The Washington herald., 1913-07-20

brutality Il SO OXEN bred in the treat.
ment of faithful public servants with
out political influence. Lie il hard
enough and cruel enough at best, and
this II a. true od public service a. of
private service. Under no system win
1t be possible TO do away with an ia
yoritism and brutality and meanness
and malice. But at least We can try
to minimize the exhibition Of these
qualities. I once came across q case
In Washington which very ksenly ex-
cited my sympathy. Under an admin.
tration prior to the one with which
was connected q lady had been ousted
from . government position. She came
to me to see II she could be reinstated.
(This was not possible. but by active
work did get her put back In a some
what lower position. and this only by
an appeal TO the sympathy Of a certain
onicial) She was 30 pallid and care
worn that she excited my sympathy
and made inquiries shout her.
She was . poor woman with two chill
dren. q widow. She and her two chil.
dren were IN actual want. She could
barely keep the two children decentiy
clad. and she could not give them the
food growing children need. Three years
before she had been employed in a
bureau In a department of Washington.
doing her work faithfully, at q salary cf
about $500. It was enough to keep her
and her two children In clothing. food.
and shelter. One day the chief Of the
bureau called her up and told her he was
very sorry that he had to dismiss her
IN great distress she asked him why; she
thousht that she had been doing her
work satisfactorily. He answered herl
that she had been doing well. and that
ne wished very much that he could keep
her. that he would do 80 II he possibly
could, but that he could not: for n GER
tain Senator, giving his name. A yerv in
1uential member Of the Senate, had de-
manded her place for a friend of his
who had influence. The woman told
the bureau chief that II meant turning
her out TO starve. She had bean thir-
teen or fourteen years In the publtol
service: she had lost all touch with her
friend in her native State; dismissal
meant absolute want for her and her
children On this the chief, who was a
kind man. said he would not have her
turned out, and sent her back to her
work.
ny the Senat0r's Orders.
But three weeks afterwards he called
her up again and told her he could not
say how sorry he was. but the thing
had to be done. The Senator had been
around in person to know why the
change had not been made, and had
told the chief that he would be himself
removed II the place were not given
him. The Senator was an extremely
influential man. His wants had to be
attended to. and the woman had to go.
And go she did. and turned out she
was, to suffer with her children and to
starve outright, or live In semi-starva-
tion, Just as might befall I do not
blame the bureau chief. who hated to
do what he did. although he lacked the
courage to refuse; / do not even very
much blame the Senator. who did not
know the hardship he was causing. and
who had been calloused by long training
in the spoils system; but this system.
a system which permits and encour-
ages such deeds. is . system Of brutal
iniquity.
This IL . condensation Of q speech at the tins
made to the ST. Louis Civil Service RefofmaAssoca-
tion. Senator German then the Senate leader Of
the party that had Just been victorious In The ON
sressional electionl