Evening star., 1923-10-11
Postmasters and Politics.

Postmaster General New has an
nounced that the army of postmasters
and postal employees is not to be
mobiliZed as such in the interests Of
the republican party during the ma
tional political campaign next year.
Addressing the twenty-third annual
convention of the National Associa-
tion Of Postmasters, in session here.
the Postmaster General said he in
tended to keep the Post Office Depart
nent absolutely above suspicion in the
matter of politics.
1t is a healthful sign. The postal
service is a part of the great civil
service Of the country, which, after
all, is responsible for governmental
efficiency and service to the people.
Too much politics in the government
service is as detrimental to that serv-
ice as too much politics is to any big
business organization. Furthermore,
to use the civil service, or any branch
of it, as a great political machine is
injurious to the country at large. 1t
is no more nor less than using gov
ernment funds, raised from the whole
people through taxation, to help re-
tain political party in power. This
is true no matter what party may be
the beneficiary Of such a machine.
The postal service has not always
been above suspicion in matters po-
litical in the past. Post Office jobs
In1 G
which fall in the mouths of deserving
republicans-or democrats-on the
change Of an administration. The
efficiency Of the appointee has been
considered not at all, whereas the abil-
ity of the appointee to get votes" has
been requisite. The Postmaster
General, in a measure, has been re-
garded in years gone by as the poll
tician of the administration, the man
who could crack the whip and turn
out delegates for the denomination Of
q President at q national convention;
the man who could we'll be selected TO
act as chairman Of the national COM
mittee to run a campaign for the ad-
ministration. With thousands Of jobs
at his disposal, he was popularity be-
lieved to be in a position to make
promises of preferment and to come
through when an election had been
carried.
Postmaster General New, in his ef-
fort to show that politics is to be
taboo in the postal service next year,
even went so far as to announce there
would be no postal conference conven-
tions next year, for fear that they
might be considered--or might be
used-for the purpose of influencing
the coming elections. These confer
ences, he said, should be resumed after
the campaign was over.
The old spoils system had its roots
deeply sunk in the governmental sys.
tenn Of this country. It's evils have
been recognized. Gradually the civil
veloped and enlarged. There is still
room for Improvement. There are still
men who believe in the theory that
to the victor belong the spoils in elec-
tions in this country. They do be-
} long, of course, In the matter Of elec-
tions' and selections Of men and
women. who are to hold the managing
offices, the offices that make and con-
troll policies. But when it comes to
the rank and file Of the government
employees, whose duty it is to carry
out efficiently the everyday work of
government administration, the spoils
system should go by the board. One
of the great perils that possible gov
ernment ownership and operation Of
the railroads holds Is the development
Of huge political machine.