The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-08
THE CIVIL SERVICE REFORMERS.

No matter how fanatical or chimerica
the principle upon which an organization
rests may be, those who uphold it hang on
and growl and though they are well con.
WINGED that they are wasting their precious
breath in vain endeavor, they dip into the
convention mania with as much alacrity as
either of the old-established parties, and
even go so far in many instances as to put
presidential ticket in the field, although
well-knowing that they have not, in most
cases, enough members to make up an
electoral ticket with.
At the foot of the class, as relates TO this
subject, stands the civil service reform
league, headed by GEORGE WILLIAM CUR
IT'S Mr.. CURTIS is one of the ablest among
the able editors OF this century, and as a
public speaker also he has few equals.
But he has the inevitable attendant of
greatness--a hobby, which he rides I'M
ceasingly, and it is the league referred to,
of which he is president. 1t recently en-
gagged in convention, or perhaps convoca-
tion would be the more proper term to use,
in Philadelphia, the principal proceedings
OF which were laid before THE HERALD's
readers AS it went along. MIR CUR
TIs' address is said to have
been one of the most scathing ever deliv-
cred upon any subject in the United States,
and the attitude taken by all on the exist
ing situation made things somewhat lively,
while the final resolutions passed by the
convention give forth no uncertain sound
They state that the execution of the law is
seriously endangered by the appointment
of men as high officials, who are not in
sympathy with the law or its purpose The
resolutions condemn the President for hav-
ing abdicated his power of appointment in
placing appointments at the disposal of
partisan leaders, thus enabling them to de-
bauch their constituencies and control cleo
tions. The record of the administration in
regard to the railway mail service was
severely condemned, and the resolutions
find that the pledge of the President that
fitness and not party service should be the
sole discriminating test of appointment, is
disregarded.
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS was reelected
president The next meeting will be held
at Buffalo, n. Y, at which no doubt the
Performers" will have much larger stock
of abuses to discuss. While President
CLEVELAND came much nearer to genuine
reformation of the civil service than any
other Pres dent of late years has, it is also
the fact that in his case the greatest that
he was able to accomplish in that di-
rection was to show the people of the
country how utterly impossible it is
to even approach the ideal of the dream
ers, and thus vi.we it may Ia! G
some of the stigma from HARRISON that
would otherwise attach to him for kicking
the whole business overheard and doing as
he pleases regarding appointments, while
allowing his subordinates to do likewise.
He is a Republican, was elected by Repub-
licans, and all hanGs expect nd expected
from him Republican administration; if
he failed to select his assistants through
out the country from the same party, he
would not be fulfilling his pledgesin a more
dangerous manner than tnat sugge sted by
MIR. CURTIs-albeit the President and some
of his chiefs of staff have undoubtedly gone
10. if not beyond the limit in this matter