The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-26
TAFvr AND PATRONAGE.

nomination on the alleged activity of
President Taft's campaign managers
in the use of federal patronage to OBJ
tain delegates to the Chicago conven-
ton. Any such activity on the Tart
of Mr.. Taft's workers will have to go
some to approach the similar activity
of Colonel Roosevelt four years agS
in his efforts to make certain the nonli-
nation of Mr.. Taft That's different
proposition, though, to the believers IN
the theory that the king can do II"
wrong" But be all this as it may,
the fact will not down that President
Taft has taken a far more advanced
step in the way of suggestion than
has been taken by any of his predeces-
sors in the matter of extending tns
civil service to all classes of federal
employees. His earnest recommends
tions to this end are before congress.
If they were adopted the powerful plece
Of political machinery that it is possible
for a president to build up through the
dispensation of patronage would De
destroyed entirely. Nor do you see Col
cneI Roosevelt, nor any OF the other
candidates for either the Democrats
or the Republican presidential noml-
nation urging such monumental gov
ernnental reform and one that would
so tend to promote a greater efficiency
in the government service. President
Taft's most completely expressed views
on this most important subject are %
be found in his message to congress
of January II, 1912. on Economy and
Efficiency in the Government Service"
In this message, he said:
THE Importance of the existence OF
a competent and reasonably perman-
ent civil service was not appreciated
until the last quarter of the last cen
tury At that time examinations were
instituted as a means of ascertainlnS
whether candidates for appointment
possessed the requisite qualifications
for government positions. Since then
it has come to be universally admit
ted that entrance to almost every sub
ordinate position in the public ser
vice should be dependent upon the
proof in some appropriate way OF tie
ability of the appointee.
LAS vet, however, little If any at
tempt has been made by law to Sc
cure, either for the higher administra-
tive positions in the service at WASH
ington or for local offices. the qualif1-
cations which the incumbents of these
positions must have if the business OF
the government is to be conducted IN
the most efficient and economical man
ner. Furthermore. in the case of many
of the local officers the law positively
nrovides that the term of Office shall
be of four years duration.
1.-The next step which must be taken
is to require of heads of bureaus IN
the departments at Washington, and
of most of the local officers under the
departments. qualifications of capacity
similar to those now required of certs in
heads of bureaus and of local officers
The extension of the merit system to
these officers and a needed readjust-
ment of salaries will have important
effects in securing greater economy
and efficiency.
I'm the first place. the possession by
the incumbents of these positions of
the requisite qualifications must in it
self promote efficiency.
I'm the second place. the removal of
local officers from the realm of political
patronage in many cases would reducs
the payrolI of the field services. At the
present time the incumbents of many
of these positions. leave the actual
performance of many of their duties
to deputies and assistants. The gov
eminent often pays two persons for
doing work that could easily be dode
nv one What is the loss to the gov
eminent can not be stated, but that
it is very large can not be denied.
when it is remembered how numerous
are the local officers in the postal, GUS
toms, internal revenue, public lands
and other field services of the govern
-nent.
'In the third place, so long as local
officers are within the sphere of po-
utical patronage it is difficult to con-
slider the question of the establishment
or discontinuance of local offices apart
from the effect upon local political sit
uations-
FINALLY. the view that these various
offices are to be filed as a result of
political considerations has for its con-
sequence the necessity that the presi-
dent and members of congress devote
to matters of patronage time which
they should devote to questions of
policy and administration.
The greatest economy and efficiency,
and the benefits which may accrue from
the presidents devoTing his time to
the work which is most worth while,
may be assured only by treating all
the distinctly administrative officers in
the departments at Washington and In
the field in the same way as inferior
officers have been treated. The time
has come when all these officers should
be placed in the classified service. The
time has also come when those pro-
vis;ops of law which give to these