The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-12
Wilson Praised For A. iea
in Filljrg NslI8
SICFs93 AR1 BRYAN
STRONGLY CRITICISED
Merit System Must Replace, "Spoils'
Idea Before Efficient Service
Can Be Obtained, De-
clares Eliot

Boston, December 11.-Commendatio OF
President Wilson and criticism OF See
retary Bryan for their actions in filing
national offices. We're contained in the
annual address tonight of DR. Charles w.
Eliot, as president of the National Civil
Service Reform league.
This league can now congratulate itself
and the country" said President Eliot,
"on the fact that no advent of a ma
t1onal administration which involved the
transfer of power from one party to an
other has ever occurred in which the
principles of civil service reform have
been so generally observed by the incom-
ing administration.
The Secretary of State has clearly
made or proposed appointments in pay
ment Tor political services" DR. Eliot as
serted, "and some other cabinet officers
nave given signs of accepting a doctrine
winch Mr.. Bryan publicly favored in 1908,
namely, that the national offices should be
divided between the two great parties
IN proportion to their political strength" !"
Sound Amendment
President Wilson's order of May last,
affecting fourth class postmasters was
characterized by President Eliot as a
sound amendment of the practice unoer
the preceding. administrations called 'cov-
ering in.''
But the league thinks that it will cost
much time and money to carry out the
order fairly and effectively" he added
Regarding the department of state,
President Eliot reported that the execu-
tive orders of the two preceding admin
istration have been adhered to in regard
to secretaries of embassies, consuls gen.
eral and consuls, but that 1.-The policy of
the administration as to ministers and am
bassadors has been different"
"Out of II ambassadors eight have been
replaced he continued, "and out of 80
ministers % have been replaced, with the
result that some men of long experience
have been replaced by unframed men,"
As an illustration, the speaker said !:
Henry Morganthau. chairman of the
democratic finance committee, displaced
William Rockhill as minister to Turkey.
Mr.. Morganthau was wholly without ex-
been in the diplomatic service for l9
years."
DR.. Eliot said that of the % min
listers displaced 13 had had several
years experience in diplomatic serv-
ice, while none of the new appointees
had had any experience.
After citing figures which he said
showed that considering the long ex-
clusion of the democratic party from
the government the number of changes
made in the first nine months of the
new administration is within the limits
set by former administrations" Pres
ident Eliot said.
Merit System Needed
'sThe moral to be drawn from these
figures is that the United States cam
not possibly have a proper civil serv-
ice. that is, an efficient, honest and
business-like service, until all the high
er offices, which are now treated as
spoils, are brought under the merf,
system of appointment
Attacks on the merit system made in
Congress during 1913 have proceeded
for the most part from members of the
democratic party in both House and
Senate, said President Eliot He re-
ferred at length to what he termed
'the pernieious income tax collection
provision in the tariff bill" which was
iAhchueu anu TO the unDluSnlng at
tempt on the part of Congress to limit
the range of the merit system and en-
large the range of the spoils system
as contained in. the rider on the urgent
deficiency bill.
President Eliot told the league that
the progress of the merit system in
states and cities during the past year
has been very encouraging.
"Mpre weight shoule be given in Of
fcl1l aDDOlntmpntG ohnprDllv n nar :
ural gifts than to acquisitions from ed
ucation," said Gov. Simeon G. Baldwin
of Connecticut. Determinations, he
said, "have often proved a very insult
ficient test of fitness. The man who
ranks highest in the examination room
may be the one who ranks lowest In
capacity to fill a public station vel" "