Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-07
The Fight FOR PIE
Order Of the President Makes a
Big CORmOtiOn.
WHOLESALE DISCHARGE OF EMPLOYEES

Removal of Heads of Departments II
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Taken as Notice That the Civil Ser
vice Law No Longer Counts.
D. Lawrence in Greenville Piedmont.
Washington, April 3.-A crisis ha!
come in the everlasting struggle be-
tween civil service and the "spoils sys'
tenn"
When Attorney General Daugherty
told the house committee on appropri-
ations that he frankly favored filling
government offices. with political ap-
pointees under Republican or Demo
cratic administration as the case may
he instead Of with civil service en-
Moves and argued that the political Sc
lections were more efficient, very little
significance was attached to his obser-
yations which were regarded for the
moment as more or less academic.
Now. however, the biggest sensation
has developed in the government ser
vice since the days when disappoint-
ed office-seeker assassinated President
Garfield and gave rise to the civil SER
vice system of today.
Torn on every side by the demands OF
office seekers who served the Repubu-
can party in the 1920 campaign and
who are eager to serve it even more
energetically in the congressional cam
paign of 1922, President Harding has
yielded at last to the opportunities OF
his political associates.
The axe fell first on the heads OF "a
bureau chiefs and subordinate officials
in the governments biggest establish
nent-the Bureau of Printing and En-
craving, where the stamps, paper mon
ey and government bonds are made
Without a word of warning, without
chance to defend themselves, these Of
fcials many Of whom have been in
the bureau since boyhood days, many
of whom have never voted or affiliated
with political parties, were cast adrift
and under the law are ineligible for
government service again.
The whole government personnel is
disturbed Hints are given that the In
ternal Revenue service and the Gus
toms service, the prohibition enforce
ment staff and other bureaus which
like that of Engraving and Printing
come under the treasury department
are to be the victims of q political
house cleaning. Secretary Andrew
Mellon loathes politics. He has de-
clined to interfere with what has SEEM
ed to him an efficient personnel. Mr..
Harding couldn't persuade Mr.. Mellon
to take q deep interest in party patron
age. So Elmer Dover, regional director
for the Republican party on the Pa
cific coast, and one of the leading Re-
publicaps PE tkesstats Of WaShingtop'
consented ITO become assistant secre-
tary of the treasury and has been con-
ducting relentless fight against DEM
ocrats still in office. In this he has the
hearty sympathy of the Republican
members of congress who are not over
ly fond of Secretary Mellon anyway,
first because Of his difference with
congress over taxation and, second, be-
cause of his pronounced opposition to
the bonus bill. Commissioner Blair of
the Internal Revenue, is already at
odds with Mr.. Dover over the matter
of appointment. 1t will be remember
ed that the internal revenue service
practically grew up under the Wilson
administration due to the heavy work
OF tax collection and Mr.. Blair is nat
urally unwilling to let go of experience
ed men when the responsibility for ef-
ficiency of the bureau is upon his
shoulders.
But it is the upheaval in the Bureau
of Printing and Engraving which has
for the moment focused everybody's
attention on the drive being made to
abolish the politically obnoxious phases
of the civil service system. SO far as
is known President Harding's order
summarily dismissing the 25 men in
the Engraving bureau is unprecedent-
ed. Senator Caraway of Arkansas