Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-01-18
CIVIL SERVICE IN ABILENE

seems that Postmaster Matteson is
anxious to smooth over so far as
possible his summary dismissal OF
r. NJ. Jones as assistant postmaster
on the ground of 'incompetency, .
after thirteen years of excellent
service without mark against him.
Three general explanations are made:
that Mr.. Matteson does not consider
him incompetent that the re-
moyal came from higher up that
civil service is wrong because in
this instance It kept many Republic
can assistants in office.
1t is likely that Mr. Matteson does
not think Tom Jones incompetent.
1t is not probable that when on any
Of his extended vacation trips dur
ing the past three years he lost any
sleep worrying about the conduct of
the office . He knew that his as
sistant was on the job, working over
hours if necessary, accommodating
some commercial traveller or citizen
by opening the office after closing
hours and trying to give the best
public service he knew how and to
mako the office serve the public and
not the public serve the office. He
says himself, "the assistant is at
no time required to enter the mail
ing division and perform the duty
there" which shows that the lex
animation" in those duties was con
sidered by Matteson as a farce, and
no test of the COMPETENCY of an as
sstant postmaster
The "higher up" theory is inter
esting. The one man who is closest
to. the postoffices is the congress
man Did Helvering initiate the
eminent Mr., Bryan and order that
a place be made for deserving
Democrats?" And is that to be the
policy in the future, regardless of
civil service? Is the postoffice to be
cleaned out Of all employees who are
not Democrats?
Civil service is recognized by every
progressive citizen as the right idea
in public employment for all minor
or merely clerical positions 1t be-
gan in this country with Mckinley
who placed large numbers of gov
eminent employees under it, retain
ing in office thousands of Demo
Gratis appointed under Cleveland.
Roosevelt added to the list and
Taft included other classes, among
them assistant postmasters, the only I
class in the office then not includ-
ed Under Republican postmasters
and under Congressman Calderhead .
and Congressman Rees politics was
not considered in either promotions
or appointments. Roy Shearer, a
Democrat, holds the second APP
pointiye position in the office and
did so under Republican rule Ches-
ter Hutchinson is a Democrat, all
political parties are represented in
The n employees Of the office-and
no postmaster cared what was their
politics and at least one did not
know the politics Of more than three
)r four Of them. In state affairs
Governor Capper has insisted on
'iyil service. The superintendent,
superintendent, chief clerk
md parole officer of the reforma
DRY are Democrats though the
BOARD over them is Republican and
las beer for nearly two years; the
leputy warden of the penitentiary
S a Democrat Under the same con
lition Not one of them and not an
,fficial in the local office. all cap
Ible and well qualified men, could
lot be discharged for 'incompe
ency' by handing them an exam
nation on something out of their
inc of duty as was done in Tom
-ones' case.
The principle of looking to serv- I
&c and not to political affiliations a
las been the dominant idea in mod |
m public life of the right sort and I
is strange to see in this day criti- I
ism of civil service because it hap !
lens at the time 1t is made effective I
ONE political party is apparently I
he gamer through having good SER :
ants working at their jobs Were
hat rule to obtain we should never
ave any civil service. The National
'ivil Service League says in
ecent report that Wilson is the
My president since Cleveland who
as added nothing to the civil serv-
&c list. and that on the contrary Q
e has lessened the number of en- y
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