The Washington herald., 1914-01-16
- 4 -
MOON Defends
Merit SYSTEM
He De6es President Wilson
and Burleson in Attack
ing Rule.
CIVIL PENSIONS SCARE
Chairman Upholds House Rider to
Postofice Bill by Warning
Against Future.
CIVIL PENSIONS SCARE
By JOSEPH r. ANNIN.

Against Future.
| By JOSEPH r. ANNIN.
/ A Democratic spokesman. so frank as
to be amusing and as enthusiastic as
frank. held the attention Of few MEM
bers Of the Houss for nearly two hours
yesterday afternoon.
Chairman Moon. of the Postoffice Com
mittee. Tennessee Democrat of the old
school. opened debate on the big postal
bill with lengthy defense of the legis-
lative rider removing all assistant post
masters from the protection of the Civil
Service.
Tears Down Constellation.
In the course of his speech. Mr.. Moon
tore down the Constitution, wiped the
floor with the Federal judiciary. blew
the diplomatic service to atoms, and
bravely detied the President and the
Postmaster General In defense Of the
spoils system.
This committee is not here to bow to
the will OF the President or to the will
of the Postmaster General" he declared
courageously, after telling OF Postmaster
General Burleson's letter urging that the
legislative attack on the Civil Service
system be not included In the postofiice
bill.
The few members OF the House present
listened with mixed feelings. As far as
the Civil Service system Is concerned.
there are not a great many who would
not in their hearts, like to witness
return of the spoils system. with the
consequent increase in prestige to Con-
gressional members of the dominant
party. But because of the growing
popularity Of the Civil Service theory
throughout the country. there are not
many who care TO brave the weight OF
public disapproval at home by openly
attacking the system. The Southern
Democrats, however. have no such public
opinion to brave. and to the job-hungry
| Democrats south Of the Mason-Dixon
line the Civil Service is nothing but
diabolical conspiracy to keep the ''ins''
in office
| But Judge Moon yesterday surprised
his best friends through the utter reac-
tion Of thought indicated in his views.
In attacking the Civil Service he first
advanced a sophistry only to lean for
support on an exploded fallacy.
Believe Rider Is Doomed.
Congressional leaders have been given
to understand that President Wilson will
veto the Postoffice bill IL IL contains the
spoils rider. Whether this will be elimi-
mated in the House. or whether 1t will
| go out IN the Senate and stay out in
conference. the feeling Is that the rider
never will reach the White House
| The President OF the United States
does not approve OF this section OF the
bill," said Chairman Moon in discussing
| the spoils rider yesterday.
| But this committee is not here to bow
to the will of the President or to the will
| Of the Postmaster General upon a Ques-
ton on which they differ. Suppose the
President of the United States does veto
| this bill, II the Congress should pass this
! section, he but exercises the functions OF
an Executive conferred upon him by the
| Constitution. and Congress cannot COM
/ plain OF the exercise of that duty on the
part Of the President 1t can only over
| ride il, IL II will, by a two-thirds vote,
| and he cannot complain IL Congress does
that, because that is the provision in the
| Constitution to which he, you and have
sworn allegiance"
| At this point Judge Moon launched into
one of the most typically reactionary
arguments" in favor of the spoils sys-
| TEN that has been heard in the House for
! some time.
Nor have any respect for these in
situations in the minority report here
\ that We are seeking to inaugurate an era
of the spokesman again, because We op-
pose the civil service policy.
Whom Did the People Elect.
Whom did the American people elect?
| Was il President Wilson and his Cabinet
alone? / think not. The election was an
Endorsement OF the principles and policies
| of the Democratic party. 1t meant that
the Democratic principles and policies
should be executed by Democrats IL the
| power were mine, 1 would put none but
| Democrats on guard
Judge Moon held up to his economic
ally inclined colleagues the fearful pos
| sibility of civil pension list unless the
spoils system is substituted for the merit
system.
Suppose" he said that the merit
system is in force, that II had all the
| effect that was expected of il. Then
what comes of the life tenure in these
offices? Men and women so into the
| service from twenty-one to forty-five
years of age. They spend their lives in
| that service. They come, by reason of
| continued occupation in a particular line
unfit for any other service. Now, when
| they get old and decrepid, while still
holding their places. tell me whether this
merit system under that condition per-
l forms an efficient service to the govern
ment? But what are you going to do
with them? They hold on. and there
comes another generation following in
the same wake. You will be inevitably
| urlNcI, IL yOu IdNc any SciSc- VI iuoi al
Justice, to a civil pension list. so these
people can be retired, when they reach
the age Of inefficiency. that the govern
ment may have efficient service in the
employment Of others"
After this touching picture of the
faithfulness of>civil employees. a faith
fulness that brings them because of con-
slant service. to the period of inefficiency,
Judge Moon Sbntnues:
| But, sir. there is no moral ground
upon which you can place or for one
moment rest the claim for civil pen
sion. i believe 1t will be better to have
fresh blood from the fields, named by
commissions or Congressmen, than to
have the continued dull flow Of inefficient
blood of long years of tenure in the offices
! Of your country"
Rap for Consistency.
Here Judge Moon again takes a fall
out of consistency by continuing:
'I say that II you obey your common
sense of justice. II you adhere to the
common precept OF ordinary morality,
you have got to provide now for the re-
tirement of thousands of inefficient men
and women in the service Of the United
States, and while 1 do not believe In a
civil pension. yet when certain conditions
confront us We have got to set aside the
views we may obtain upon general prac-
tice and apply that remedy that will give
relief in the particular instance. You
should do IL as soon as you can. But
when Won do II amend law that