New-York tribune., 1912-01-18
LEADING THE WAY.


President Taft set up q new milestone
I'm our political progress when he sent
TO Congress Yesterday his message on
governmental efficiency. Only Presi'
dent with unusual breadth Of vision and
absolute dlsinterestedness Of purpose
could have submitted recommendations
intended TO shear away large part Of
| the Executives present power in the field
of personal and partisan politics. Dis
pensing patronage has long been one Of
the most absorbing functions of Presi-
dent. and through the bestowal Of all
the more important and many Of the less
| important federal offices he has been
! forced. willy nilly, into accepting the
| role of the most active and influential
practical politician in the United States.
Mr.. Taft wants TO abandon that role be
cause he sees clearly that it is inCom-
patible with the wholesome exercise Of
the more important functions of his
office. He is anxious TO diminish his
own stature as political figure in order
that he may make moro efficient and
useful President.
If is no new idea with Mr.. Taft that
the diSpensation Of patronage, large ana
small, is an undue handicap put upon
the Presidents time and energy. The
waste of effort involved in deciding who
shall fll minor civil places, such as
those of postmasters. collectors o. Gus.
toms. collectors of internal revenue, sur
veyors. registers and marshals, is now
enormous. From the point Of view Of
good administration ii is of trit1ing con
sequence who holds the office so long as
! the work is done satisfactorily. Yet
under our antiquated system Of short
| tenures and frequent denominations the
! filing of such offices assumes an alto
gether factitious Importance. and NOT
only is the President harasSed by IN
portunities which eat up his time, hut
| Senators and Representatives are di-
vprted from their legislative duties by
ouarrpls over office among their con-
stituents. In fact. there have been
many Representatives and Senators who
nut success in hunting places above ell
other things, and who were entirely will
! ing 10 LET anybody else write the laws so
| long as they got their share Of the Of
| fees.
| The root of inefficienCy in govern.
mental administration In this country
has always been the idea that in obain-
ing q government post through influence
an aspirant was getting something for
nothing. If the salary was large he felt
dispensed from the necessity Of earning
| II. If il was small he felt free to tfeat
II as more or less Of a gratuity and n
give his attention to politics or other
| affairs. Too few federal ofticeholderS
outside the protected grades have recog-
nizpd the obligation 10 give return for
| their salaries as fully as they would IN
douhtedly have recognized II In private
employment. To eliminate influence IN
appointments. to give appointces gener-
! ally q frepr tenure and to create q live
| lier sense Of responsibility and prOfes-
sional pride in the ranks Of the govern
ment's employees will. in Mr.. Taft's view,
60 far toward lifting the federal service
TO a higher plane Of efficiency.
To politicians who dread change and
cling TO the habits of the past tho Presi-
dents recommendations will seem al
most revolutionary. There are Con
grcssmen. we fear. who will think they
sec the Statue Of Liberty tOttering on
its pedestal If they are asked n forego
the privilege of designating the men at
, home who are best fitted 10 run the
postoffices. But If the country really
desires efficiency in government It will
have to come TO Mr.. Taft's idea. We
have come 10 it in the military and
srmi-military services, hut there is Just
as urgent work 10 be done in the non.
military field and ii can be properly
and economically done only when Con
gress agrees TO take the federal estab
1ishment, practically in its entirety, ont
Of personal and partisan politics.