The Washington herald., 1921-04-01
Say Wilson's Order Made
Plums Permanent for
Democrats.
WANT ALL CHOSEN
BY CIVIL SERVICE
Would Force Appointees
to Resign and Take
Examinations.
ny MARK SULLIVAN.

make a decision which will largely
determine the fate of fully nine
tcnths of the party leaders and
workers who are seeking patron
age. He Is just now getting the
opinion of the party leaders in Con-
gress and elsewhere, and also
thorough report on the situation as
it exists.
only be understood by close exami-
nation of the law as II now stands.
Former President Wilson, in 1917,
class postmasters under the Civil
Service. The Democrats, therefore.
say that any action which President
Harding may take will be antago-
nistic to Civil Service principles.
G. o. p. Sees .Trick' Wording.
As Senator Hitchcock expressed
II, This reform by Mr.. Wilson was
a reform pledged to the people of
the United States. II it is carried
out by the incoming administration
il will be a reform permanently es-
tablished in this country" Senator
Underwood expressed the Demo-
cratic position by saying. If the
Republican party concludes to take
the back track on Civil Service re-
form and return to the spoils sys-
TEN. that is their responsibility. not
ours. They have the power. They
can take the responsibility of IL to
the country" The Democrats, in.
fact. rely on making this decision
one of their major issues.
The Republican position. on the
other hand, Is that there was a
"trick"-that is the word the Re-
pubHcans use-in the language of
Mr.. Wilson's order. As Senator
Lodge expressed it, The order was
very cunningly drawn" The way
the Republicans justify their charge
is this:
4. 1913. During the following four
years, of course, the terms OF all
these postma sters expired automat-
ically. The Republicans charge that
all of the first, second. and third
class postmasters Appointed during
this period were Democrats. It is
the universal practice of the party
in power to appoint its own mem
bers to the postoffices. The Repub-
licans charge that it was only after
the offices had been filled by Demo-
Gratis that Mr.. Wilson put them un-
der the permanent protection Of the
Civil Service.
Seek 5000 Jobs.
1t was, in fact, on March 81, 1917,
after Mr.. Wilson had been in Of
fice over four years. that he issued
the executive order which is now in
question. The Wilson order pro-
vides that whenever a vacancy oc-
ours ''as the result of death, res
ignation or removal" E@2successor
shall be appointed by atcompetitive
examination under the Civil Service
Commission. The point, as the Re-
publicans make it, is that postmas-
ters who did not die or resign or
were not removed hold their ofiices
permanently. As Senator Lodge ex-
pressed It, The point is that the
expiration of a commission does not
create a vacancy. Therefore, the
man who is in office may be reap
pointed without the examination,
and that, of course, was, the pur-
pose OF the order.'
That is the controversy. Every
body admits that the postmasters
who have been appointed since
President Wilson'S order went into
effect have been chosen on a pure
ly ndnpartisan and strictly compete
five basis. Excluding the eleven
Democratic Southern States, out OF
1,592, only 59S were Democrats and
S46 were Republicans. In the State
of Massachusetts,. for example, out
of twenty-eight vacancies, twenty
of the appointees WERE Republicans.
What irks the Republicans, how
ever, is that there are still in office
soma 5000 postmasters not likely
TO "die, resign or be removed"
within a sufficiently short time to
give the Republicans a chance at
the offices. 1t Is these 5000 offices
that the Republican workers
throughout the country are eager
for. 4
Against Spoils system.
While the Republican workers
the country are eager
for Harding to revoke the order
which bars them from a chance at
the postoffices. many of the Re-
publican leaders in Washington
take a different view. 1t is gossip
in Washington that at a White
House dinner, at which the subject
was discussed. the feeling was
overwhelmingly against a return to
the spoiis system. Anybody expert
enced in politics knows that when
ever a postofice vacancy occurs
there will be an average of ten
party workers applying for it and
that the filing Of IL makes for the
Congressman. as the
saying Is. mine enemies and one
Agrate." There is not the faintest
likelihood of complete return to
the spoils system.
What is likely to be DONE, how
ever, Is this: President Wilson's
,rder will be .rescinded and a new
executive order will be substituted.
This new order will compel all the
existing postmasters who have not |
been appointed under Civil Service
rules to resign at the ends of their |
present terms. Their successors
will then be appointed on the Civil
Service basis. This will at least
give to the Republican workers the |
.hance to take the Civil Service
in competition with 4
else. The new order
will probably provide that the
President shall appoint one out Of |
he first three taking the examfna-
4