The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-21
CIVIL SERVICE CONTAINERS.

OWL SERVICE COMPJAlNERS.
We have from Mr.. Robert w,
Belsher, Secretary Of the National
Civil Service Reform League, a slip of
ment" publishes "in the interest Of
civil service reform This editorial
is strong in its commendation of the
Republican observance Of the civil ser
vice rules, and severe in its con-
domination of the riders which the
Democratic Congress is putting upon
various bills to take employees and
appolntees out Of the civil service list.
1t mentions disapprovingly the removal
Of deputy U. s. marshals from the
protected list, and condemns especially
the enactment which allows of tho ap-
come tax without regard to civil ser
vice examinations or civil service rules.
1t expresses admiration for "the
system of appointments under which
for sixteen years the total collections
in the Internal Revenue Service have
Of collection per hundred dollars has
decreased 80 per cent Accordingly,
that "Good Government editorial
censures severely the idea Of disturbing
this very fine service "for the sake of
getting jobs for "the boys at home, -
and it scorufully scores "the majority
of the Democrats in Congress who are
willing to overthrow the good sys-
tenn Of the past for the purpose Of en-
loying ''the spoils.'
While condemning the Democratic
members Of the Senate and of the
House, that editorial pins its faith
upon President Wilson, and declares its
belief that he will not permit the civil
service to be invaded by "spoils -
Democrats in this way. We Judge,
however, that this expression of conf
dence is more in the nature of
whistIing to keep courage up" than
anything else; for President Wilson
has shown himself quite amenable to
the allurements of "'the spoisn and
not in the least unwilling TO "play
politics in order to help "the boys at
home" to get Office,
But it was not especially to treat
Of the Democratic attitude toward civil
service reform that was our purpose in
referring TO this editorial expression Of
Good Government. Rather it was
TO point out that this complaint from
the civil service reform headquarters
was quite of the old order, 1t suits
the purpose of the civil service reform
ers Just now to praise the steadfastness
of the Republican party heretofore in
the observance of the civil service idea,
the civil service law, and the civil ser
vice regulations. But there has been
scarcely time in all the sixteen wears,
which period is now so fervently
praised by the civil service reformers
as the golden age Of civil service rule,
as one might say, that these same civil
service reformers have not been snarl-
ing and grumbling about "the
spoils' disposition of the Republican
party, and the failure of the party to
live up TO their ideas Of true civil
service reform, But now that the
Democrats are openly Haunting the civil
service law and deserting the civil
service idea, these civil service zealots
abandon their former criticism of the
Republican party altogether and hold
up the very period in which they have
indulged in so much complaint. as tho
ideal of loyalty to civil service reform.
They do this because the Democrats
have openly scorned the civil service
law, and arc determined to get their
friends into Office under present condi-
tions where they can. and through
special legislation by way Of riders and
otherwise when they are driven to this
eXpedient.
So far as the civil service reformers
are concerned, we do not see that they
have any particular reason to complain.
They are not denouncing the Democrats
now any more than they denounced the
Republicans during this period which
they now point to with pride as an il.
lustration of the high tide of civil ser.
vice observance. The upshot of the
whole matter is that it is impossible
to please these grumbling civil service
reformers. The Democrats have fully
sensed this proposition, and they are
determined to proceed in their own !
way, regardless of the objections of
these civil service rcformers. They
know that they will get from them no
praise, but always censurc, no matter
what they do, for no party can pos