The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-01-29
sPoILsMEN RAID AGAIN.

cess, democratic congressman are at
tempting another raid on the civil
service. Having withdrawn deputy
collectors of internal revenue from
the operation of the merit system,
they next excluded income tax and
federal reserve employees. They now
propose to add assistants of first and
second class postmasters, numbering
about 2400, to the spoils. They pro-
pose to do so by the pernicious, un-
derhand means of rider to the post
office appropriation bill. They have
not the courage to come into the open
and attack the civil service law with
bill for that express purpose. They
cover their work by hiding it in an
appropriation bill, by which means
also they provide the President with
an excuse for conniving at it, namely.
the plea that he cannot veto the OBJ
noxious rider without vetoing the en-,
tire bill and thus injuring the public
service.
The people have been sparing OF
their criticism of Mr.. Wilosn for his
yielding to hte spoilsmen, for they
have recognized that he must make
some concessions TO the accumulated
appetite of sixteen years i'm order to
carry through the great measures for
which he has staked his administra-
ton. But the opinions of several lead
ing democratic newspapers. which are
friendly to Mr.. Wilson, indicate that
the people consider concessions to the
spoilsmen to have gone far enough.
The New York World indorses the
Civil Service Reform Leagues de-
scription Of the postoffice rider as "a
plain attempt to get 2400 valuable
jobs to pay political debts" 1t de
scribes the postoffice department as
an incompetent and stupid monop-
oily" which "has suffered further de-
moralization under the burdens of the
parcel post" and which "is likely to
collapse" II turned over to the spoils-
men. Admitting that many, If not
most, of the assistant postmasters
were appointed originally for political
reasons" the World says they have
become experienced and familiar with
their duties, are removed from the
field of active politics and ARE public
servants, not partisan servants" 1t
says that to remove them to make
places for untried men would be an
act of inexcusable folly. 1t closes
with this warming:
1.-THE spoils no longer belong to the
victors, and If the democratic major.
ity seeks to impose q government by
spells upon the country, the Demo
cratic party will soon cease to gov
ern."
The New York Times is equally EN-
phatic in it's condemnation. Detect
ing in congress "a determined tend
ency gradually to break down the
merit system and to open the way to
restore the old bad spoils system, :"
the Times denounces the rider as "a
more determined and dangerous at
tack upon the merit system" than any
that have preceded it. Recalling the
quiet revolution wrought by the civil
service law in the last thirty years,
it accuses "a large part of the Demo
Gratis in Congress" of wishing ito go
/ ho lr IN h Ia 81 h<l Of
pointment for political or personal IA
voritism." 1t says that, while signing
bills which carry such riders, the
president has explained that his be-
lief In the merit system Is mistaken
and that he means to enforce it, yet
these measures seriously cripple his
power" to enforce it. His position is
called feeble and exposed to further
attacks and he Is warned that he is
definitely threatened with a break
down of the merit system that would
be disastrous to his administration"
He is urged to have the rider striker
out or to veto the bill, for mo plea
in excuse would in any degree palli-
ate his failure" to do so.
The rider is termed by the India
napolis News another wedge thrust
into the merit system. 1t says the
spoilsmen hope to force the president
to approve the bill and thus to turn
over these 2400 offices to them. The
News maintains that the president
should have power to veto separate
items and Congress should be pre-
vented from attaching riders to bills,
and that In the absence of that pow
er, he should veto the postoffice bill
SHOULD it come to him with the OBJ
jectionable provision included"
A statement by the Brooklyn
Eagles Washington correspondent OF
the number of postmasters appointed
NV Mr. Wilson In the fau months he