Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-22
MANY REPUBLICANS AMONG Of
FlcE HOLDERS SCHEDULED
rojHolD JOBS.
sPoILs SYSTEM GIVES
wAYiTo EFFICIENT SERVICE
Department Clerks Long in Service and
Familiar With Duties, Will BE Re.
tanned BY Democrats Regardless Of
Party Affiliatien-Othsr Washington
News.

rSnecial Cprrespondence.1

Especial Correspondence
Washington, April 22.-It is not so
many years ago that change in the
political control of the house of rep
resentatives brought forth the slogan.
ito the victor belongs the spoils."
It was so to greater degree thru
out the government service before the
civil service became an effective insti-
tuition for the protection of efficient
government employees. At the capital,
however the slogan has always been
heard. and 1t was a well founded be-
lief that the principles were still adj
hered to that brought hundreds Of
democrats to Washington seeking de-
sirable jobs.
the house in the last few days indicate
that while patronage is a legitimate
part of victory at the polls. indiscrimi-
rate and wholesale discharge Of en-
ployes Is thing Of the past. The
democrats in the house have it in their
power to discharge practically every
man. woman and page employed at
their end Of the capital They have at
their heels day and night q sufficient
number Of office seeking democrats to
MI twice over every Job within their
gift. Many Of the employees who were
appointed while the republicans were
In control Of the house will lose their
Jobs. Many Of them have already been
told to go back to the farms and to the
factories. In a great majority Of cases.
however, the republicans who have
been discharged constitute the force Of
men who run the elevators. the capitol
policemen and other comparatively un-
important units IN the clerical and me-
chanical machinery Of the capital This
does not apply, OF course, TO the elect
i've offices, such as sergeant-at-arms,
doorkeeper, clerk of the house, chap
lain, etc. 1t does apply, however, to
the important c1erkships.
When tho democratic chairmen, new
" appO;ntgl <oct -~---~~-- = the
committee roo a. 1a 'erl oc-
cupied by the republicans for sixteen
years they found installed therein
clerks and assistant clerks who, thru
long years Of service, had familiarized
themselves with every detail Of the
committee work. 1t so happens that
these committee clerkships are the
most desirable pieces of patronage
within the gift Of the democrats, and
the present incumbents have long since
been marked for slaughter by the job
hunting democrats. In a remarkable
number Of instances, however, the
democratic chairmen have shattered the
hopes OF the office-seekers by reap
pointing the clerks and assistant clerks
who served under republican chairmen.
Courts Retain Position.
In the committee on appropriations.
for instance. Chairman Fitzgerald, Of
New York. inherited from James A..
Tawney. his predecessor. James c.
Courts. It happens that Mr.. Courts Is
a Tennessee democrat and first came
into the government service when the
democrats were in control Of the
house. He has. however, weathered
more than one political upheaval in the
house. Today Mr.. Courts Is generally
conceded to have a wider knowledge
Of government appropriations than any
man employed at the capital or treas
ury and in fact, more than any mem
Der of congress. Mr.. Courts Is to be
retained as clerk of the appropriations
committee. and is to be permitted to
retain his assistant, because his ex-
perience and knowledge is Of a nature
that new man could not possibly be
expected to acceptably fill his place
Mr.. Fitzgerald is not the only chair
man who had found it inadvisable to
disturb the expert clerks who served
the republicans. The best illustration
Of this is to be found In the suite Of
offices occupied by the wsys and means
committee. Of which Oscar Underwood.
OF Alabama, is chairman. A mere office
seeker would be the greatest kind of a
handicap to a committee IN the midst Of
vocv1c Tot (~v
wood has recognized this fact by re-
tanning the men who know every
schedule, paragraph and sentence in
the tariff laws Of the country.
Change Expensive Experiment,
Chairmen Of other committees Of the
house, and particularly those who have
Jurisdiction over appropriation bills
have come to the conclusion that to
mako change for the sake Of dealing
out bit OF patronage would be an ex-
pensive experiment which might very
easily involve the government in ntiga-
ton and which might quite as easily
permit OF errors involving immense
| sums Of money. The democratic chair
men are not willing to take these
chances and It is beginning to look as
tho the retention Of faithful govern
ment employees in important positions
IS 10 pecome an established policy and
that the day Of wholesale DISCHARGE up-
on the advent Of new party control is
a thing OF the past
"Give me ten boxes of thin typewrit-
ing paper and 500 sheets Of carbons. !"
said secretary to a democratic men,
Der Of the house to the stationery clerk.
What under the sun is the mat
ter with you democrats ?" demanded
the clerk. Every chairman in the house
has already run over his account.
Copy, my boy" replied the secre-
tary; publicity. and lots Of it,
A great light has dawned on the
| democrats. They control the house for
the first time in sixteen years. They
have recently learned the value Of pub
1icity. Reams upon reams Of Copy
are being ground out in the various
democratic committee rooms
| Mr. So and So, when interviewed
today on the state Of the Union SAID
colon, dash. quotation marks.
Then Mr.. So and So, chairman OF q
lcomfuitttee which has been slumberins
for years without bringing In a report
to- the house, announces that there IL
great activity among the members OF
lhiscommittss: that he proposes to lead