Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-18
POST OFFICE SALES
PROBE MAY co ON
Brookhart, in Radio Forum
Talk, Reports Conditions
Still Unsatisfactory.

OAhSSo dAiu pOSI IUduS IIibO BCu SnAS
OF Federal Offices in Southern States, II
was intimated last night by Senator
Smith w. Brookhart, Republican, OF
Iowa, chairman of the subcommittee.
Speaking over the National Radio
Forum, arranged by the Washington
Star and sponsored by the Columbis
Broadcasting System, Senator Brook
hart said "the President has taken
steps to correct matters in Georgia
South Carolina and Mississippi, but SO
far as ] know no steps have been taken
in Texas"
Charges have also come to the COM
mittee," he said, that the old crowd
In the first three States have managed
to worm back in and are still sub
stantially dominating the situation,
although under cover.
Further Inquiry Hinted.
reports have also reached the COM
mittee that they have had conferences
with important members of the admin
iStration here in Washington, at which
these arrangements were planned. The
committee has not yet been discharged IS
said the Senator significantly land
these matters may call for further in
vestigation. The committee will GER
tainly not stop short if there is any
whitewash of this situation"
the general selection of poStmaSters, 4"
declared the Senator, land in some of
the Southern States Federal offices have
been practically sold to the highest
bidder"
Senator Brookhart launched into a
lengthy criticism of the situation as
found by his committee, quoting at
length from the committee record,
giving names, and amounts of money
EAl Il ryfR1 nt1n En, [r frr.
the alleged purchase of Federal office,
Will Push His Bill.
To correct the evils he said existed,
Senator Brookhart announced his in
tention of pressing for early considera-
ton the bill he has introduced pursuant
to the recommendations of the COM
mittee, which would entirely prohibit
soliciting or receiving contributions
from Government employees for any
political purpose" The law should also
be amended, Brookhart said, Ito put
an equal prohibition and punishment
upon the taking of any promissory
note or pledge for such purposes"
The Senator said he saw no way to
correct 1.-The whole evil" except by the
extension of the presidential primary
principle.
IF a presidential primary should be
provided giving the people the entire
voice and control of nominations for
President by primary vote this will
entirely eliminate the delegate conven-
ton, which has after all, been the
greatest evil in our political system"
Senator Brookhart's address was as
follows:
Public service can be efficient only
when the employees are selected upon
merit. If political influence or, worse
still, the corruption of money, are to
select the Federal officers, the deca-
dence of our civilization has already be-
gun. Congress recognized this prin-
ciple by the enactment of the civil
service law, but that law does not
cover the whole situation. Political
considerations still govern the general
selection of postmasters, and in some
of the Southern States Federal Offices
have been practically sold to the high
est bidder.
This deplorable condition can be
traced directly to the convention sys-
tenn of nominating Presidents. Under
the party scheme of control the Re-
publican national committee makes up
the temporary roll of the national
convention. The votes admitted to the
convention by this roll decide all con-
tests for seats in the convention. The
one exception is that a contested dele
CATION does not vote on its own con-
test, but 1T does vote on the contests
IN all other States. This plan gives
the national committee practical die
tatorSh1p over the personnel of the
convention. Whoever controls the COM
mittee controls the convention. This
control is usually exercised without re-
gard to right or fairness.
The most conspicuous example of
this Is found in 1912, when Roosevelt
was candidate against Taft. The
overwhelming sentiment of the Repub-
lican party, both North and South was
Tor Roosevelt. but Taft was in control of
the national committee. The result
was that when Southern State was
carried by Roosevelt, the Taft COM
mitteeman selected a contesting dele
CATION and then put these contestinp
delegations on the temporary roll
These delegations then voted to seat
one another, each refraining from yot-
ing on its own case, but voting on all
the others. The system is air-tipht
water-tight and bombproof. 1t could
not be broken even by the great popu-
lar strength of Roosevelt. It all rested
IN the control of the committee.
Inc particular means by which the
committee was controlled was patron
age. The President, who makes the ap-
pointments, would constitute the ma
t1onal committeeman as his referee for
that State, and all appointments for
postmaster or other officers would be
made upon the recommendation of this
referee
Investigation Thorough.
Some Of these referees, more avarici-
Gus than patriotic, decided to use this
power as a means of collecting funds.
most of which went for their own bene-
Mt. The postmaster or the revenue COL
1ector would be required to contribute
as a condition precedent to getting
this recommendation. 1t was this sys-
tenn the subcommittee on post Offices
and post roads, of which was chair
man, investigated This investigation
was quite thorough in the States of
Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi
and Texas. The investigation did not
apply to the Northern States, princi-
pally for the reason that most of the
Congressman are Republicans, and
after the civil service examination Sc
lect the one from the three highest
eligibles certified by the Civil Service
Commission. Even this is a vicious
system and ought to be abolished. 1t
is a nuisance to a Congressman and
nearly all of them frankly admit it.
Even in these cases the civil service
ought to determine the selection upon
merit and leave no purely political con-
siderations for anybody.
In the State of Georgia the commit
tee had the very able and efficient as
sistance of both Senator Harris and
Senator George, and the following con-
ditions were found:
The committee investigated carefully
the charge of payment of money to the
heads of the organization in that
State in order to secure favorable rec
concentration to the departments here
in Washington for appointment. to pub