Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-02-07
ANSWERS
HIS CRITICS ON
MERIT MEASURE
Gives Out A Formal Statement
Further Setting Forth His
Position AS To Why Certain
Offices Were Excepted - To
Make Survey
SAYS 1T REPRESENTS
HIS HONEST JUDGMENT

Governor Ritchie has issued q state
ment further setting forth his posi-
ton on the Merit Bill now before the
General Assembly II is in the ma
ture of a reply TO certain critics Of
the Governors attitude and ques-
tioning the honesty Of his intentions
as TO the measure.
The Governors statement reads. in
part. as follows
while, however. | feel that for the
reasons given the positions named
should be excepted. yet | fully rec0g-
nize that actual experience with the
merit system may show that at least
some of them can be included There
fore, the bill provides that the Cover
nor may. by executive order from
time to time add to the classified serv-
ice such Offices from or not included
in the classified service as herenbe-
tore defined. as he may think advis-
able ard thereafter such added posi-
tons shall not be taken out except by
an act OF the legislature.
AS soon as the act is in operation
intend to survey all the excepted
positions with the purpose of seeing
whether any of them can be included
in the classified service l intend TO
repeat that survey from time TO time;
and whenever ! find that any position
can. without detriment TO the efficient
discharge of its duties. be placed in
the classified service, ! intend TO place
it there.
But the promise is for an efficient
merit system, and / am not going 10
include in the system positions which
/ think can be more efficiently filled
by excepting them
Il believe now that 1his is the case
as 10 the positions which the bill ex
ccpts rhis belief represents no welk-
e..'r- oi my 'mora,e, no concessions
to tee 's)rbid flesnLc's Of Egypt 1t
represents my honest judgment, based
on actual experience, as to what will
best give the most efficient State gov
ernmelt. ! take i from the people of
the State elected me 10 exercise my
own best judgment on matters of this
kind. That is what | am doing, and
the people of the State can rely on me
to add to the classified service, from
time to time, all places not in it which
the actual operation of the merit sys-
tern may show can be properly added" ;"
Rising to a question of personal
privilege" Senator David G Mcintosh,
Democratic floor leader in the Senate,
yesterday defended Governor Ritchie
against the editorial attack made upon
hfn in the Baltimore Sun of yesterday
morning. Senator Mcintosh, declar-
ing that he had not been commissioned
to defend the Governor, said he arose
to reply to the "unwarranted and un-
justified attack" He declared that he
wanted to be understood as feeling
that public officials, whether they be
the Governor or members of the Legis-
lature, should be open at all times to
fair and just" criticism.
At the conclusion of the speech of
Mr.. Mcintosh. Senator Frick spoke,
saving that while he has not read the
Merit bill and does not know whether
or not he will support in in toto, he
feels sure that the Governor acted in
good faith in drafting it. After adj
journment Minority Floor Leader
Speicher and others, including sew
eral of the Republicans, privately
went to Senator Mcintosh and ex-
pressed their agreement with him in
his stand.