The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-11-24
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Meeting of the DeerIns Association.

There was avery good attendance last even
ing at the meeting OF the Deering Civil Ser
vice Reform Association.
In the absence of the President, E. H e.
WE'LL Mr.. VIM. e. Gould was called to the
chair.
were read and approved.
Rev. Parker Jacques, chairman of the com-
mittee appointed to fill the vacancies in the
list of officers reported the following names:
Executive Committee-Geo. W. Edmunds.
Calvin True, Parker Jaques.
Vice Presidents-Geo. Russell, Rufus Dun
ham. Geo. B. Lsavitt, Joseph II. Hutchinson,
N X. Sawyer, Chas B. Bailey
1t was voted that the report be accepted.
Mr.. Gould, the President, then gave an ac-
count of an affair as related to him by GER
gleman, which, in his opinion, well illustrat
ed the dangers and inconvenience of appoint
ing to important offices men untitled to per.
form the duties of such positions, and whose
only claim to such Office was founded upon
partisan services. The case in point was as
follows
The gentleman was called upon to admins
ter the estate of . paymaster. He consulted
lot OF inexperienced government clerks at
Washington, and was by them at first informed
that the accounts showed the paymaster to be
defaulter in the sum of $4,000. Later they
announced the deficiency to ts but $6,Cc9, and
as he was about to leave the city, tired out
awaiting their dilatory action, he was informed
that they had found 1T to be 1,7O0.
Some time after leaving Washington he got
word that the officials had finally decided that
the government was indebted to the estate of
D0VmaSffr 0f
will these political assessments of which we
have had such a disgraceful exhibition for the
past six months, look twenty years hence?
Will any man then be proud of his connection
with them? Mr. Blackstone gave an interesting
account OF the inception and history of the
Pendleton civil service reform bill and of the
Dawes bill. The bills are similar, their differ
ence existing chiefly in the standard of exami-
nation. Mr.. Pendleton was strong Demo-
crat, but in introducing his bills, he declared
Dawes
Mr.. Blackstone expressed his preference for
the Pendleton bill, because its standard }would
be uniform.
Mr.. Nehemiah Smart spoke briefly He
thonght local political organizations should pay
their own bills.
Mr.. Gould. commented favorably upon the
moral courage of Mr.. Pendleton in advocating
his measure in the face of the united opposition
OF his party. Mr.. Blackstone said the bill has
the result OF careful study Of English and 9TH
er systems, and was well considered
Rev. Parker Jaques was reminded by this
comparatively insignificant beginning of the
organization Of an anti-slavery club of seven,
he one of them, years ago in Waldo. An en-
inent lawyer in Belfast sneered at it then, but
he was afterwards defeated as candidate for
Congress by nominee of the despised party.
He gave several illustrations of the ill effects
of the present system, and thought our young
men might be qualified to serve their country
abroad by instruction in schools of diplomacy,
as they are nowtrained in snaval and military
schools, and whensso qualified they should be
kept in their positions.
The President thought as there were gentle
men, unable to be present at the meeting, who
had carefully considered articles upon the bills
under discussionit would be well to defer. fur
ther consideration of them until they were
able to be present.
Mr.. Blackstone announced as Secretary that
after adjournment any wishing to become
members of the association would have an op-
portunity to do so by signing the constitution
and bylaws and the payment of 81 each.
1t was then voted to adjourn subject to the
cali of the executive committee.