Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-18
THURLOW WEED.
He Rises Long Enough to Declare in Favor
of Civil Service RefOrm--He Could Prove
it,TOO, elf Old Bill Jones Was Alive"


it.Too. eff Old Bill Jones Was Alive"
Especial Telegram to the Globe.l
New YORK, Nov. 17.-Thurlow Wee6
publishes the following card:
New YORK, Nov. III have had read to
me an interview with Mr.. Bayard-a very
interesting and important one, in which
he shows, in reference to this Republican
defeat, the good sense and wisdom of a
statesman. I find everything to commend
till the senator strikes the civil service
question. Iagree with him that it is the
great political problem of the country, but
no man has yet arisen showing any ca
pacity to deal with it. have not strength
left to say what I would like to. If ]
should be spared and could get a paper
to present my views I do believe they
could not fail to open the eyes and ears
of hundreds of the most patriotic of our
citizens.
The question has run away from Mr..
George William Curtis and his associates.
They hoped only to demoralize and weak
en- the Republican party in the recent
election, but they have helped to drive it
to the vergeof ruin. Our system of govern
ment is almost century old. For between
eighty and ninety years the civil service
reform which now bewilders all who touch
1t was undiscovered. Each party acted,
within reasonable bounds, upon the spoils
system. Offices were made the price of
that partisan activity and sagacity which
SO often assume the form
of a high patriotism. -Four
presidents Washington, jackson, Grant.
and Lihcoln-were rewarded with
two executive terms in consideration of
the high military and civil services they
rendered to the country.
am most emphatically in favor of con-
ferring the Offices of the country, ALWAYS
modified by circumstances, upon those
who, in eminent or more humble degrees.
have rendered good and patriotic service
to their country, a service often rendered
through the form of party. Practically,
l am better civil service reformer than
Mr.. Curtis or any of his followers. as nv
record proves. 1t is with no personal OBJ
ject that I make this statement. I am
forced to do it to vindicate my position.
If time had not taken away my
colleagues I would not need witnesses
to prove what I did to secure
the nomination of Harrison and Taylor.
In the case of Grant have written when
ever there is occasion to produce it.
Many governors and several presidents
have voluntarily assigned to me the selec-
tion of large numbers of public officers of
every degree. have chosen menlalways
for their fitness for the place, and have
usually been able to find them within the
ranks of those who had helped
my party to power. But often
Democrats have been returned because
they seemed to be very expert and useful.
and have kept good many Democrats
in Office during the last forty years because
of their exceptional efficiency. 1 organ
lied and established, through governors who
yielded to my urgent request, the first nom
partisan commissions ever created for this
city, the police commission, the commits
sion on an exterior water line on the rivers.
the Castle Garden commission and several
others, insisting that each board should be
made up of an equal number of the men,
bers of both parties.