Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-30
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
ADDRESS Befcre the National Civil Ser.
wee Reform League at its An
nuAl Meeting.
the Special Reasons and tne Results
Of CIym serves Reform.

NEW YORK, Msy 20 George william
Curtis delivered the following address to
day at the annual meeting Of the National
Civil Service Reform League in this city
Thirsy-six years ego when franklin
Pierce was elected President the happy
end of the anti-slavery agitation ives "a.
nounced. But ten years after the cleo
ton OF Pierce, Abrsha n Lincoln issued
the proclamation Of emancipation. The
course of American history does not de-
pend unon presidents but upon the peo-
pie. OF that fact even the managers oil
nominating conventions are aware and,
therefore, although they detest civil SER
vice reform ana insist that it Is extinct,
venture 80 predict that one Of the
great conventions which will soon as-
semble, Will praise the President for
his fidelity 10 reform and the other will
denourco him az the chief of sinners
sgsinst it--tnch party assuming not that
r'f m is dead, but what is perfectly
tsne. tH-t it Is more alive thsn ever be-
fore. Parry pls't Tms ere valuable not SO
mucn for what thsy say as
FOB wEAT TINY INDICATE.
They're rag bags Of an extraordinary
ass 1rtmknt of pieces. but they are all OF
the texture and she colors which are be-
lieved TO be popular. They would make .
most crazy quilt, but they are an excellent
guide TO the political fashion because they
are selected by very SHE wd Judges.
thing that nobody is more interested
than we are to know the tx ct situation
of the reform movement or to state 1t
more accurately. Last year we told what
we believed to be the truth Of the present
administration in regard to reform, as we
bsve always sought to tell the truth Of
every administration, and we were as
sured thst out meeting was
LIKE FUNERAL FKAsT.
But we could felY reply that II the re.
mark were true, then, in the familiar
phrase, 1t was certainly not our
funersl. Undoubtedly more had been
expected OF this administrs-
ton than Of any OF its predecessors be-
cause OF the frequent and friendly de-
clarstions of the President, and because
his election by the votes OF those who
we're not Of his party authorised an in
dependence OF action which President
elected solely by the vote OF his party
might feel to be denied to him. This
anticipation has been largely disappointed
but the disappointment must not
make us unjust nor unmindful of
the fact that although the Presi-
dent has done much and has permitted
much tbst every friend OF reform must
deplore, yet he has maintained all that
had been gained in the examinations, he
has extended the range Of the classified
service, and he has revised and strength
ened the rules. Certainly this is not all
that had been expected, but the general
and Int ligent public regret that he has
done no more shows how strong is the
DEERE Of reform in the public mind.
THE ADVANCE MADE.
Twenty years ago when Mr. JeDckes Of
Rhode Island spoke here In New York to
q few persons in the chapel Of the Univer-
sity upon reform In the civil service, he
was like Paul in Athens declaring the ur-
known God. To-day there has oeen for
six wears law of Congress embodyipg
hisiviews., In the White House there Is
q President, elected because he held those
views. The presso the opposition party
ssssils, him chiefly for abandoning
them, and an opposition committee of
the Senate Is ACCOMPLISHING evidence to
prove Ii It can that he has done even less
for reform than other Presidents, and
therefore ought not to be reelected
This is hardly consopsnt with the theory
Of the death and burial OF reform. Party
investigating committees on the eve Of
elections do not trouble themselves with
spent rockets
UNDER JEFFERSON.
With the Inauguration OF JEFFERSON the
4 nv,lf ~ fr IN Hr1 ho
national patronage began. By his fsptas-
tic theory of equitable distribution Of pat
ronsge between the parties j. farson drsw
out the bolts and then held the food
zates BY main force. 1t was obviously
mere quet ton OF time when the pressure
would be mighty enough to sweep every
barrier swsy. Jefferson hsd surrendered
the cardinal principle that the great sys-
tenn Of minor ministerial non-p0httcel
places are not party prizes,
but public trusts to which
illness alone h the only valid
claim, and from WHICH dismisssl for the
mere purpose OF rewardirg partissns Is
public wrong. The contempt Of this prin-
ciple which slresdy ran riot In the two
great states Of New York and Pennsylva-
mis-, and which was one OF the worst ex-
ccsses of party spirit, would not be likely
to relirquish Its assaults upon the na-
tional government when the government
Itself conceded that half Its demand was
just.
John Quincy Adams, worthy Son OF
worthy sire, inserposed the final obstruc-
ton to the rising deluge. Among all our
Presidents none was more courageous,
more admirably equipped, or more stern
ly upright.
1t was Dy General Jackson, forty years
after the government was established,
that the spoils revolution was accom-
plished, and the transfer Of the power Of
patronage from the King to party was
completed.
Mr.. Curtis then reviews civil service
under Presidents Jackson, VanBuren,
Harrison, Tyler and Buchanan.
INDICTMENT AGAINST THE sroILs SYSTEM.
Under the system which has SO long
subjugsted the country, the newly elect
ed President, compelled by the demands
of his psrty to turn out the great body Of
public officers, agents and employees, and
necessarily ignorant Of the proper per-
sons TO appoint In every part Of CONT
mental republic, depends for Information
on senator's and representatives, upon
80 .r.o <ha curcoas NJ hfs admlufa-