The Washington times., 1913-12-27
PRINTING OFFICE CONDITIONS

1t is important that there should be conclusive
determination whether the spirit Of the civil service
law is being persistently violated in the Washington
departments Of the Government Surely it would
not be marvellous if minor departmental executives,
taking their cue from Congress, would assume that
nobody under this Administration was going to take
the civil service law very seriously. Ever since the
change Of political parties begun the attitude
toward the civil service has been apparent.
The Democrats are not entitled to bear all the
blame Neither party has been Straightforward in its
attitude toward the civil service When the Taft Ad-
mnistration undertook the business of casting the
civil service blanket of protection over the whole
politcay-chosen array of minor officers, thousands
and thousands of them, through the Executive proc
lamations for Which, the law provides it in effect
an invitation to the undong of the spirit and intent
of the law. That sort of excess certain to drive
the other political party to extremes in the other
direction whenever it should return to power. 1t is
inquiry in the Government Printing Office are by no
means exceptional. The laws are being loosened up,
in order that places may be found for people with
good Democratic backing, quite regardless of the
spirit of the merit system. Getting the job is the first
consideration.
Such presentation as that made by the Printing
Office list of promotions and demotons yesterday is
lightly to be passed over. The Times is not able
to avouch the entire accuracy of that list but it does
know that it prepared with great care and with
view to use in connection with efforts to inaugurate
Congressional inquiry II it is true that changes in
the Office have been going on for months past, ALL
Substantially all, of them being to the advantage of
members of one party and the disadvantage of men,
bers of another then the plea of doing these things
in the interest of efficiency needs careful examination
There is great population of civil service people
i'm Washington, who have made themselves perna-
nent figures in the community, have acquired homes,
and assumed that their careers here were as perma
nent and assured as the law seemed to make them
No more serious blow could be struck at the COM
munity than to fill these civil service people with mis-
gvings as to their future If they are not to be as
sured of treatment according to merit and deserts,
then il can be set down as certain that extensive
shiftings Of political populations will take place in
the departments in the next three years. The pres
sure upon Congress, and through Congress down to
the executive officers, is something tremendous. 1t
will be irresistible unless buwarks are set up against
it; unless the underlying devotion Of the country to
the merit system is appealed to in insisent fashion,
1t may for brief time be easy enough for minor
authorities to make shifts and changes for purely
political reasons; but in the long il will be found
that the thing viii surely bring down scandal The
country will not permit any wide deviation from the
merit system. President Wilson has been devoted
civil service reformer throughout his public lfe and
II Is not TO be assumed that he will willingly submit
TO such assaults on the merit program ss are nov
charged. not only In the Printing Once. but In many
eohef deesreme0n