Show AROUND THE STUMP HE Presidents President's order with reference to fourth T THE class ships postmaster is a distinct surprise For Fol many years Mr Wilson has loudly condemned the spoils system stem in American politics and has been most spectacular in declaring his Io love e for civil il service ico ice reform If ho can cnn square that attitude with his announcement yesterday that the occupants of these offices that were vere placed in the tho classified tier service by Mr r. r Taft must undergo competitive c examinations in order to retain them tIle the postmasters should have sufficient mental agility to demonstrate their ability to discharge in tho the future duties they have bae been discharging discharging dis lis- charging for some sonic time pa past t If Mr 1 Wilson has any sense of humor he should laugh b heart heartily iJ at nt the i idea e of testing a n mans man's fitness for a n certain position when he hiss has u s been demonstrating ing that fitness for months mouths or years in th the only real test that is worth anything llan Handling tho mails mans in ina a community to tho the satisfaction of the patrons of the th- theoffice theoffice office each cach of whom assumes himself to be the tho employer employer employer em em- of the postmaster proves pro tho the ir incumbents incumbent's fitness fitness fit fit- ne ness 5 beyond an any challenge Tho The defense given gi b by the postmaster general for this modification or temporary revocation Tc or a 50 luto lute suspension of Mr r. r Tafts Taft's order is not greatly ingenious ITo IIo remarks that President Taft action in ill putting the fourth class postmasters in the thc classified classified class class- if led service ice was not sufficient and that the mere placing of a n great horde lordo of persons in the classified service ser was not in conformity with the spirit of the theil c civil il service as there thero were nol not tests to determine the tho merit of the applicants The sophistry of that argument argument ar nr- ar- ar is not even e cleverly erly concealed indeed there is effort to conceal it it Mr r. r Ta Tafts Taft's ts t's or order or placing g fourth class postmasters in the class classified service was identical with the orders of all the thc Presidents before him every cry increase e in inthe inthe inthe the number of positions in iu the classified list has been ma made e in exactly tho the same way When it was deemed advisable isable to add another list of government employees to tho civil service ice the incumbents were included without examination indeed it would have ha been heen absurd to suppose that the tho men who held the positions at the thc time and had bad been filling them to the satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction of their superiors needed any special examination examination examination exam exam- to prove their ability to do what they had hac been jeen actually doing Never before since the time timo when the memory of man not to tho the contrary has bas an argument like ike that of the postmaster general been an ad advanced ed The owner in a n pr private prate ate enterprise who summoned his employees before him an and required that they bo be examined ex ex- examined as os to their ability p to discharge duties which the they hey had been heretofore discharging to his entire attire le satisfaction would be rc regarded as a leading candidate for or tho ps psychopathic ward The President may mav disguise his intentions as he may and he lie ma may squirm and wrig wriggle de with his bis adept use ise of words in an endeavor or to make mako present performances performances per- per e. e square with his professions of the past but nit he cannot do it The Thc simple truth is that his loud oud denunciation of the spoils system before he lie entered entered en- en cred office were wore those of a publicist who could afford to o be right because he lIe had nothing to lose now that soba can be bo thrown open to hungry Democrats civil il service sen reform must go by tho the board If the examinations are to be honestly conducted there could coul be no doubt as to the thc result But the presumption is a against it If the powers that now control had intended that these Republican postmasters ers should be judg judged d by the tho results of the examinations examina- examina there would be no examinations The intention intentions is s to do by indirection that which would be done openly if tho the President had the courage frankly to repudiate his civil service reform protestations ons of the he past He Re is beating tho the devil around the stump |