The Washington herald., 1913-01-23

ditions, there is a great deal for Con-
gress to do, and more than 1t can or
will do. And, therefore, one of the i'm
portant functions of the leaders Is in
the selection of the issues to be pre-
sented and argued out, and in that l
conceive that this organization VIII
have its most important function.
Take, for instance, the question OF
banking and currency. am speaking
to a commercial body, and / venture
will encounter no denial when ] make
the statement that there is not any
thing in the whole range of national
legislation that more directly affects the
welfare of the poorest and less fortu-
nate in the country than the adoption
of a sound financial banking and cur
rency basis.
And there is another subject. We are
gathering generally everything that Is
lying loose under the classified service
of the civil service law. But there are
some things that do not lie loose. Now
an order made in October putting fourth
class postmasters under the classlhed
civil service has attracted considerable
criticism. / am not prepared to say that
the criticism has not some foundation In
this: That under a succession OF Repuo-
lican administrations, when there was
IIO do " DOn hAASoS poee
masters should be selected, Republicans
have been given these Offices. It is pos
sible that during the late upheaval the
definition of what a Republican is has
changed, so that there is a division now
among these postmasters into Republi-
cans and Bull Moosers sufficient TO say
that their being put under the protection
of a classified service movement is not
altogether solely in the interest of one
party.
But It is true that they are gem
orally non-Democrats, and II is nat
ural, therefore, that Democrats coming
in with party spirit, should feel that
an order like that was not fair be-
cause 1t classified for the benefit of
one side only. l have been patient,
therefore. with the delay in adopting
my proposition that all local oflces,
collectors. postmasters, surveyors. all
who play any part in the local admin
istration of the government, who are
now appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate, should ulti-
niately have their method of appoint
ment changed so they may be appoint
ed by the President, and then by him
put in the classified service.
Now without breaking any confidence
of my successor. I venture TO think that
after two or three years those local Of
iiSts III 1HdnBcu liltlI pOhllSdi NOhi-
plexion to such an extent that they may
be put then in the classified service with
out including any injurious number Of
Republicans. and that thus the swing Of
the pendulum may ultimately bring all
those local Offices, and indeed, the chiefs
Of bureaus and everybody, a. is the Eng
lish system, within a permanent tenure.
except those who exercise guidance in
the selection of politics. This is. perhaps.
a radical cha hIrr hav "a
close to It now. We have a consular sys-
TEN and a diplomatic system that has
civil service reform feature In respect Of
every office but ambassadors and minis
tiers. You gentlemen know the impor-
tance Of having a good consular system.
You know how 1t will break into the bust
ness Of the country to put a lot of mere
tyros into that system. Now It is not
protected by anything entirely under a
classified system, but by an executive or
der and an enabling law. It can be
changed into a spoils system by revoking
an executive order. Now, your influence
will be needed to back up the incoming
President in preserving that system and
continuing il TO be as useful as possible
and making a great deal more useful for
the benefit of the country. That is a very
important matter. although it does not
appeal loudly as an issue to the people
and does not make food for stump ora
tory
Then here is the question of economy
and efficiency. Wastefulness, consider
ing what the purpose of government is,
can just as well be excluded from gov
ernment as it can from business, IL we
will only so about It in a plain, ordi-
nary, common sense, busness-like way
But the difficulty is that 1t is hard to
fix the attention of Congress upon such
a topic. They are more concerned with
issues which will affect their reelection.
This is inherent in popular representa-
tive bodies. We have to recognize il as
being always present and not spend time
deploring 1t. 1t always will be present.
II is inherent in popular government.
It is one of those penalties you have to
pay for the great advantages of popu-
lar government.
Il think the remarks of YOUR prestden,
we're peculiarly apt as to the function OF
the National Chamber OF Commerce You
are not lobbyists. You do not come here
to get before committee and urge ana
persuade and threaten. but YOU are here
to give expression to very important
part of the community, ana the wider
spread that part the more inr1uentiaI
Your statements are likely to be in order,
to secure from Congress a proper sense
OF proportion as to the important gov
ernmental matters that ought to have
prompt and immediate attention"
DR.. Eliots remarks were exclusively
in advocacy OF business methods in
government He included a scathinr
arraignment of the postal service as