Evening star., 1936-04-03

''''"' ers." The second
question went further. 1t was:
Should all Washington employees of
the special emergency agencies be
placed under civil service" Here
the answer was SO per cent for, and
81 per cent against.
Merit System Built Up.
think that DR.. Gallups poll is
completely representative of public
opinion and that Nationwide pleb-
iscite would show country sick to
death OF the spoils system. 1t is
with the greatest apprehension that
the people observe that precisely at
that moment when Government is
extending its activities. vastly increas-
ing its expenditures, and absorbing a
larger and larger proportion Of the
total national income, the merit sys-
tenn Of public appointments suffers a
radical retrogression. Although our
civil service both for scope, morale
and qualifications has never come up
to the standards of contemporary
British civil service or those of old
Germany, Switzerland. Holland and
the Scandinavian countries, there has
been since 1884 a gradual building up
Of the merit system. BY 1904 ap-
proXimately 81 per cent of all Federal
employees were in the civil service.
President Wilson increased this per-
centage to 67.2 per cent; Mr.. Cool
tdge to 74.8 per cent and Mr.. Hoover
to 80.8 per cent.
AS Lawrence Sullivan says in the
February Atlantic: The march of
merit was unbroken for half a CEN
tury." But in the last three years the
percentage has slipped back to the
ratio prevailing in 1907.
This has not only been accom-
plished by the creation of numerous
emergency bureaus, but by the dis
nnissal Of great m4ny civil service
employees in all the Government de-
partrnents, and this is very serious, be-
cause If civil service status does not
offer security against the raids of job
seekers backed by political bosses, the
whole morale Of the service is shot to
pieces. Superior men will not en-
ter it.
Few Passed Civil Service Tests.
DR.. Gallups figures show that Of
the 235,000 persons added by the
present administration to the full
time pay roll of the Federal Govern
ment only in 1o7 have passed civil
service examinations, and this added
pay roll costs the country in salaries
alone nearly S5o0,000 900 a year.
This number augmented by replace
ments has. according to Mr.. Sullivan,
given Mr.. Farley the disposal of 1885,
COO jobs, or an average Of 1899 ap-
pointments month.
No single thing that the admins
tration has done has so undermined
the confidence of the country in the
New Deal. And it is amazing in
Washington to find out how many
good and patriotic citizens justify it.
1t is not uncommon to hear the words,
"The New Deal has saved the country.
II we slip back into Bourbonism we
are lost. 1t is necessary at any cost
to maintain this Government in power,
Any means are justified in doing So"
This comes not only from Mr.. Farley
and from such fortnight defend
ers Of the spoils system as Represent
ative Blanton of Texas, who said on
February 26, 1884: IF I had my way
about it I would turn out Of Office
this very minute every single Re-
publican of1ceholder from the top
to the bottom" but from many en-
thusiastic idealists who are willing to
make questionable means serve what
they consider a noble end.
Lincoln Quoted.
But 1t is question whether any
nobler end could possibly be achieved
In this epoch Of our history than the
ending Of the spoils system. Lincoln
said, many years ago, pointing out
to friend the eager multitude of
off1ce-seekers thronging the White.
House: There you see something
which In the course of time will be-
come a greater danger to the Re-
public than the rebellion" And to
Carl Schurz he observed: II am afraid
this thing is going to ruin republican
government"
Bad as the condition In the Federal
Government Is, it Is not patch on
the conditions in the States and mum.
cipalities, and for these conditions the
Republicans are as responsible as the