The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-02-05
PROVIDING PLACES
FOR HuNGRYDEMOCRATS
"PITiLEsS PUBLICITY" ALL THAT
CHECKED RAID ON THE
CIVIL SERVICE.

According to Washington cores
pondent "pitiless publicity which
the Wilson administration and tin,
democratic majority In congress early
promised to use in the interest Of this
public, has come to be the most effect.
i've weapon used against democrats
Likewise, It is the one weapon that the
democrats have laid aside In theil
conduct of the affairs Of government.
But for the 'pitiless publicity" used
by republicans In congress and by the
newspapers, both democratic and re-
publican, the civil service would today
have been literally Shot to pieces" by
| the spoilsmen Of the dominant party
Hardly had the administration OF
President Wilson begun than the at
tack opened on the civil service The
faithful demanded jobs; democrats in
senate and house thought the faithful
We're entitled to jobs, and as early as
I the middle of last March the raid on
the civil service began. Postmaster
General Burleson was one Of the early
leaders in the attack on the civil ser
vice.
BurIeson's Policy Exposed.
No sooner had this assault begun,
however, than republicans In congress
brought to public attention the demo-
cratic raid on the merit system and
the activities Of the spoilsmen were
laid bare. 1t was "pitiless publicity"
that deferred Postmaster General Bur-
Lesson from revoking the order Of Pres
ident Taft which covered fourth class
postmasters into the civil service.
While the postmaster general halted
at revoking the order, he went to great
lengths to defeat that order under the
guise of complying with the civil SER
vice law by appointing democrats af-
ter examination whenever democrats
passed the civil service examination,
even though republicans made higher
ratings. Again "pitiless publicity" was
brought into play. 1t was shown that
in some cases democratic members If
congress We're picking fourth class
postmasters from the civil service lists
Now the postmaster general an
nounces that the civil service law will
be rigidly applied in the appointment
OF fourth class postmasters; he says
that members Of congress will no long
err be consulted, but whenever a vacan-
cy occurs at any Office an examination
Will be held, open to all applicants and
the person ranking the highest rating.
regardless of political faith. will be APP
pointed. Publicity caused the change
Assistant Postmasters Saved.
Only recently, the democratic ma
jority of the house committee on post
offices adopted an amendment to the
postoffice appropriation bill removing
about $4,000 assistant postmasters
from the civil service and turning these
jobs over to the spoilsmen. Instantly
a howl Of protest went up. "Pitiless
publicity" again was applied by the
critics of the administration with the
two-fold result that the president
threatened to veto the postofiice bill
If the amendment We're adopted and
later the house itself was forced by It's
on rules to abrogate the
amendment, and this particular raid
On the civil service was stopped
"Pitiless publicity was particularly
threatened by democrats while the !
.ariff bill was pending, Republicans
the reductions of the Under I
wood bill, predicted that American in I
iustries would be injured by some IF 4
he new rates. This brought from Rep
esentative Underwood and many 9TH
# democrats the threat that the ad-
would apply "pitiless pub
icity' to any concern that closed
lown. that reduced wages, or laid off
men and attributed its action to the
ew tariff law.
Notwithstanding the fact that many
Industries have either closed down
Hills or reduced their forces, there has !
cen no application of "pitiless public
y by the administration and renew
d invitations to the administration IL
ring light to bear on these industries /
ave been waved aside.
President Wilson is more difficult Of !
ccess than were his predecessors. Sec ,
atary Daniels has directed that no in I
whatever shall be given TO 7
ewspapers about the work of his de- !
artment except it be given out by his :
wn office. No bureau chief In the {
avy department Is at liberty to dis J
ISIS the work Of his bureau The same !.
largely true of the war department. \
he same Is true of the state depart \
ent and several other departments. \