The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-05-19
THE CIVIL SERVICE RAPE
In Discussing the Rural Credits Bill
Senator Reed Shows Up Repub-
publican Hypocrisy

"
the bill Is. 2986) to provide capita
for agricultural development, to ere
ate standard form of investment
based upon farm mortgage, to equal
ize rates of interest upon farm loans
to furnish market for United States
bonds, to create Government depos
itaries and financial agents for the
United States, and for other purposes
The Presiding Officer. Fifty-ont
Senators have answered their names
There is quorum present. The ques
ton is on agreeing to the amendment
offered by the Senator from Nebrasks
(Mr. Norris). The Secretary viii
state the amendment
The Secretary. On page 5, line 81
after the words, Federal Farm Loar
Board" it is proposed to strike out
the following:
All such attorneys, experts, as
sistants, clerks, laborers, and
other employees, and all registrars
and appraisers, shall be appointed
without regard to the provisions
of the act of January 16, 1888
(Vol. %, u. S. Stat. L., p. 403),
and amendments thereto, or any
rule or regulation made in pur-
suance thereof: provided, that
nothing herein shall prevent the
President from placing said en-
ployes in the classified service.
Mr.. SmOot. Mr.. President, | hope
the amendment will be adopted. If
the civil service is to amount to any
thing in the future, no legislation
ought to pass Congress relieving the
employees Of the government from the
civil service rules. am fully aware
that there is way to evade it, but
do believe that wherever it is evad-
ed it ought not to be done by Con-
gress.
If this bill becomes law with the
provision in it that is now sought to
be stricken from it, hundreds of en-
ployes provided for in the bill will
not be subject to the civil service
rules; but | can assure the Senate that
just as soon as the positions are fill
ed there will be an endeavor on the
part of some member of the Senate
and perhaps on the part of the admin
istration itself, to have a bill passed
covering all UGH employees into the
civil ervice. If Congress refuses to
pass such a measure | have no doubt
the President of the United States
will issue an Executive order cover
ing them all into the civil service, if
| am to judge by what has happened
in the recent past.
Mr.. Reed. Mr.. President, we have
reached the period for the civil SER
vice quarterly rehash. 1t comes up
regularly. 1t affords an opportun-
ity for gentlemen who at the time are
out of power to- parade their virtues
by exploiting their adherence to rig
i'd Interpretation of the civil-service
law. The sides change on the ques-
ton as the political balance shifts
either toward the Democratic party
or the Republican party. The man
who was willing to ravish the civil
service rules under a Republican ad-
when his own party was
in power, who lay awake nights de-
vising ways and means by which he
could get in an equal or a greater
number of Republicans-that same
individual, when the scales have tilt
ed toward the Democratic party, be-
comes frenzied dervish, shrieking
forth the holiness of the civil SER
vice, and offering himself as sac
rifice upon the altar of its inviola-
bility.
We have witnessed this periodical
spectacle ad nauseum. There may
have been time when somebody was |
fooled, but il has passed. At this
ate day the man who undertakes to
impose that ancient bit of political
upon the country will not |
nislead the country; he will not Thin
'lerig his associates in the Senate; he
will not even deceive the credulity of
lis wife; he cannot impose the Peck
iniffian performance upon himself.
The spectacle of Republican SEN
ltor who sat guiescent, blandly smil-
ng, secretly chuckling when a Re-
President of the United
states placed $4,000 Republican post
masters within the civil service by
Jingle stroke of his pen, and by so
Icing outraged every principle of
ivil service-the spectacle of such a
nan rising in the Chamber with
ace as solemn as an affidavit and
ront as imposing as Jove, to deliver
. panegyric upon the glories of civil
ervice, is enough to make all the gods
hat ever were lean above the battle
menus Of the sky and laugh in de-
irsion.
Why, Mr.. President, who are these
5000 Republican postmasters who
we're thus put into the civil service?
low did they in the first place come
o hold their Offices? How were they
For what purpose had they
cen given place? Manifestly, for
Official services rendered. They had
cen the hewers of wood and drawers
water of the Republican party.
hey were being rewardd for their
'ork on the hastings. They were to
g paid because they had ridden their
istricts. They were to be compen-
It'd by Office and by honor because
icy had been in the trenches on
ection day. They had been the Re-
lblican ward bosses and the ward
selers, or the township bosses or
wnship heelers, or the relatives of
Q bosses or heelers. They were Sc
cted without regard to any tai
t, to any special ability, to any Pc
liar fitness or qualifications. Thew