Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-06-09
Pledges to 30 "kept."

Pledges to Be Kept"
Since the Wilson administration
came into ONCE no opportunity has
been let slip to take down the bars OF
the civil service law and make places
for hungry Democrats who could not
pass a competitive examination. The
latest attempt to abrogate the civil
service law for the benefit OF the de-
serving comes in the plan to take ap-
poIntments under the proposed rural
credits law out Of the operation of
civil service.
The Baltimore platform Of the
Democratic party declared with all the
solemnity of vow:
THE law pertaining to the civil
service should be honestly and
rigidly enforced, to the end that
merit and ability shall be the
standard Of appointment and pro-
motion rather than services rem
dered TO a political party.
Our platform is one of princi-
pies which we believe to be essen
tial to our national welfare. Our
pledges are made to be kept when
in office as we'll as relied upon
during the campaign"
But the vow to preserve inviolate
the principles of civil service, like
other Democratic promises, has fallen
victim to the political avarice of the
ooli ioio of
the Democratic party.
Moreover, the President despite his
professions Of devotion to the merit
system. has made no effort to keep his
fellow Democrats within bounds in
their assault on the civil service. He
has issued an unprecedented number
Of executive orders elevating favoritcs
&c fat jobs" in many cases over the
opposition Of the civil service commits
SION
Now the rural credits legislation,
like the federal reserve board law, is
TO be made contribItory to Democratic
spois. 1t Is proposed that all clerks
and other employees under the law be
appointed without regard for the civil
service. Not satisfied with appoint
ments outside the merit system, fur
Their provision is made that nothing
herein shall prevent the President
from placing said employees in the
classified service"
Not only is it the Democratic in
tention to ignore the merit system in
the matter of appointments, but after
the deserving has been initiated into
the government employ by the arm
chair route. they are to be given in
determnate and safe tenure through
the Presidents assigning them a place
on the classified list.
This policy Of pensioning political
favorites is not recent development
among all the curious things that have
transpired since Woodrow Wilson
went to the White House Rather has
II been a consistent policy spread over
{ne past TOUR years. Inc Underwood
act exempted collectors of the income
tax from the civil service. The de-
flciency Appropriation act of the last
Congress took deputy United States
marshals and deputy collectors of in
ternal revenue out of the civil service,
An unsuccessful attempt to take as
sistant postmasters out Of the civil
service was made in the post Office
appropriation bill of the last Con-
gress. Then the federal reserve bank
act made the use of the merit system
optional with the board Of governors.
And now 1t is proposed to exempt ap-
pointments under the rural credits act.
That facetious Democratic platform
document promised:
Our pledges are made to be
kept when in office as we'll as re-
lied upon during the campaign
The Democrats have this civil ser
vice raid and multitude of other
broken promises to explain to the
voters before next fall. Indeed it
looks as though the Democratic cam
paign Of 1915 would be largely a cam
paisn Of explanations.