, 1875-05-15
Closing Proceedings in tho Con-
venti0n at Detroit.
Dorman B. Eaton's Views Oh Civil
Service Reform.
Prof. G. A. Kent on the Management &
Political partlcs.
Papers On tho Treatment Of Criminals, by
Prof. Elliott.
Dr. ". q. Howard Of Lorna, on .ao Study Of
Jurisprudence.

ctVlL.SERvlcE REFORM.
A rArrn LII gx-coMEIsa1oHEn ponMAH y. EATON.
DETno1y, Mich, May 14.-ln tho American
aocial Bc!enoa Association this morning tic
Hon. Dorfnnn 3. Eaton, tho President Of tho
late Cl7il-Bcrvicc Commission, road paper on
tho experiment Of civtl-Aervico reform In the
United Btntea, which wnB extremely lengthy. but
which was llatoncd to With married. attention BY
n large audience. Mr Eaton began by speaking
Of tho deliberate nud ueodloss abandonment Of 4
rlan by which q great nation had cuteted s,,c-
ccssfu1ly npon tho reform. 1ts gravcst ab,IacA
may we'll nrtoat tho attention Of oil thoughtful
PERSONS. Mover before In n,r hiAtorY has thnro
bcen auch surrender Of tho higher to tho lover
elements III our politics. Heretofore, IN every
great Esrngg!e Tor reform, wo laSo fought 1t out
to victory upnn Tic limo Of Or advance, and
havo planted cur standard high up Ia tho light
OF tho inspiring slomemt.
After dwelling upoa tho disasters which muet
result from ! total Abandonment Of this reform,
TILE uIsMAr or HONEST .try,
the ta|lght Of parssans aud o!i1cos:okots at this
national breach Of p!eJgo, he proceeds to cog
sfdcr the Qualification OF the rtsaonhible parties
and the !u:ato pronpcct. Tho inauguration IT
tho epo!ls hystcm commenced with I'roai;cnt
Andrew Jacseon who removed ncarlT 1000 Off
cors iu year fer partisan renaoua. I71u earlier
TsnMdtula removed very few. Tia laet report
Of the Ciyil-Sssy1cs Commissioners allownd that
u,any officers lad keen removed for opinions
sako In that 1ear. Now, however, xo
llaro ictlrnsd to ts!o old deteatablo
svstcm. Tito Republican patty, in
1871. adopted tho civil reform rule,
bocauho tae5 believed 1t would nd to thctt
strength. Tho President brought an houctt
and tcsoic patriotism from tho battlefield, mud
the political atmosphere was pure. Tho tino
waa AuspiciouA. Tho evils Of tho old system
and tho beauties OF tho new werc enlarged
on, aud The lsw passed authorizing tho psopi-
don't, with lis associates, to adopt reform meaa-
carefully Asatnrcd, ui1ich Cougsoss approved
heartily. in two serasato sessions. TITO lternb-
1icAu party fully pledged themselves To eu-txn
thn system IN lta Congrcsa tts coivontions, and
iu every poshlb!o way National Democratic sud
Labor-lsetorm Conventions passed resolutions
commanding it. State Conventions, public men
otatuIs, and "titors enlogized 1t.
THE PkA1sE or THE PRESIDENT
and faith ~ l'm "as In the hearts ot n'1 and
pnolic gratitude 'Faa part Of tue meslted reward
Ut Mr. Curtis and his fellow Commissioners.
The dominant party Was strengthened by tue pop
ulAr yote and crerJbod looked for better era IN
politics. Thuse rulea provided, first, against
political suaess'non:s, leaving every citizen to
his political opinions; socond. that only : few,
tho highest Offices, should 10 filled by tho nd
herents Of the dominant party, the
sests xero to bn good reputation, honeaty, aud
fair competitive examinations ol tile applicants;
fourth, appointments wera to bo lnado BY aupe-
tioE officers according to tha result OF tho testa,
qu-n.l, On guod boltrior: filth, that this powcr
should not be exercised arbitrarily and that no
body SHOULD be rctnoved to make place for au-
other sixth. that frequent competitions ahould
dueted by non-partBap Commissioners; sew.
