Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-10-31
RAID DENOUNCED
ATTACK ON CIVIL SERVICE OP-
POSED BY SENATOR LA FOL-
LETTE
DEMOCRAT JOB HUNTERS HUNGRY
Breaking Down of the Merit Sys-
tenn Piecemeal to Make Places
for the Faithful

| Madison, Wis.-President Wilson's
signing of the Urgency Deficiency Bill,
which permits the appointment of
| hundreds of internal revenue Off
cials of the spoils system, is de-
nounced by Senator La Toilette in
La Follettes Weekly, as a raid"
| which tests the presidents respect
for the civil service law. Some of
| the Senator's comments are vitriolic.
Taking as his text the picturesque
language of Senator Tillman describ-
| ing the democrats scramble for Of
flee as wild asses of the desert
athirst and hungry have broken in
| to the green corn. Senator La Fol
lette says that the bill which the
president signed on Wednesday is
| the most serious attack made up
on the merit system since it's es-
tablishment in 1883"
"A hungry horde of politicians from
ward heeler to state boss including
the handy men OF every democratic
organization in the country, have
brought influence to bear upon their
party representative in house and
senate to strike down the merit sys-
tem," says Senator La Toilette. "Of
course they do not propose openly
to repeal the civil service law. But
step by step they are enroaching up
on it's principles and it's provisions
Senator La Follette's editorial then
shows that a paragraph was adopt
eel in the tariff bill which made ex-
emptions for job hunters, and says
| that the president might justify the
signing of the tariff measure on the
ground that it was d minor provis-
| ion in a comprehensive piece of leg
| islation,
"This was the first opportunity
for the Wilson administration to de-
| fine it's general policy toward the
civil service" continues Senator La
Toilette. True, the paragraph was
! made part of the tariff bill and
| it may be said that the president
could not be expected to defeat tar
| iff legislation because portion OF
| the bill affecting the appointment of
| q few hundred government employees
was wrong in principle. But it is
| to be remembered that when the
president was really in favor of or
opposed to some paragraph in that
bill affecting rates he did not hesi-
| tate to announce to the house Or SEN
ate democrats that the thing must
| be done thus and so Or he would
have none of it. So, if the president
were interested in strengthening the
merit system, he would have warned
| the democratic leaders that they
| must strike the spoils provision from
| the bill.
| "This he did not do. And it is
fair inference from what has since
transpired that he made no objection
whatever to this bad beginning.
| observe what followed. The first
| killing made the place hunters keen
for more and bigger game The Ur
gency Deficiency Bill furnished the
second opportunity. The democratic
maj jority of the senate committee on
appropriations added an amendment
| to that bill and the democratic ma
jority of the senate voted it through. y
/ Senator La Follette's editorial was
written before the bill was signed
but he declares that the president
should veto it to serve notice on
the spoilsmen of his own party that
merit and ability shall be the STAN
dard of appointment rather than SER
vice rendered to the political party"