The Topeka state journal., 1922-05-06

Already you VIII nave perceived that
| this is our day to be serious. We pave
the way to further discussion of the
vital and important by printing a let
/ ter from a reader who wishes to en-
gage in controversy with us.
G.he Letter.
| Sir-You say, '1f it is all right for
a private concern to dispense with the
services of an unsatisfactory employe.
what is wrong about a government
employe doing the same thing2 The
question sounds plausible, but the
answer is easy. A private concern
can be depended upon to conserve
its own interests; but a government
official, altho a hireling, whose own
sheep are not is naively expected to
conserve the community's interests,
which are opposed to his own.
When this hireling fires Tom. who
is satisfactory to the community. and
hires Jerry, who is satisfactory to the
boss, it is not at all the same thing as
for a private concern to dispense with
the services of an unsatisfactory en-
ploye, but exactly the opposite thing.
1t is the same thing as takes place
when a faithless superintendent hired
by a private concern betrays that con-
Germ by hiring and firing in his own
interest. ]. C. T.
We had no idea so much piffle and
pish-posh could be crowded into one
typewriter page of letter paper. The
para graph quoted from this column
was superimposed upon the fact that
Attorney General Daugherty had fired
a subordinate who was unsatisfa ctory
to him. To assume General Daugh-
erty had an Interior motive in letting
the fellow go is to assume that he is
crook. We don't believe the Attorney
General Of the United States is a
crook. We go further-much further
We believe the average public official
is as honest and conscientious as the
average banker, merchant, manufac-
turer or farmer. And we are willing
to rest our case on the records of the
various penal institutions of this
country.
The average public official chiefly
is concerned with his own glory. He
wants his name to go resounding
down the corridors of fame. He
knows, if he knows anything, that the
first step toward an efficient admin
istration of affairs, is force of sub
ordinates which is loyal to him, to his
ideas and to his methods The public
offlclal who appoints or retains a dis
loyal subordinate is a fool or a weak
ling, or both.
The community never knows wheth-
er Tom is satisfactory or not 1t as
sumes that he is, or isn't, according
70 the particular neWspa per it reads
But its contacts with Tom are so linn
tied, its knowledge of his perform
ances SO vicarious, that it never really
knows anything about him. The only
man who knows anything about the
quality or value of Toms service is
the man who must assume the re-
sponsibility for it. If the man who
must carry the load prefers Jerry to
Tom, he is entitled to Jerry. That is
plain, common sense, and common
sense is the most valuable ingredient
in the processes of government.
In asserting that the interests of
the community are opposed to the in
terests of the public official, j. c. L.
again assumes that the official is a
crook. We think none too well of the
well-known human race, but we
should be sorry to hold so low an
opinion of it, The fact is, the inter-
ests of the community and those of
the officeholder are Identical The
official who assumes otherwise is a
crook or a moron. Few of either class
get into or long remain in public
places.
That, Of course, is more reactionary
talk. But this column is a fair target
and those who don't like it have the
alternative of shooting it full of holes.