The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-17


following letter will be published to.
morrow:
Augusta, Me-, November is.
10 the Editor Of the Kennsbec Journal
thank you for calling my attention
10 circular issued by the so-called In
dependent committee during the recent
canvass in Massachusetts,, touching my
position on the civil service reform.
Absence IRON home for several weeks
has prevented my seeing il sooner. The
circular embodieS a singular perYersion
OF what l said, and q still more singular
perversiOD Of what | quoted in my
speech on the 18th Of October, at Hunt
ington, Penn. How the error of mis-
representation originated is not for me
to say. Ny speech in Pennsylvania
was accurately reported for the Phila-
delDhla Press By skillful stenographes,
and l personally saw the report IN no
other. l send you herewith my speech
OF October 10Th, as it appeared IL t .
Fl SIS, and respectfully ask you 10 re-
publish il in your columns, side by SIDE
with the circular issued by the Massa-
chusetts Independent Committee. I
thank you further for submitting TO me
the public letter OF October 26th from
NJ. Martin Brimmer, of Boston. in
the reform OF civil service with q sneer."
Perhaps Mr.. Brimmer Inconsiderately
based his remarks upon the circular of
the independent committee and has
thus been led into publishing a state
ment which does me great injustice.
II ny suppOSItiOn be correct, Mr..
Brimmer viii, as q gentleman, with
draw his language. 1t Is scarcely nee
essary 10 say that 1 have never repu
dated reform in the civil service nor
s6ated my interest therein; nor
have l ever regarded the sheer
as a formidable MODE of argument.
Were l tempted TO resort TO II. /
should direct il not against the reform
Of the civil service, but against the
hypocrisy Of those who wish the con-
d:riOns of that service to be enforced
against their political opponents, but
not against their political friends. The
point which 1 sought to establish in
my speech at Huntin ton was entirely
confused and obscured in the indepen-
dent circular. In effect. said that the
English civil service which was held up
as a model for our own government by
those who left the Republican
Tarty two years ago. is now
id-7 investigation and IN apparent
condemnst on By the English them
selves; Ihar> the British ministry have
instituted q commission 20 exam'2e
into the alleged abuses, aud that NJ.
George ". Smalley, apparently agreeing
heretofore with the American admirers
Of the English service, now declares the
belief OF England to be that the civil
service Is worse in all the departments
OF the government than it was forty
years ago. Mr.. Smalley gives some
what detailed recital Of the de-
fects and abuses alleged to exist
in the English service defects
and abuses which we're never attributed
70 our own civil service, even by its
mos. merciless. csnsors. Ny argument
implied, and was intended to imply,
that tie Republican perty had been
wise in not Adopting the English system
with its life tenure and its large pension
list, and all the attendant evils which
have al last demanded investigation by
g ministerial commission. Nor would
Justice and fair courtesy have been done
10 my speech even If my remarks on
civil service, torn from their loglcal
connection, had been correctly quoted oy
the Independent COMMITTEES. Those re-
marks we're but part of an argument
in which l endeayored to Illustrate
how truly American in Its best sense,
were The whole policy and history OF
the Republican party, and how, under
the lead Of tae so-called Independents
the Democratic party both in its reve-
nue. system and its civil service rules,
was 10 be concerned to British policies
lust at the time when the British them
selves are finding fatal weakness IA
those policies. In short, though did
not say so In word. l meant TO convey
nv belief that the very first leaders and
guides for the continental republic
are those who persist in seeing
thz perfection of human government IN.
an insular monarchy, whose conditions
are in ALI respects radically different
from those in our own land. Inc
Massachusetts, Independents should
learn that American inspiration ends
where tie imitation of England Ueglns.
Very respectfully.
JAMES G.. BLAINE.