The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-08-18

Now, then, We have had very seri-
Gus disregard Of the spirit and require
| ments or our civT1 service law. In q
democratic community, the hardest
| thing In the world In a sense Is to get
general appreciation of the import
ance OF having fit men attend to the
business of the government. They un-
derstand ii In private business. But.
| between you and me, in public bust
ness anything goes.
Democrats Have Taken
10000 Out Of Civil Service
Nov, to avoid that kind of thing,
to limit that sort OF thing, to have
something like a business-like arrange
ment, we have had laws providing for
examinations and the entry of men
into the civil service who appeared to
| be competent. We have had what we
called classified service. Now the
Republican platform says that under
'he Democratic administration there
have been created since March 4, 1913,
| over 10000 places which have been
taken outside in the original appoint
| ment of operation of the civil service
laws. Read enactment after enactment
providing in substance as follows:
That the agents, clerks and other per-
sons to be appointed under this law
shall not be appointed under the re.
strictions of an act passed SO and so,
at such time, which means the act
establishing the classified civil service
period.
1T has been a raid upon the civil
service OF the United States and the
American people ought to understand
it. And we have had positions, expert
positions, positions requiring expert
knowledge, which have been subordi-
mated to the demands of what ! regard
as an ignoble partison expediehcy.
Take for example the bureau of the
census. There was Mr.. Duran, an ex-
pert statistician, very competent
man, well understood to be such. We
have him retired and in his place we
have Democratic politician from a
southern state. And he Is hardly warm
in his place before he is transferred to
the trade commission. The trade COM
mission itself was fairly emasculated
with the law by the men, for the most
part, who were appointed to places
upon Ii.
Now, my friends, that sort of thing
has got to stop in this country If we
are going ahead to meet the demands
that are Immediately upon us.
1--WE had in the coast and geodetic
survey an eminent scientist, man
who had won distinction in connection
with his scientific work, a man of very
eminent rank. He was displaced to
make room for an excellent stock
breeder and veterinary surgeon In
the coast and geodetic survey we have
had very extraordinary condition
with regard to expert places. | mean
places that were taken out of the civil
service laws. l shall not go into the
exact figures. In the last year, or the
year ending about April, 1916, there
were taken our 104,000-that Is ap-
'ointments by executive action, re-
moved from the operation of the civil
service laws to the number, believe,
of about 104. / believe that some 20
of those were made without seeking
the advice of the civil service commits
sion. | believe that about % were
made after seeking the advice and with
the approval of the civil service com.
mission, and / believe that 62 were
made in opposition to the advice of the
civil service commission.
Need Cabinet Officers of
Great Business Ability
WV, uSSlIt lHdl III lnlS country
as We create-and necessarily create
expert positions to take care of the
growing business of the American COM
monwealth that men of experience and
training be called to fiji them. II we
are to have a secretary of state we
want a secretary of state that will
stand before the world as man known
for his learning. his skill, his power:
A tot Nf
representative Of America, in diplom-
acy.
in these great cabinet o:!sces nav
ing the administration OF great husi.
ness departments we want men con.
spicuous for business ability, men who
know how to organize departments,
and know how to attend to the work
Of the public, just as private business
should be attended to, without fear
and without favor.
I'VE may divide, as politicians, in
considering whether We shall have a
certain law; we may divide as to
whether we shall have this or that can.
didate for given notice. But when
the law is passed or the candidate
chosen there should be no difference
among parties as to how the law should
u lHdI 10 lHcH llc Id Nv
for Republicans and Democrats, for
white or black, for men regardless of
creed 1t is an American law to be
administered by the best men you can
get for that department of the govern
ment's activity.
Nov, l used to think that IL there
was one thing which the American
public was less interested in than any,
thing else, 1t was the actual admins
tration of their government. But am
beginning to believe that with the oh.
ject lessons we have lad abroad, and
with the very definite appreciation of
the crisis we are In, there is a differ
ent notion in this country about those
things. i hold II is the most unworthy
thing an administrator can do, to take
public business and pay political debts
with ii.
Now II we are going to get the mo-
tive power to accomplish these things,
IL we are going to get the strength
and the spirit which will enable us to
carry them through, we have got to
have a real deep-seated pride In the