The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-09

The expense involved in DR..
pared to the good to be accom-
The main thing is that there
and city-a shoulder-to-sho
of the stigma of annually rec7
diseases.
s......s....'.ssss.....ss'
icy? The diplomatic representatives
of this country, now all democrats.
are capable men and are performing
their duties satisfactorily. Would Mr.
Hughes insist on them retaining their
positions? No. He would do as the
other Presidents have done-select
men of his own political following to
represent the government abroad.
The civil service system is good
institution and in the last few years
has been fairly we'll adhered to in
spirit as we'll as in letter. But it was
not intended to apply to ambassadors,
or the heads of important divisions
or bureaus of the governmental
machinery at Washington, and yet Mr..
Hughes finds fault with President
Wilson for appointing a southern
politician" director of the census, in
the place of Dana Durand, republic
an and an expert statistician. William
]. Harris of Georgia succeeded Mr..
Durand and filled the bill admirably.
There was no criticism of Mr.. Du-
rand's administration of the bureau,
but the fact that he was university
professor and a specialist in statistics
did not particularly enhance the value
of his services. The dictatorship is
purely an executive office. The bureau
is full of statistical experts who carry
on the technical details of the census.
When the federal trade commission
was created the President appointed
Mr.. Harris, because of his broad ex-
perience in practical affairs, member
Of that important organization. He
was succeeded in the census office by
another southern democrat, Samuel
l.. Rogers of North Carolina. Mr..
ROGERS has made good. Would Mr..
Hughes ask him to hold on to the job?
administrations do not
overlook any of the political plums
that are left to them outside OF the
civil service rules. And the bosses
who would be among Mr.. Hughes ad-
visers would never hear to anything
like patronage reform.
Mr.. Hughes campaign began with
his speech of acceptance on July 81.
He started out to make record IN
volume of oratory. Thus far he has
given no evidence Of constructive
craftsmanship. He has a mania for
finding little flaws, and when it comes
to an important issue like war, what
he says is, to all intents and pur-
poses, negative, but leaving jingoes
To draw the inference that if he were
in Wilson's place he would have licked
Germany and shot up Mexico.
No one questions the breadth OF Mr..
Hughes legal attainments. But as a
candidate for the highest office in the
land, his speeches must be disappoint-
ing to those republicans of quick per-
ception and sense of proportion. One
trouble with Mr.. Hughes is that he is
disingenuous. He is not sincere with
himself; while he is in trying posi-
ton, that of opposing the democrats
who have written more beneficent and
constructive legislation on the statute
books in the last three years than
the republicans had done in 80 years.
1t will be interesting to see Mr..
Hughes dodge when he is urged to
tell the country what he thinks OF
the federal reserve system, the rural
credits system and other great meas
ures adopted for the benefit of the
many and not the few.
A THOUGH the Presidents of the
n United States have received
salaries more than ample, it was
thought, to meet living expenses, few
of them saved money during their in
cumbency of the office. Before the
war and until Grants second term the
salary was
Few Presidents Saved $4,000. 1t was
Out of Their Salaries then increased
to $4,000 and
so remained until the close Of Roose-
velt's administration when it was ad
yanced to $4,000, with $4,000 add
tional allowed for travelling expenses
In the early days of the republic
s25, 900 would go as far as double thai
amount in these latter days. The gov
eminent provides. all the furniture IL