South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-18
lombard HARDING
ON CIVIL SERVICE
ABUSE OF G. 0. P.
William Dudley Foulke,
Hoosier, Issues Report of
Civil Service League.

\ WASHINGION. ID. O.. May IT,
SCspeciaD "A hot fusiuade of critl-
oism Is aimed az che Harding adj
ministration by the committee Of
the National Civil Service Reform
League that investigated the ap-
po.ntment 81 postmasters under the
present regime.
The report was made public to-
day IT. Is signed hy william Dud-
ley FouIke as chairman. Walter n
Buck. Lewis III Eas Dusen whose
home rs az Richmond. Ind is
REPUBLICAN ard under the Roosevelt
administration was a member OF the
civil service commission.
Tne report scores the change In
the method Of appointment under
President Hard.ng's executive order
by which any one ~ three eligibles
may be appointed Under the order
Of President Wilson the highest per-
son on the eligible list always got
the appointment The committee
finds that when the Wilson order
was revoked for this new plan a
backward step was taken
The only real effect of the rule
OF three" the committee finds. Is
Ito permit other matters outside
o. the qualifications Of the appli-
cant. such as political or personal
favoritlsm. 90 control. and thus lead
20 the appointment OF an inferior
man over those who rank higher
81 the qualities essential for a good
postmaster"
Patronage Recommendation
n The report continues:
we have already seen that this
has been the actual result Of the
presidents order allowing the
choice Of one out OF three; that con-
gressmen have generally dictated
and controlled these appointments,
principally f1r political reasons and
often for their personal advantage
irrespective OF the qualifications OF
the applicants 90 perform the du-
ties OF the Office
IT the congressmen's recomm en-
dations were asked for In order 20
obtain the best man and not for
political reasons why are the
recommendation OF republican
congressman received and favorably
considered and the recommends
lions Of democratic congressman
generally ignored?" Dr. Work, the
postmaster general told us the
democratic congressman were in
deed consulted. but that their ad-
vice was not always taken. Is il
then true that in a republican ad-
niinistration the advice or a re-
publican is necessarily good and the
advice Of a democrat is necessarily
bad Is IL not possible for a nnembe
OF the adverse party 20 know
mans qualifications for postmaster
as fully and TO state them as hon
estly as would be done by a con-
gresham Of the party in power?
Political Spells Of Party
Common sense forbids such a
conclusion The real reason that
the advice Of republican congress-
men Is needed and the advice OF
democratic cougressn1en Is ignored
= because these appointments are
still regarded as political spells 10
be filed with republicans for party
purposes.
I'VE find that the appointments
OF presidential postmasters under
the rule Of three, as prescribed by
President Harding. are confined all
most exclusively 10 republicans;
that they are made on the recon-
nendation OF republican congress
ren who depend on the local re-
publican orga mutations The presl-
dent is indeed entitled 70 credit in
that he made all these postofhces
subject 10 an examination by the
civil service commission, and not
merely those vacancies resulting
from death, resignation or removal
q whlch they had been limited by
President Wilson's former order and
which constituted about one-tenth
Of the whole Thus in all these cases
he kept out The most incompe
but within the highest three eligi-
hIes political patronage is stiu con-
trolling.
we repest our recommendation
that the rule for appointing the
highest man on the eligible list
should be restored and that then the
presidential postmssterships should
DO included IN the classified civil
service by act of congress. so a. 20
render applicable sec 10 az the
civil service act prohibiting con-
EressioraI recommendauons and
that then a subsequent executive
n order should require the appoint
ment az the highest man
The committee sets forth letters
of members az congress. postofice
arpointees and others 20 show that
politics IS the controlling factor in
the selection OF postmasters
Copyright, 1922, by Louis Ludlow