Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-14
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CONVENTION.
Address by Geo. VIM. Curtis at Newport,
X. I.-His Opinions Respecting the
service Resolutions Passed
by the Conventions.

ut the annual meeting of the National .
Civil Service Reform League, in this city
today was delivered by Mr.. George viii
liam Curtis. He said that neither the Re .
publican or Democratic party. as such, is
distinctly civil service reform party. .
National reform began under Republi- .
can administration, State and city reform
Gn New York; under Democratic State
administration. The last Republican Ma
tional convention made a very satisfactory
declaration on the subject. The Demo
cratic convention gave it II passing nod .
But for Mr.. Clevelaud's satisfactory posi- .
ton on the question he could not have
been elected Mr. Curtis thought that
astonishing progress of the cause in the
five months of the present administration.
is shown by the fact that public opinion
is 50 opposed to a total change i'm the en-
plOycs of the civil service. for party rea-
sons that Il President is found both able
and willing to resist the party pressure
for SpOilS. The reformed law has been
executed with fidelity. Satisfactory Of
iiCcrs of the opposition party are serving
out their terms The unWise appoint
mentS and removals are not proofs of hos
tility or treachery. There is, however no
satisfactory explanation of the Higgins
appointment. The President is accused of
removing efficient officers under the plea
of offensive partsanship. For him to re-
move a Republican for offensive partisan
ship is to give moral pledge to the coun-
try that Democratic successor would be
removed for the same cause.
| In 1871, Daniel Webster, as Secretary OF
State, prepared circular for President
/ Harrison. which echoed the views of JEFF
fersOn and Gallatin. 81 will remove no
incumbent from office who has faithfully
and honestly acquitted himself of the du-
ties of his office, except in cases where
such officer has been guilty of an active
partisauship or by secret means, the less
manly. and, therefore, the more objection
able, has given his official influence to the
purposes of the party, thereby bringing
the patronage OF the government in con
ilict with the freedom Of elections
In declaring offensive partisanship to he
Il lust cause for removal, the President
confirms the views of Gallatin and Web
ster as approved by his predecessors JET
felsOn and Harrison, aud in enforcing
those views he acts upon the sOundest
principle, of reform. That his declara-
ton is inSncerc is not proved by single in
stances of Injustice in Il service embracing
more than a hundred thousand places dis
trihuted across II continent.
President Cleveland in his letter
of December 45th, lSS4, to the eX
ecutve committee OF this league,
1t states that removals of satisfactory
~ 80, p'o
,i,. ',.V ,,,,,i,'t'i;, ~ - ,,,i,II,.
true, that such officers should not he re
, g'ho oIn,i,iStrot,o,, niioI INV
ny J a. I ''t"S
rf!p =, itt"alf .. s'i1n tba o,,Thrti,ity "f
fered by the four years law to equaize the
important part of the service affected by
the law between the parties in order that
,i,"a o,io f tho r+ ~, onJ
ta, ~ oa,,oiianti , bo,,.a,.a, nd,'Ii
~ ,cnn,Iisha Lil Of b boDtras
~ ",1l,bt r. hn n,ad. fnriagiti,nnt, ranln7,.
10 i df 7G;,t ;
hantS ,yhn ara NOT offansive ,artiNar.
and yhem onre tha aomaIilntinn pShomIi he
,d ,,iit ~, 81 ~, go, -
m,,rh LARGO, rpnt,e If ntticrs wHuId W.
tnniir ayrIrdo thn furt ber n,i.chi.f nf ..ri
CYL .rtic
I tt p t i, t i s
nrrbt tn h r.n"vd for ',.t rn."m.
HuT also mi sotisfnctorv inrnmhents ot ne
and Of their termS Nv siircnSsort saiactnd
from ,nother marry and selectei for thnt
reason womb rnsli1t in - cnnnleta rhnmro
in thnt nnrt If The service dnrino tbn nj.
ministrrrtinn NOT fnr r,.osnn. If mtIicinI
nnmd,'rt Which ,,a ma unI, In,it imS,ta
o.,.'' litic, o,l ,..,., @
sidarntinns If the niea ofrnrnI fn, snrh
- rnursn shouId he that ms serve. *
no,,, tilIoj 'i'I,st nycl,,ui\,aI, ,,.irL TIA
harantS nf il nlnil pa
resnit wnl,ld fur,,ish the uaIt hd,nInist,'i-
tSn, ,,i,h th' t'n,n nIan fnr th. .an'a
chnn,,n and .n indainitoIC nrn'un,p f"e
nhnse
II - TO ,,,,l,o s,cL 8, .o,,rsa iitri,,.It ,,d
to in,nny. IInn,, th avec,,ti, tn,. riri,tf,
re.nnrnSihiI,tI If dirnrt rnnov"I ~ w..
nronmre thn r.na,l If the f,1r Ier. lao,
. lrba r,,,anI ~ ,ha i,,vS ii ,in,, no t.,,,,,,
If of,ica IL tbo nr.S.nt Ia,,is I,tiIa nGisct nf
tba iaa,,,1e wv phn Reform in,onn j.ay"t
"inor ni,ici,l tarws md tannre ,rhare s' ~,
nnnrtitntion and tha contamnorarv cnm-
,,rncSin"oI ntornre,,tion Of IA S.tit,i-
To-, Iaft tha,m f. h"idS that tha ro,, If
ran,ovaI ubnnld rnm,,in ahsnInteI,, mn
chanted and halieynS tbot tha nrincinIa
~ ~ COW, sSt,7, a. IN
VI 'iir tGiot ~ nSa.et ri,' "o i"p
f Po3 ~. ~ o. 80 - o
,o ,ni. PshaIi IVA ,,indn fn, Io,,iti,,ata
, 900" onir ~ r,,,nt r,o,ida - fnr ~
in,'. >,,, as',',Sl;iL - ftho, III nnr - Sc
Ia" ts', nIi w. II, Co.. al
nnnue. nmd so lmm', re no,ver Of ra