Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-07

says lIS pldllliy lileSdl anu WHSH ~ " "eS
pointed out to him that Mr.. Harding
had not acted until Attorney General
Daugherty had declared the step was
within the presidents authority, Mr..
Caraway said:
THE attorney general is a political
associate Of the president and would
probably tell him it was all right to
suspend the constitution if he desired
to do So" -
Members Of congress are curious to
know what led the president to dis
miss so many men in the bureau Of
Printing and Engraving and Mr.. Cara
ways resolution demanding an inves-
tigation will probably draw forth some
further statements from the admins
tration. '.S
|. "If anybody in the government SER
vice has been guilty of inefficiency or
corruption, they should have been dis
missed" said Senator Caraway today,
but no man ought to be deprived of
an honest living through secret inVes-
tigation and without being given an
opportunity to learn what the charges
are against him and who his accusers
are"
The statutes have been brought into
the controversy for it is contended by
the Federal Employees Union that Mr..
Harding ignored a fundamental law.
Here is the statute:
mo person within the classified SER
vice of the United States shall be re-
moved therefrom except for such cause
as will promote the efficiency of said
service and for reasons given in writ
ing and the person whose removal is
sought shall have notice Of the charges
against him and be furnished with a
copy thereof and also be allowed a
reasonable time to answer the same in
writing and to file affidavits In support
thereof.
The reason given publicly by the ad-
ministration is inefficiency and the in
terest of the service. A test case may
develop in the courts to discover what
the rights Of government employe
really are as against an executive order
of the president. 1t is true that a pres
idential order supersedes most every
thing and that a chief executive has
the right 10 appoint persons to posi-
tions inside the civil service without
examination and he has the right to
abolish jobs which were previously
covered by civil service. The presi-
dents technical right to take steps at
once-abolishing positions and appoint
new men to vacancies by executive Or
der is admitted by most Of the gov
ernment lawyers. 40.
But there is considerable doubt as to
whether president has the right of
removal without furnishing evidence
Of the charges existing against gov
ernment employe. If he has, the whole
civil service system, it is contended,
rests wholely on the whim of a presi-
dent. The tendency in congress has
recently been in the direction Of abol-
ishing civil service requirements
wherever it was possible to do so. The
postoffice laws have been changed so
as to enable the government to choose
any one of the first three who pass the
examinations, thus permitting the
president to ignore the highest man if
lie Is Democrat or even Republican
without political influence, and the
house of representatives has just au-
thorized the appointment Of 100 addi-
tional postoffice inspectors. In the last
ten years not more than thirty-five
have been asked for and the charge is
made by the Democrats that the in
creased force of inspectors is to be
used to hound Democratic postmasters
and get rid Of them on inefficiency ev-
idence developed by the inspectors.
The quarrel over the prohibition staff
and civil service requirements is still
at its height. Altogether the civil SER
vice system is fighting feebly for it's
life.