The Washington times., 1920-08-19

The Civil Service Commission has
dennitely decided its policy and has
determined to make a test case oil
the attack on Senator hoke Smith, OF
Georgia, by the editorial mouthpieec
OF theo-Federal Employees Union. as
previously stated by The Times Tne
com mi 81 ion will not address its com,
munication on the subject OF this case
TO the officials of the union alone
but Will aim TO see that every class
med employe gets a copy OF II. so thAt
there can be no mistaking the warn
ing. '''- e..
The situation as outlined by oni-
ciais OF the Civil Service Commission
is as follows:
The unlonized employees of the FED,
eral Government have hypnouhso
themselves into believing that their
positions are permanent regardless OF
their behavior, and have torsotten
that their main bulwsrk and protec,
ton lies in an honest and forceiui
Administrations of the eivli service
code. '..
They have forgotten that the chiei
attraction of place In the classi-
fied service is security and per-
manence," and apparently bsneVe the
rules OF the Civil Service commission
and original civil service law can be
fiouted with impunity without riskins
their tenure.
FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.
The civil Service Commission re-
CARDS itself as being the "hrst line
cf defense" for the classified employe'
instead of being an obstruction IN
his path, as the officials OF the union
seem to think.
1T is high time that the rank ana
file should be told that their first al
lcgianco"is to the Federal Govern
ment." said an official today. They
have been dciuded into believing
that their loyalty should go to 9TH
cr interests, who pretend to be able
to protect them through political
pressure.
"As a matter Of fact the safety
of the CLASSIFIED employe depends
upon his staying out OF politics. IL
he goes into politics he again brings
back the conditions of the 'spoils sys-
tenn No Congress on earth Is going
to stand by thousands of Government
workers who took an active hand in
the electing or defeat of its members.
Nor will the executive branch of the
Government stand for it. 1t is a
clear infringement OF the spirit and
letter of the civil service code"
CHIEF DANGERPOINTs.
1t was said that one Of the great
dangerpoints in the classified service
situation is in the postoffice carrier
service-particularly with regard to
the rural delivery carriers. These
jobs are eagerly sought by applicants
from year to year, and " these EN-
ployes can be persuaded to join in
political activity and charges are
filed with the Civil Service Commits
sion against them, and substantiated
by investigation. ii is pointed out,
the result might be an upheaval in
the service.
The point which the Civil Service
Commission will emphasize is that
the rank and file of the employees
should not be misled into thInkin
that the essential morale and con-
ditions surrounding the classifie d
service have been changed by the
entrance of tho union into the situa-
ton. 1t is doubtful whether the COM
mission will press the case against
the Federal Employees Union as a
body as the result of the sharp edit-o-
rial criticism of Senator Smith, al
though it may formally request a
retraction.
The main concern of.the commission
it is said, to protect the actual Gov
ernment worker from the conse-
qucnces Of the acts of their author
lied agents, and to warn them OF
the rigid and impartial enforcement
of the law before it Is too late.