solemn but hearty imprecation at the head of the Postmaster
General. He went on to explain that his explosive wrath was due
to the fact that that particular gentleman was the most
pernicious of all the enemies of the merit system. It was one of
the functions of the Civil Service Commission, as Roosevelt saw
it, to put a stop to improper political activities by Federal
employees. Such activities were among the things that the Civil
Service law was intended to prevent. They strengthened the hands
of the political machines and the bosses, and at the same time
weakened the efficiency of the service. Roosevelt had from time
to time reported to the Postmaster General what some of the Post
Office employees were doing in political ways to the detriment of
the service. His account of what happened was this:

"I placed before the Postmaster-General sworn statements in
regard to these political activities and the only reply I could
secure was, 'This is all second-hand evidence.' Then I went up to
Baltimore at the invitation of our good friend, a member of the
National Committee, Charles J. Bonaparte. Bonaparte said that he
could bring me into direct touch with some of the matters
complained about. He took me to the primary meetings with some
associate who knew by name the carriers and the customs
officials. I was able to see going on the work of political
assessments, and I heard the instructions given to the carriers
and others in regard to the moneys that they were to collect. I
got the names of some of these men recorded in my memorandum
book. I then went back to Washington, swore myself in as a
witness before myself as Commissioner, and sent the sworn
statement to the Postmaster-General with the word, "This at least
is firsthand evidence." I still got no reply, and after waiting a