Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-18
LETTER FROM mir. BLAINE.
He Explains His Attitude on the
Question OF CtyIl-Seryice Reform.

To the Editor of the hennebec journal:
thank you for calling my attention to
circular issued by the sO-called lndepen'
dent Committee during the recent canvass
in Massachusetts touching my position on
the question of civil service reform. ABB
sence from home for several weeks has
prevented my seeing i: sooner.
The circular embOdies singular peryer-
sion Of what | said, and a still more singu'
lar perveTslon OF what lquoted in speech
on the 18th Of October at Huntingdon,
Penn. How the error or misreprescnta-
ton originated it is not for me to say. My
speeches in PENNSYLVANIA were accurately
reported for the philadelphia Press by
skilled steuographcrs. and personally saw
the report in no other paper. | send you
herewith the speech Of October 18th a IL APP
peared in the Press, and respectfully ask
you to republish ii in your columns side by
Side with the circular issued by the Massl-
cbEsetts Independent Committee.
/ thank YOU further for submitting to me
a public letter OF October 10Th, from Mr..
Martin Drimmer. OF Boston, in which / ain
accused OF regulating the reform OF the
civil service with a SneCr. Perhaps Mr.
Brimmer Internationally based his remarks
upon the circular Of the Independent Com
mittee, and has thus been led into publish
ing statement which does me great injus.
tee. II my suppositien be correct. Mr..
Brimmer will, as gentleman, withdraw
his language.
IL is seal cely necessary TO say that | have
never repudisted reform IN the evil SER
vice. nor abated my Interest therein. Nor
have l ever regarded the sucer as forcible
NODE Of argument. Were tempted to re-
sort to il should direct it, not against the
reform OF the civil service, but against the
hypocrisy Of those who wish the conditions
OF that service to be enforced against their
political opponents, but not against their
political friends.
The point which | sought to establish in
my speech at Huntingdon was entirely con-
fused and obscured in the Independent
circular. In effect said that the English
civil service, which was held up as model
for our own Government by those who left
The Republican party two years ago, Is now
under investigation and apparent con-
demnalion by the English themselves; that
| the British Ministry have instituted COM
mission to examine into the alleged abuses,
| and that Dir. George W. Smalley, appa-
| rently agreeing hitherto with the Ameri.
| can admirers CT the English service, now
| declares the belief in England TO be that
| the civil service Is worse in all the depart
| ments Of the Government than it was forty
| years ago. Mr.. Smalley gives somewhat
] detailed recital OF the defects and abuses
| alleged to exist in the English seryice-de'
| iecis and abuses which were never attr'
| buted TO or own civil service even by its
| most merciless censor.
NJ argument implied, aud was intended
10 Imply. that the Republican party had
been wise in not adopting the English SYs-
TEN, with its life tenure aud its large pen
siOn-lisl. and all The attendant evils hict
have at last demanded investigation by
ministerial commission. Nor would jus
tice and fair courtesy have been done u my
speech, even IL my remarks on civil service
torn from their logical connection, had
been correctly quoted by the Independen
Committee. Those remarks were but par
OF an argument in which | endeayored I,
illustrate how truly American in Us hes
sense were the whole policy and history o.
the Republican party, and how, under tn,
lead OF the sO.callel Independents, tn,
Democratic party. both in ITS revenue sys
and It's ciyil.scryice rules, was 10 be- con
formed to British policies just at the yerl
time when the British themselves are lind
Ing a fatal weakness in those policies.
In short, though did not say so il
words, meant 70 convey my belief that thu
very worst leaders and guides for q cont
mental republic are those who persist il
seeing the perfection of human govern
ment in an insular monarchy, whose condi
tons are in all respects radically diileren
from those OF our own broad land. TIA
Massachusetts, Independents should leari
that American inspiration ends where imi
tation Of England begins.
yerp respectfully, JAMES &. BLAINE.