Middletown transcript., 1916-08-26
lODrrTOwN, DEL, AUG. %, 1919
SCARED DEMOCRATS

HlASkkNNEU 0A1AA0 SASAe
cHRIEKs and howls from the Admin
- istration managerie as Mr.. Hughes
stirs the animals up with his redhot iron
of FACTS
Hubbub and alarm everywhere
Cabinet officers heating the wires with
denials. only to draw from Mr.. Hughes
the ..pitiless publicity" of PROOFS!
For example. He charges the presi-
dent with attacking the great principle
Of civil service reform-with deliberately
Gripping the public service by displacing
experienced and competent officials to
make room for green and incompetent
plaeemen whose chief qualifications are
that they are worthy Democrats" and
very needy.
At Detroit Mr.. Hughes charged Sec
retarv Redfeld with removing E. Dana
Durant. an eminent statistician, "a man
of conspicuous fitness" and putting in
his place man without qualifications.
Mr.. Redfeld was so much worried at
the public revelation of his act, that he
teIegraphed Mr.. Hughes that the man
had voluntarily resigned unasked" ..
We will let Mr.. Hughes himself tell how
he nailed this Democratic lie to the
mast. In his Minneapolis address he
said:
"In my speech in Detroit l took
occasion to refer to the fact that IN
very important bureau, the bureau
of census, an eminent statisticlan,
man of conspicuous expertness
and fitness for the place, had been
retired. and a man had been ap-
pointed in his place without qualiti-
cations for that important technical
work. You must know how i'm
portant that census bureau is. In
the proper collation. of those statis-
tics IS furnished the opportunity for
many Investigators to detect i'm
portant tendencies in our life. 1t is
work that must be done expertly.
-'Now, my statement that E.
Dana Durand was retired, as l said,
in effect, and his place given to a
politician, has been challenged Dy
Secretary Redfeld. Secretary Red
field telegraphs me that was
greatly misinformed. He says
''Durand was not removed or re-
tired, but resigned voluntarily un-
asked. was glad to indorse him
for his present employment. "
''E. Dana Durand happens to be
"a professor in the University OF
Minnesota, and l am going to read
the letter which he has written me
today in respect to this matter.
''Inasmuch as the truth of your
statement with regard to change in
the dictatorship Of the census has
been challenged, think it is only
fair to your to that l should make
this statement: My resignation as
director was distinctly forced
resignation.
cat first conversation had with
Secretary Redfeld on the subject.
told him that would, of course,
resign whenever he desired, but that
hoped 1 might be permitted to re-
main, as was much interested in
the work and considered. myself
reasonably qualified, especially by
reason of the experience already
gained in the position. He at once
told me that the administration had
decided that it wanted to make
.change-I believe ito create
vacancy there, were the words
used.
.'The next / heard about the
matter was the announcement in the
press that the name Of my successor
had been sent to the senate. l
thereupon wrote out my resignation
prefer not to be quoted, but If you
consider it necessary, you are at
liberty to do so. "
Again Mr.. Hughes gave the cas-
where an eminent scientist occupying
an important technical place in tn
bureau of Coast and Geodetic Surveys
a position calling for high scientifi
knowledge and experience, was force'
S out to make room for another absurd.
incompetent but very hungry Demo
scrat, to wit, one Jones, stockbreeder
Naturally Jones knows nothing abou
the higher mathematics, possess non
of the special, technical requirement
necessary to make geodetic surveys.
Mr.. Hughes accuses the presiden
with seriously disregarding of the civi
service laws, that noble Republican re
form that seeks to make governmen
more efficient-t to lift the civil servic
out of the miserable Slough of Despon
wherein it sinks when the good oil
Democratic theory prevails with it
odious maxim, Ito the yictors belOn
the spoils of office. He sums up MI
Wilson's assaults upon this great re
form law as follows: