Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 252, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1916 — Democracy Loots Public Service. [ARTICLE]

Democracy Loots Public Service.

Americans who- are interested in the reputation of their country abroad, as well as in efficiency of the public service, will be impressed by William Dudley Foulke’s recital of how ambassadorships wore peddled to 'political spoilsmen. The way in which our diplomatic posts have been apportiqned under the present administration has been a disgraceful exhibition. It is important because of its effect on our standing abroad, but, measured by the number of “Reserving democrats” involved, is C trifling incident compared with the raids on civil service made at home. The democratic party went into office -pharisaically procaliming itself for “merit and ability” as the standard of appointment “rather than service rendered to a political party. ’ Then it proceeded to remove from the civil service list the deputy collectors

of revenue and deputy U. S. marshals Who had been under civil -service sipce the last Cleveland administration. It exempted from civil service all Employes chosen to administer the in- _ come-tax, with the exception _of some clerks in Washington. It exempted from civil service the army of employes uhder the federal reserve banking act. The trade commission la v specifically leaves to political : poils

tiie attorneys, experts ami examines employed under that law. The rural credits bill exempts from civil service the army of employes that will find jobs under that act. The democrats by ordering a new competitive- examination and providing for appointment from a list of the three highest names in each case have practically thrown the 50,00') fourth ; class post masterships back into the spoils hopped. They became so brazen that Representative Cullop of the Second Indiana district, had the effrontery to propose a law to do away with civil service in connection with the mail facilities. But that was too raw even for a party that had looted , the public service. His bill got only eighty votes*, Wncluding those of Cullop and Ccx of Indiana, .^l2=-=-=— —■ ' The Second and Third districts should do themselves and the, public service the honor of returning Cullop and Cox to the oblivion their records as public servants merit.