The Lamar register., 1915-07-14
PROWERS COUNTY FAIR
EFFICIENCY DISPLACED BY IN
COMPETENCE.
Hungry Democratic Politicians Fill
Offices Regardless of Qualifications

Washington, July 14-(Special cor
Irespondence) The holding of a Pan
American conference ir this city a
short time ago, was a magnificent eff
fort on the part of the American Re-
publics to get together for the prom
ltion of their commercial interests.
The subsequent appointment of COM
mittee by theSecretary of the Treas
ury for continuation of work along the
same line, was also move in the right
direction.
But all these efforts, so far as the
United States is concerned, cannot re-
pair the injury done to the United
States in Central and South America
by this administration in diseharging
competent, experienced diplomatic
Representatives and filling their pla-
ces with men with neither experience
nor other special qualifications. The
administration not only sacrificed the
commercial interests of the United
States but forfeited large measure
of the high standard Of diplomatic
efficiency.
Immediately after securing the pow
er, the administration began tearing
down the merit system which had been
built up by promotions based ON eff
ficiency. So sudden and relentless
was the onslaught that public men
could scarcely believe the reports Of
changes made, for it was but few
months previous that President VIII
son had declared:
"My warm advocacy and support
both of the principle and Of the bona
fde practice of civil service reform is
known to the whole country, and there
lis no danger that the spoils system
will creep in with my approval or
'connivanee."
But repeated instances Of good men
east out to make places for political
henchmen, soon convinced the real
friends of good government that there
was to be no regard whatever for the
principle of civil service reform. DR..
Charles W. Eliot, President of the
National Civil Service Reform Lea
que, outlined the situation at the an
nual melting Of the League in Dec
ember, after the new administration
had had nine months Of opportunity
to make changes. He was quoted as
saying:
"Of the % ministers displaced, 10
had had several years experience in
Diplomatic Service, while none Of the
new appointees had had any expert
ence. Several of the appointments
of obscure men to diplomatic posts
have seemed to the public to be made
in payment of political debts"
The minister to Columbia, who was
graduate of both Cornell Universi-
ty and Columbia Law School and had
been in the Governments foreign SER
vice 81 years, working up by demon
strated efficiency, was displaced to
make room for a Texas farmer.
The men who secured two degrees
from Columbia, and served 10 years
in the diplomatic service in France,
EnBldnuf turkey anu Nihhd' was us
placed from his position as Minister
to Costa Rico at the age Of SO to make
room for a North Carolina editor who
was born in that state "a years earlier
and had lived there all his life.
The minister to Guatemala was a
graduate of Yale and of Harvard Law
School. He spent twelve years in
the diplomatic service, in subordinate
positions at Berlin and Rome and was
promoted successfully IS minister TO
Panama, Venezuela and Guatemala,
from which latter place he was dis
missed at the age of 81 in order that
political reward might be given to a
63-year-old South Carolina preacher
who, when he was leaving for the
South American Republic, admitted
that he had had no official training as
a diplomat but said he had been a
minister 40 years..
These few instances, which might
be multiplied not only in the diploma
tic service but in the government ser
vice at home, illustrate the manner in
which efficiency has been sacrificed,
making necessary the repetition of the
years Of constructive effort by repub-
-, arIa-