Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-09
Cannon's Argument.


superiors.''
Cannon's Argument.
Uncle Joe Cannon's argument in favor
of the seven-year tenure of Office was
more of disquistion on the government
clerk at large, for he said that govern
ment employees are a favored class any
how:
Now, what is the fact? The fact is
| that those who hold government posi-
tons, clerical and otherwise. get at
| least one-third more pay than those
who perform similar services in private
| employment. Now. nobody will dispute
that. There is one argument in favor
of their getting more pay. and that is,
| especially when they come to the seat
| of government. they drop out at home,
and after they have been here five or
seven years the tendency is that a
great many of them realize that they
have become strangers at their former
homes. out of touch with the ordinary
business of the country, lose their
friends at home, and, to some extent,
lose their competency to compete with
the other 100000 people who are pay
ing the taxes.
Representative Reilly of Connecticut,
in opposition to the seven-year clause,
made a brief and forceful picture of
possibilities under the near-spoils syS-
tenn of the democratic proposition when
he said:
THE merit system belongs essentially
to a republican government like ours. The
positions are open to every respectable
citizen within certain limitations of age.
| 1t is thus removed from political inf1u-
ence, and the person, man or woman, as
the case may be. showing the greatest
amount Of fitness is accorded the posi-
ton. Outside of any injustice which
would be done to the employe. it would
be decidedly injurious to the interests of
ft1n oil Ill frnIr1
the civil service on any score other than
that Of inefficiency. This system would,
moreover, discourage persons of ability
from considering the civil service as a
life. career. and the offices would be open
only to those who could not make much
success in private enterprises. That this
would be a great loss to our government
is easy to understand when we consider
that every day the public business is be-
coming more complicated, and that it re-
quires for its proper transaction the pos
session Of expert knowledge which can
only be acquired by those who feel that
their thorough study of the needs and re-
quirements of government business will
be rewarded by a tenure resting on good
behavior and efficiency"
Mann Approves Plan.
Representative Mann. leader on the re-
publican side of the House voiced his ap-
saying that his Affirmative vote should
not be taken as promise to vote for it
again over presidential veto, which he
expects, on account of the adjustment
Of the Commerce Court, in the same bill
The principal defense of the seven-year
tenure of Office came from Representa-
tive Burleson of Texas. who had con-
siderable to say about government clerks
favored class. He also said that il the
seven-year tenure proved successful in
the District Of Columbia he was sure it
would be extended to the rest of the
| country. In explaining the seven-year
clause he said:
II have been here nearly fourteen
years. and never has there been a para
graph carried in an appropriation bill
that has been so distorted and misrepre-
scented and about which so many mis-
made about the paragraph under discus
sion. I will not say that these misrep-
reservations have been purposely made,
| but on that / have very decided views,
and 1 will say that there is a coterie of
gentlemen in this town who constantly
play upon the credulity and fears of these
| unfortunate employees. all of whom are
anxious to receive and many of whom
are ready to believe that these influential
gentlemen can secure for them the bene-
| fits of a civil pension act. We all know
here that these hopes are baseess: that
we are not going to pass any such PEN
| sion bill. We know that there are not
| fifty AQen on this floor who would line UP
| with Mr.. Mann and record themselves In
favor of a fiat pension for civil en-
pfoyes of this government"
Says Clerks Are Favored.
| Mr. Burleson concluded by saying that
government clerks are favored by extern
| sive leaves of absence.
"And, moreover, not only are govern
ment employees favored in this particular
| way, but they work only seven and one
half hours a day. they have thirty days
| annual leave, they have thirty days sick
/ leave-and many OF them take 1t all and
| nearly all of them take part Of it-and
| in addition, they have innumerable holt
days. And yet. holding these favored
| positions to the exclusion of thousands on
| the outside who would be glad to have
them at a certain period in their lives,
| the government emplOye seeks to Shout
der the burden of his support after he is
no account onto those who would be glad
| to have had his position by making them
pay him a pension.
| Representative Fitzgerald. chairman OF
the appropriations committee said thai
| he believed peculiar conditions exist ii
| the government service in the District OF
| Columbia which can be cured only Dy
the seven-year plan.
Vote on the Measure.
| The vote to adopt the conference re-
port was al to IS. The ayes were
Adair, Adamson, Alexander, Anderson
(Minnesota). Ansbery, Ashbrook. Ayres
Beall (Texas). Blackmon Borland, Brown
Buchanan. Buckley. Burgess, Burke
(Pennsylvania). Burke (WiscOnsin). Burle.
son. Burnett, Byrns CTennessee), Gambler
carter. Claypool, Clayton. Cline. Con
nell. Conry. Cox Qndiana), Crago. Cullop
Davis (Minnesota). Davis (West Vir-
ginia), De Forest. Dent. Denver, Dfckin,
son, Dixon Undiana). Doremus, Driscoi
ID A; Estopinal, Evans, Faison, Fergus
Il Ir:x-. 4 ioA