Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-09-25

F~-SO SAAG - 10 ~
my purpose to discredit the merit
system, but to suggest the advisable
1ty of proposing. questions to appli-
cants relative to the class of service
they have under contemplation. If
you had W sons and wished to pre-
pare n for a minister and the other
Tor a physician, it is a safe guess that
the n would be given a course
at a medical college and the other
sent to a theological seminary. And
1t is only a rare occurrence that a
minister wishes to change pos lions
with his physician, or that the doctor
fishes a transfer to the pulpit.
Neither does a deputy collector, or
feid agent care, Or expect, to be
transferred to the Customs, Sub
trasury, Mint and Assay Service, G..
nance, Engineer, and Quartermaster
department at large. They expect to
hunt down m~oOnshiners, destroy il
icit distilleries and perform other
service relating to the PARTICULAR
Class of work expected of them.
The examination may not be objec-
t1onable to those who care to AXE
chances on a diversified scale, but j
want your Commission to be made
fully aware of the conditions existing
in the field service, under the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue, yin
this part of he country. Some very
efficient raiding officers and deputy
collectors, who received their expert
ence during the administration of
] resident Cleveland, were commits
stoned temporarily by Commissioner
Osborne. They are familiar with
every pig trail in the mountains and
through the marshes along the coast
they know how to locate a moon
sinner and what disposition to make
Of him and his possessions. But if
their continuance in the service is
conditioned upon making seventy per
cent. IN the class of examination
gwen by your Commission August 16,
Col. Osborne may as we'll begin to
look for other men right now. A con
d ton like this is neither fair to them,
nor just to the democratic party
Rhich recently came into power
: through the efforts of them and their
I friends,-not only in North Carolina,
t but from Maine to California. There
is such a thing as party service and
4 some merit in that, too.
r Ny principal objection to the Civil
} Service in the past has been the APP
parent discrimination against demo-
Gratis by those in authority and the
) protection of republicans with blanket
orders without examinations. The
5 rule ought to work both ways. Dem
ocrats should now have their turf at
the bat and I expect to keep right on
: insisting upon them being treated fair
flv until all hope of fair-play vanishes
> from the Washington government.
The republicans kept themselves in
: power for sixteen years by reward
ing the faithful" and the democrats
should now begin to feed them out of
[ the same spoon. Capable m
5 should be placed in every office, but
, i. does seem to me that those ac-
} quaipted with them are more suited
: to pass upon their qualifications than
) a foreign commission composed of
strangers.
In reply to the suggestions you
make that the recent examination
does not go beyond what is taught
l ordinarily in the first seven grades of
/, the common schools, / wish to direct
I attention to the fact that college
> graduates failed to pass it; men who
have made capable managers of the
AFFAIRS of large counties for years,
> could not make the requisite grade;
i'raen who had held various offices of
Importance in their respective coun-
ties were unable to answer half the
> questions proposed, and very few
former employees under President
Cleveland did pass muster" notwith-
standing they would make accepta-
bic officers if given the opportunity.
II the government desires efficient
cnrUiaA <hn hnnIr ~
ought to select practical men to aid
them, rather than assistants whose
ability is confined to answering ques-
tons of false issue and immaterial
reference.
On your suggestion, / shall be
pleased to submit some questions re-
lating to the service performed by
those engaged in field work under
Commission Osborne when 1 hav
Lad a chance to give the matter care
full attention. Am glad to have your
assurance that it is the purpose of
yourself and associates to see that
the examinations are fair, honest and
practical in character, and that
tract cal suggestions will be well
coined. OF course we do not agree
on the proposition that appoint
ments uned the civil service should
be based on competitive examination,
without regard to political considera-
atoms, nor would we be together on
this point were / an appointive officer
in the federal service. / would ask
for the resignation of every republi-
can ofice-holder in the country,
where a capable, deserving democrat
could be found to take his place. Even
President Wilson finds a way to pro-
tect his friends as he did in the case
of Pat O'Keefe, of Dallas, Texas, who
was placed under the service by ex-
ecutive order only last week.
Again thanking you for your cour-
teous communication, and with best
wishes, I am,
Yours very truly,
M. L. SHIPMAN,
Commissioner.