The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-13
W0EFUL TIDINGS
TO CONGRESSMES
Possible That Next Appropriation Bill
Will Break Up Civil Service
Scheme.
p H. MCGOWAN. in The State.

p. H. MCGOWAN. in The State.
washington. March S.-DemocratS
and Republicans alike here have for
the time being forgotten their differ
ences. have buried the tomahaWk and
have united forces TO prevent, If pos
sible, the utter destruction of their
political fences by the new postoftice
regulations which the president Will
put into operation VIXEN all postmast-
ers in the United States of the first,
second and third classes Will pei
blaketed under civil service rules,
this becoming operative april 1.
Little groups Of members without
regard to party lineup or affiliation
gathered today to discuss what ap-
pears to be the hardest political
knock ever given them. 1t is
fully recognized that the hopes OF
many members for retaining their
seats in the house must go with the
severing of the strongest link which
bings them to their voters. This be-
ing the case, there is much talk here
regarding what will be done when an
extra session of congress is called, 1t;
being the consensus Of opinion that
this new order of things winch IS
viewed as one Of the most drastic yet
known must be withdrawn.
What is to be done about the mat
ter no one seems to know, but so far
as the working Of the new order IS
concerned and the effect it will have,
the situation is this way:
II is believed nominations will be
sent to the senate as in the past but
in making selections the president
will be guided by the results of the
examinations so far as possible.
Whether the civil service commits
sion. under which fourth class post
masters are now named, will conduct
the examinations has not been de-
termined. The order will provide for
a modified form Of civil service clas-
siication under which all vacancies
whether caused by resignation, re-
moyal or death will be filed by COM
petiye examination.
There was talk at the capitol today
tina, when the postoffSce approprla-
ton bill is considered at the next
regular session an attempt is likely to
be made to put on rider to PROVIDE
that no part of the money appropriat-
ed in the Ill shall be used for pay
ment of postmasters appointed under
such conditions. There were sugges-
tions that when the top man certified
by the civil service examiners Is
nominated to the senate the repre-
sentatives in whose district the post
office is located may if the nomina-
ton is Objectionable to him bring
enough pressure to bear in the senate
to reject the nomination and 50 bring
about another examination to reacn
a satisfactory man.
Champ Clark was quite free in dis
cussing the entire proposition today
There isn't any member Of the house
who gets any benefit from patronage"
he said. ANY OF them will tell you
that. If you have to choose between
friends all you do is to make lot OF
enemies. But at the same time,
member of congress knows the Sit
uation in his own district better than
any one else, and a heap better than
fellows in the postoffice department
here in Washington. The history OF
this postoffice thing is this: When
Taft ordered 100000 fourth class post
masters placed under the civil service
any one with bit of sense could see
it was a political move. Taft knew
Wilson was going to be elected. Now
then, when Wilson came in, if he had
said. 4 know this was nothing but
political move, and I'm not going to
stand for it, he might have nulllhed
that order, but that wasn't done. They
kept certifying three names, the fel-
low who was interested in it, and 1t
seemed certain that out Of the three
at least one of them would be
Democrat. But along came the
Burlescn ukasee which said the man
highest on the list of the civil service
must be chosen, and to my mind that
raised more cain in politics than any
thing else and it is one of the main
reasons why the next house is so
close. People in Democratic dis
trict want Democrat in office as
postmaster"
1t has been suggested that the or
der would put many Republicans in