The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-06

already in office They were first blank eted in by executive order, and then they were held in office during good behavior. "Of course. there have been times when 1t was convenient for our republican friends to remove the blanket and get rid of surplus civil service employees. and after they had put their own kind into office, to return the blanket and protect their own appointees. It was not cunning which prompted President Wilson to keep postmasters in office without re -examipa- tior after their terms had expired It was merely an attempt on his part to follow the sentiment of the existing law in con- nection with civil service matters--to make all original appointments by com Astitive examination, and then establish Whe precedent that if a man served we'll 1 and faithfully, to return his name to the Senate without new examination. Civil service rules do not contemplate the dis missal of a good and faithful servant. There was nothing cunning in the Wilson order.''
 MOSES GETS CUTE | At this point in the debate Senator Glass remarked that however cunninEiy the order might have been drawn, 1t was not cunningly administered inasmuch as 50 per cent of the appointees were re- plblicans. To this Senator ..loses of New Hampshire retorted "Oh. no. That mere l " SHOWS the superior lnteligence or the republican contestants
 Senator Underwood, all but ignoring this scphomoric attempt at humor. rejoined: T will say to the senator from New Hampshire that while he may claim the intelligence of the country for his party, he has not demonstrated it. At any rate, it shows that under President I Wilson's administration of the postoffices of the country he attempted to live up | tf, tho y,rit, iplo rf ka ri service laws. And do not think it right for anyone to attempt to controveft those | facts or attempt to cast sIur on < hts l position.
 If the republican party concludes to | take the bac ktrack on civil service re- take the back track to the spoils system. that is your responsibility, not ours; but I say-that if you are going to take the position, take it openly tell the country ! what you are doing. and Go not try to l camouflage the situation Say that you I are going to turn these democrats out because you want to put republicans m. You have the power. You can take the responsibility of it to the country" \ RECORD IS CITED
 Senator Hitchcock, in regard to the appointments of President Wilson, said with truth that very often they consti- tuted embarrassment to the democrats of the House and Senate.
 ''We find that in such republican sta&ea as Massachusetts," he said. 'out of 1 vacancies, republicans have been given
 offices in 20 cases. According to my recoi-
 lection. one of those cases was in the city
 of Boston.
 Tn Michigan, out of 6s vacancies, 4e went to republicans. In Minnesota, out of 30 vacancies, 55 went to republicans.
 In my own state, Nebraska, the demo- | cratic administration filled 55 of 90 yacan-
 cies with republicans"
 AS to whether or not the slighted demo- crats in these states showed their resent
 ment in the election is matter of dis pute. It is reasonably certain. however. that four years hence the republicans will
 not be compelled to reckon with cha grined republicans.