of the Government in IN.
classified civil service A year a.c