The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-04-04
BY MARK SULLIVAN

iNLl;Ol.,ts l'Dltlt'HI orr ~l"'i'.'!'- 81
Th. Intr,GE.nr,rp
Washington. Nr"H %..-l'gr~!d"nt ltar.
DIM: VIII shortly make Il d,...sInr which
Will ,trr"ly d,'"rir.u" ~" 'a'' "f IE!iH
a:rc-'"rths Of tho purity i".,s'"r$ aud
workers wh" ar" >""h'uS patronage II"
: lust now gS'tiu-. n, u;r.l"u "i thu
party leaders III 'rDGi"-S and elsewhere.
and also 4 'h"r"WEu report "u ~" $.iu
rriru ~ I "NiS:~
Tn" nature" ~ 'lIs d,,.'>I"u an ""iT
ro Understood 10y clos, "\Im'n.un" "i
tho law ~ 4 now stands. EN-Hr">WI"H'
Wll:,uu. IN 1871. pa; all If III. frs.
Second and 'h.rI class r"Siu.t.''rS an
lcr IN" civN service. tn" l''m"rn;N.
therefore. say that any action "h'h
President Harding may talk" VIII h''
auiaguniStiC to civil S"rNi"" prime spies
A. Senator Hitchcock expressed II.
This reform by Mr.. Wilson WAS a re-
form pledged t. tho p""pi" "t ih'
United states II i ~ carried out ~
tn" incoming administration. Il NJ! h"
a crfnrm permanently cstnh!'%h'! IN his
country" senator Undrrw""d "Nrr"S>"d
the Democratic position 10y sa!'nE: !:
the Republican party r"u'iud"S - ''h'
III" back track on CIN!l S"rN !'" reform
and return to the SpoilS system. i"t'
- their responsibility. not ours. EH"F
HAY" the power They rHu ti"' the re-
spoons .hil!ty OF It TO II" country. Tn"
Democrats. in fact. rely an making thus
decision on" of thor major ISSUES.
Democratic Trick.
The Republican position ON the otE"r
hand IS that there was a trick IL nat
Is the word the E"puhlrauS uS"--.n III"
language of Mr.. Wilson'S order. y"
Senator Lodge espresso" II. "fh" order
was very cuunlnEly DRAWN The va!
the Republicans justify lh"ir rharg" IL
thiS: MIR. Wilson cam" nat" ,'if!'" Mnr'h
4. 1918. During the i"iI"w!lE four
years. OF course. IN" terms "f all Ties"
postmasters expired automatically. TIC
Republicans charge that all "f ia" ilr~t.
SECOND and third class p"Stm1$lcrS al
pointed during this period w'r' l'"in"-
Gratis II is the universal prArt''" 81
the party In power I" appoint us own
members TO the p"StoGjccS. Tn" R"nUh-
leans charge thar II was only after III"
Offices had been tll,d b! p'm"rrata that
Mr. Wilson put them undo" th'' I"r'na-
nent protection of the civil service.
1t was. IN fact. on March 81. l'l''
after MIR. Wilson had been In "lIr" over
four Years that he issue! tE' "N"rdt'F"
order which Is nov IN question: Tn"
Wilson order prCylu, : that Whenever Il
resignation or removal" has successor
shah be appointed 10y - competitive" ~
animation under the civil S''Tr!'" COM
mission. The point a. IN" Republicans
make IT, il that pustma>t"iS who Il"
not die or resign ar were not removed
hold shrlr Offices permanently! rs
Senator Lodge Expressed It. TN" point
Is that the expiration Of a commission
does not create Il vacancy. Therefore
the man who is in "fflc" may Il" Reap
pointed without the examination, ANA
thai, of course, WAS the purpose 81 the
order.
How It works.
That rs the controversy. l.NrrybpuE
admits that the poS;unStcrS Who have
been appointed since President Wilson's
order went into effect have been chosen
on a purely non part san and strictly
competitive bass. E:N,ludtnE the eleven
Democratic southern states. "ui Of
total OF l.J9c only JOS were Democrats
and sd were Republicans. In tn" stat"
Of massachusetts. for example, cut ~
2s vacancies. 20 Of the apprentices wcr"
Rcpuhlicans. What irkS tn" k"puOh-
cans, however. Is that there arc sim in
Office some 5000 p0StinaStcrS not hk"iy
10 die. resign or hc remover within
4 sufficiently short tim" /" E'N" u"
Republicans a chaur" ~ the Offices. II
Is thcs,, S.uuH Offices that the Republican
workers throughout the country are
eager for.
While tho Republican Work"rS
throughout the country are eager Tor
Harding to rev okc the order which bars
them from a chance at the posi"ticcS'
many OF the Republican leaders III
Washington take different view. IL
is gossip IN Washington that At White
House dinner a, which the subject WAS
discussed the feeling WAS "rcrwh"lm-
ngly against a return To me Sr"i'S
system Anybody "NrrrIcn' 90 ~ r""'
tics knows that WHENEVER p"St"nI'"
vacancy occurs there VIII be all average
Of ten par;y workers applying for =,
and that III. Illing OF II makes for INC
Republican, congressman, y IN" saying
is nine enemies and ono migrate.
There is not the tairtcSt Likelihood "i
Il complete return TO the spoilS system.
What j. likely to hc done. however.
is this: President Wilson's order will
he rescindcd and new executive order
will be substituted. This new order Will
compel all the existing r"Stmnsicrs vii"
have not been appointed under CIVIL
service rules TO resign At :hr "nuS al
their present terms. Their Successors
will then bc Appointed on ia" c'Nl
service basis. This VIII al least give
to the Republican workers the On NJ"
IN take the civil service examination IN
connection with everybody else. The
new order will probably pruvid" that
the president shall appoint one out or
the first three taking the examination.
rather than the top man on the tSt.
On the theory that At least one GU, of
the three Is likely to DO Republican.
il is estimated that this Will give 'he
Republicans chance. Also the cEamI-
nations will probably be- changed $" us
10 be lcss purely book,sh anh 20 take
into consideration the candida'r's quail
ties Of personality and his "Np"ri"n'"
and adaptation to the kind or work
postmaster must d..