The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-09-10
CREATING MORE spo,Ls.

came into power than 1t experienced
keen disappointment at the paucity of
the spoils which were to reward. Its
sixteen years struggle for their enjoy
ment. 1t has been striving ever since
to increase the volume In order to
do this 1t had to break the grip of
the civil service law on the offices
and to prevent any new offices from
coming under civil service. This pro-
cess has gone steadily forward.
Fourth class postoffices. deputy mar
shalship and deputy coalectorship were
first thrown open to spoismen. Then
came the diplomatic service with a Sui
Ivan In Santo Domingo and a Williams
in Greece as the result Income tax
appointments and commercial attaches
were kept clear of the merit system.
Now the House, at the instigation of
Representative Moon. has voted to make
assistant postmasters political appoint
ees By undetermined means.
In view of the fact that postmasters
OF large citis are selected for po-
litical considerations without much re-
gard for their qualifications to do the
work. assistant postmasters have been
provided whose fitness Is assured by
examination and whose tenure of Of
flee Is made permanent by the civil
service law. The assistant keeps the.
office machinery moving and, when
new postmaster Is appointed. breaks
him in" The postmaster may devote
much of his time to playing politics.
but his assistant is always on the job.
The postmaster attends to the fuss and
feathers. while his assistant is the
faithful old wheelhorse. If 1t were not
fnr hA OF nj Oh
postoffice would be in sad confusion for
some time after a new postmaster
takes charge. !.
The southern democrats who control
Congress. however. are indifferent to
the efficiency of the postoffices: all
they care about is spoils. They propose
to put spoilsmen in place of the wheel
horses. They have enough respect for
public opinion not to do this openly, SO
they make hypocriticai pretense Of
re speeding the civil service law The
Moon bill provides that all assistant
postmasters shall take an examination
In competition with all other candidates
and that the three standing highest
shah be eligible. or course demo-
crat among these three would be ap-
pointed. even II the imcumoent stood
first. This Is a circultous device for
removing republicans and putting In
democrats. 1t Ia the same device as
was worked with fourth class post
masters. Mr. Neon admitted as much
when he said that the present assist
ant postmasters shave no earthly rea
son for being there under this Admin
istration."
This scheme was not put through
without opposition within Mr.. Moons
own party. Mr.. Heating. of Colorado,
hit a body blow at the Southern Bour-
bons when he said
You men who come from below
Mason and Dixon's line do not know
what 1t means to fight for democracy
In the North and the, West 1t is not
sufficient there to say. This is demo-
cratic ticket. and you should vote 1t !
because your father was a democrat
Instead. we have to appeal to the in
telligence OF our constituents laugh
ter on the republican side.) We have
to show them that the democratic party
stands for something entirely different
from what the republican party stands |
for. and unless we can do that we
cannot get the support of those in
votes who are essential to |
democratic success In the West and the |
NORTH
In other words, Congressman is
sure of reelection in the South. sim
ply because he is democrat. no matter |
how corrupt and harmful may be the |
measures he supports but in the North |
and West he must give heed to public |
opinion. When such is the situation. |
what hope can there be that demo-
cratic administration will give the |
country honest, efficient government? /
Democrats from the North and West |
nay be ever so honest and public
spirited: they will be outvoted by the
southern spoilsmen, who win always
control the party and. sure of their own
'eats In Congress. care nothing II their
'onrse brings defeat on their Northern