The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-01
|DCRATIC
POSTAL ORDER
IRkS c. 0. P.
Republicans Claim Trick
Harding Ruling Likely to
Take One Out of First
Three.
WORKERS WANT PLUMS
BY MARK SULLIVAN

MAhA SULLbNA AN
WASHINGTON, April 1.--President
Harding will shortly make decision
which will largely determine the fate
OF fully nine-tenths of the party leaders
and workers who are seeking patron
age. He is Just now getting the opinion
OF the party leaders in congress and
elsewhere and also thorough report
on the situation as it exists. In the
nature Of this decision can only be
understood by close examination Of the
law as it now stands. Ex-President
Wilson in 1917, put all OF the first,
second and third class postmasters,
under civil service. The Democrats
in fact, rely on making this decision
one of their major issues. The Repub-
lican position on the other hand is that
there was "trick'-tllis is the word
the Republicans 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, Mr.. Wilson came
into Office March 4, 1918. During the
following four years, Of course, the
terms of all these postmasters expired
automatically. The Republicans charge
that all of the first, second and third
class postmasters appointed during
this period were Democrats. 1t is the
universal practice of the party in
10 onnninf IFS nnarhaTS t0
the post Offices. The Republicans
charge that only after the Offices had
been filled by Democrats that Mr.. Will
son put them under the permanent
protection of the civil service.
SkiIifuiiy Drawn.
It was, in fact on March 81, 1917,
after Mr.. Wilson had been in office
four years, that he issued the executive
order which is now in question The
Wilson order provides that whenever a
vacancy occurs-as the result Of death.
resignation, or removal hts successor
shall be appointed by a competitive
Examination under TIE civil service
Nomrnission.
The point, as the Republicans make
IL, is that postnasters who did not die
or resign and we're not removed. hold
thei, Offices permanently. AS Senator
Lodge expressed it "The point that the
expiration of a commission does not
create vacancy. Therefore the man
who is in Office may be re-appointed
without the examination, and that, Of
course, was the purpose Of the order.
What irks the Republicans. however
is that there are still in office some
5000 postmasters not likely to die, OF
be removed" within sufficiently short
time to give the Republicans a chance
at the Offices. 1t is these 5000 Offices
that Republican workers throughout
the country are eager for. While the
Republican workers throughout the
country are eager for Harding to re
woke the order which bars them from
a chance at the post Offices, Many o
the Republican leaders in Washington
take a different view.
Against spoiIs System.
It is gossip in Washington that at
White House dinner at which the suo
iect was discussed. the feeling was
overwhelming against a return to tht
epoils system. What is likely to bt
done. however. is this, President VII
CONS order will be rescinded and ;
new executive order will be substitut
cd This new order will compe! thu
existing postmasters. Who have no
been appointed under civil seIvlc'
rules to resign at the ends of the1
present terms Their successors viii
then be appointed on the civil servic'
basis. This will at least give to tn
Republican workers the chance to TAX
the civil service examination in com
petition with everybody else.
The new order probably will provid
that the President shall appoint on
out of the first three taking eXamir
alton. rather than the top man on th
J list. on the theory that least one on
Of the three is likely to be Reput
ljcan. It is estimated that this VII
give the Republicans chance. Also
tbe examinations will probably b
changed so as to be less purely BOOB
fsh and to take into consideration th
candidates qualities of personality an
his experience and adoption to tn
kind of work postmaster must do.
(Copyright 1921 by the New YORK
Evening Post, Ind
~AU nm