cntl, promotions wore TO 10 gradad. edmie-
esons being ffBt TO tbs lowest grade !; eighth,
The records Ct tue history Of easl,
tho samo timo, State aud Fsdesnl ol1lco; tonth,
the rulco wers oppllod also. DO that intermediate
class Ct COLLECTORS. surveyors, aud others, not
wholly exempt, but yet to bonn oompesitioo xas
Eaton, Was ino1 poiient yst-at tho Arst trial II
last. Here didlou1tos aroec. and bccauso hr.
Curtis, the first Chairman at tho Commission.
boueyed hs could not retaln his position aud
usefulnss mud also his se'i-reepect' ho resigned.
Csbiue. meeting, in April, 1874. which Approts sd
30 highly tho operation Of the rules, and do
clAFed that their good efecto are eonstol5 fclt
throughout tho land" and therefore tho rules
tions. Non, however.
THE rER1L BEGAN.
with tho waning pAtElotin1u aud morality Of
the party Oh which the rules reltsd for support.
Tho SalAry-frab Law, tho Credit .Mobll'sr sshoms,
and other measures indicated that damorallxa-
lion. Local orgaps Of tuo party declared the Eo-
form useless; contractors Iemngogues, and
Bpciismen denounced It aud called Tor its ovcr-
throw; partaan1 bcsieged tho President aud
Cabinet With dolorous complaints Of party losses
by reason OF tho tulon forbldding assessments Oh
clorl;s, and dopriytng tho party lnngnatca Of
tbcis appointments 81 1cr9usstes IN fact OF !lko
experience wsa England, which hnd purified Ier
political machinery tY similar mshus. Republican
otators and oticlals were listoned to while they
stultitled themselves and paved tho way for do
foat for tho party by seriously insinuatang
that tic ru.os xose asiatocraAo Ill Bpir's, a1ld
hostile TO tho Gcnius, Of cur institutions. But.
bat1 nr. Eaton, foEEcar any lultler evid9fco
OF decay In tho moral tone OF party dcar to mo,
aud Which, trust Will yet rso TO the ssel of iss
earlier achievements.
1ir. Eaton tlen Traced tho progreen OF tho
various bila proposed IN Congress- for tho quiet
abolition OF tue reform, tho efforts in Congress
to defeat tho measures OF Its BuppoEtczs. xl,d
the c,unter-ofIorts Of tho Commission, which
W1Io
ruyY AND yAHurFIC1EnT.
Without substitute, without debate, Without
any 47ownl OF policy, or auy Sss.Knulent OF =
policy. wllLuut Que manly protest o,cn, the
CunEHesA of tho United HtAtcr, tho party in 20 er
adtoit!T attempted. " to11slhE Email aprronEla-
tisn, to aulothot 4 naos1lto OF To!orm thuH
successfully carried forward undor tta own On
acsncnt, for which ita President and Cabinet aI,-
pealpd, aud upon tho faith Ut which tho election
lad hoen carried. Thers arc no nora humist
ins paHea tn tho records Of Congress thaa tl!oto
wuicl record tho communication OF this policy,
Tue Rreuter sosronsbIlitY Ess!H un Oongre4s,
tll; In tho rIcsidau. faultEosa3 Ms. Easun dill
not justify The indiscrninato causure on HIM,
but at!r1nod that ho Eayo sad occaalon for crit,-
ciHn, and that. being ll.rl p,oaacd by his pastt.
aAns, he yioldod too much, anu tolerated what
ho should hayo repudiatcd. Bill he is omitted
10 prxsac for being tho 1fss prcadont WHO has
had the moral courage 10
ATrEMPT An oYEATAG1w op TIE Hrol1S 6ysrtI.
Thoro mer0 Congsessinan, too who denounced
hum whom thny wero bound. In h4uor, to suH'
taiu. Aftor tho refusal Of Congress 81 Arpra'
nrEat4 anYtAl4g to auppurt iaa IQiuELl, tho G.nl