St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-06
MR.. CURTIS, SPEECH.


of civil service reform, the address of
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS at the annual
meeting of the National Civil Service Re-
form league at New York yesterday will
attract attention, and particularly as it dis
cusses the application of the principles of
the reform idea made by the present admin
istration. Mr.. CURTIS starts out with the
statement that the reform of the civil ser
vice is not and has never been the distinc-
tive policy of either of the great national
parties. In his opinion, the relation of both
of these parties to reform is like that of the
Wing and Democratic parties to slavery
forty years ago. In both parties were anti
slavery convictions, but neither group could
persuade its party to act unequivocally for
freedom. The point of Ny. CURTIs' argu-
ment in this particular is, that the
Barntecde reform feast which either
the Republican or Democratic party
may serve will not suit the robust appe-
tite of healthy Mugwumps like himself.
Mr.. CURTIS is hopeless of seeing the full
application of his pet ideas concerning the
civil service through the machinery of
either of the two great parties for the rea-
son, as he says, that "a Republican may
be of the strictest party orthodoxy and yet
despiSe and distruSt reform. A Democrat
may be of unquestionable party standing,
and yet foam at the mouth at such super
human folly as that of not turning out
every Republican in Office when you have
the power. The test of party principle is
the allegiance of every member of the
party. There was never an original Re-
publican who was not opposed TO the ex-
tension of slavery. There was never a
Jacksonian Democrat who was not an
enemy of the bank. Civil service reform
is not and never has been an indisputable
Republican principle like the restriction of
| slavery, nor an acknowledged Democratic
| policy like the overthrow of the bank"
In view of Mr.. CURTIS attitude in the late
presidential contest it is a matter of sur
| prise 10 hear him assert that there is a more
| decided reform sentiment among Republi-
cans than Democrats. 1t has been the gen.
eral opinion that Mr.. CURTIS severed him
self from the Republican party and allied
himself with the Democrats because he
thought the latter were more righteous
than the former in the matter of civil serv-
ice reform. 1t is still more surprising to
hear Mr.. CURTIS say that the reform was
not distinctive or important factor in the
last presidential election. He says: "As
the reform was not distinctive party meas
ure, the presidential election of last year
did not turn upon it. The Re-
publican convention, indeed, made
very satisfactory declaration upon the
subject. The Democratic convention
gave it a passing nod. But during the
campaign it was only by an occasional
speaker here and there that the question
was discussed. The most active politicians
in both parties were hostile to reform, and
each party, wherever it had the power, in
contravention of the fundamental principle
of reform, ruthlessly levied political assess
mentS. The civil service reform league
and the local associations Of which it is COM
posed took no part whatever in the con-
troversy. The officers and members, as
citizens of the United States, took individ-
ually the course which seemed to them
best fitted to promote the reform and the
general public welfare. Many earnest
friends of reform warmly supported the
Republican candidate, and many as warmly
supported his opponent" Mr.. CURTIS is
satisfied, however. that the five months of
Mr.. CLEvELAND's administration has
justified the hopes of the civil ser
vice league. Although party
candidate, the reform sentiment of the
country has invested him with an
independence which no president since JOIN
QUINCY ADAMS has known. The onward
progress made by the reform league under
the party change of administration is thus
depicted by Mr.. CURTIS: Five months
only have passed since the Inauguration of
the president, and the astonishing progress
of the cause which the league is organized
to promote is shown by the fact that public
opinion upon the SUBJECTS already so sound
it sees so clearly that total change i'm the
employees of the civil service for party rea-
sons would be as absurd and demoralizing
and dangerous as a total change in the mil
itary and naval service for the same reasons,
that at last president is able as well as
willing to resist the party pressure for
spoils. While many changes have been
made-and many changes ought to be made
for the highest public reasons-there has
been no clean sweep of the public service.
The reform law within its limits has
been executed with entire fidelity and the
country has seen with amaZement and sat
isfaction the unprecedented spectacle of a
Democratic head of department enforcing
the appointment of Republican clerk
against the intrigues of Democratic subor-
dinate officers, and despite the remOn-
STRANGE of the Democratic representative in
congress from the clerks district. This,
indeed, was but obedience to law, but it
was the reform law, and a law which
could be easily evaded. Beyond the re-
auirements of that law important admins
trative officers of the party opposed to the
administration have been appointed and re-
tanned in positions commanding a large
patronage. The interference of senators
and representatives with executive action
has been signally rebuked. Self-con-
stituted counselOrs, assuming TO speak for
the party, have been totally disregarded
Reasons for removals and suspensions, for
which party change of the executive has
been hitherto ample explanation, have been
frankly stated to the country. Useless
places have been abolished. Satisfactory
officers of the opposition party are serving
out their terms The chief criticism of the
administration by the opposition is the as
sertion that its action in appointments and
removals sometimes tlagrantly violates
sound principles of reform. The awakened
intelligence of the country watches and
Judges every appointment and removal in
the lipht of these nrincipleS. and