Evening star., 1932-09-15

widespread commendation is voiced
by the press for President HooVerS
prompt action in ordering the rein
statement of the dismissed Gary, 1no.,
postal clerk who had introduced reso-
luton favoring the bonus at a meeting
of his post of the American Legion.
The Government action upholds free
speech.
President Hoover has Just made 1t
cerning public questions in opposition
to the stated views of the administra-
ton is not be construed as reprehensible
political activity" says the Chicago
Daily News independently, remarking
further: The Presidents vigorous in
tervention in the case must be COM
mended by friends of the merit sys-
tenn. The principle laid down Is sound
And the postal service, so often invaded
and crippled by spoils politics, par
ticularly needed a dramatic formulation
of that principle" In the opinion OF
the Lowell Evening Leader dndepen-
denD the Presidents Interpretation
of the rule is a generous one. On the
| issue of the bonus, to which he Is firmly
opposed, President Hoover has reHeo
upon persuasion and not upon censor
ship Of the views OF those who DO not
agree with him"
Picturing the predicament OF the
postal clerk before the Intervention OF
| the President, the Portland oregon
Journal independently remarks: A
postal clerk. a free citizen, a member
of the Legion. had The temerity. in his
, capacity as citizen and Legionnalre, 70
| introduce a resolution OF whlcn tne
President disapproved! Therefore, ne is
fired from his position as an empioye
| Of the postal department OF the Ma
tional Government! Because ne ex,
pressed belief on a Pubic mater @ arrt
| the President had expressed a dn1erent
belief he could not remain In MS posi-
tion What a conception Of the rights
! of individuals. whether they work for
| the Government or for private nrm!
in the comment Of this paper. What
a conception of the theory OF our Gov
ernment by an administrator OF pubic
affairs! The only place that the POST
! master General fell down was IN 1all-
! inc to discharge the administrator VINO
discharged the employe," this journal
concludes.
Speaking from another viewpoint, the
| Springfield (Mass) Union (Repuo-
ucan1, however has this to say: 1t
would seem to be in poor taste for
man who is already drawing a steady
salary from the Government to take a
leading part in the attempt to impose
an additional expense upon the taxpay-
ers through the advocacy OF a bonus
bill of which he would be one OF the
beneficiaries." The Goshen Daily News
Times independent Republican, argues
that "the civil service act did not con-
template the guarantee Of employment
to all, no matter what 0beir qualifica-
tions or what their ac4tcns."
"The average postal epnploye may be
pardoned q certain bewflderment," ac-
cording to the Roanoke World-News
Democratic), which states that ''he is
| told by the Civil Service that he must
keep out Of politics and by the Post
once Department that he must go
down the line for the Republican
ticket" Voicing similar thoughts, the
Baltimore Evening Sun independent
Democratic) remarks: "On general
grounds, the political activity of civil
servants is to be deplored. But the at
tempt to persecute one or two men who
run counter to administration wishes.
while smiling covertly on thousands and
hundreds Of thousands who violate the
spirit and the letter of civil service law
by campaigning for the Presidents re-