The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-10-12
NUMBER 2e.
FALSE TO ITS TRUST.
Geo. William Curtis Arraigns the
Administration.
The Brilliant Civil Service Reformer
Denounces Harrison's Hypocrisy in
Cutting Phrase - Convention
Of the Reform Association
ut Philadelphia.

Service League, OF which Geo. VIII
liam Curtis is President, began here
this afternoon. To-day's meeting
was only preliminary to the general
business meeting which takes place
to- morrow. After the transaction
of this business the visiting dele
gates sat down to an informal ban
quet, rendered them by the local as
ISOLATION, at which George William
Curtis presided Among those pres
cnt were Hon. Carl Schurz, Of New
York; Col. Silas w. Burt, ex-Collec-
tor of the Port of New York; Chas.
J. Bonaparte, of Baltimore; George
J. Pope, Baltimore; +. l.. Godkin, OF
New York; Gen. VIM. A. Aiken, OF
Norwich, Conn; Everett z. Wheeler,
of New York; Dorman B. Eaton,
New York Sherman B. Rogers, Buff
falo; L. r. Swift, indianapolis Henry
L. Richmond, Buffalo; +. 0. Mason,
Geneva. N. Y, and VIM. Potts, Sec
rotary of the National League. This
evening President Curtis delivered
his annual address at Association
Hall. There was large audience,
many OF whom were ladies.
MIR. CURTIS ADDRESS
reviewed the political events since
the last meeting and declared that
the platform of the party which was
successful last fall pledged itself to
Civil Service Reform, as explicitly
as it did to Protection. President
Harrison thus entered upon his adj
ministration as the choice of party
which expressly claims the honor of
beginning reform in The civil ser
vice, and has vehemently promised
to complete it. Not content with re-
quiring that the existing law should
be extended to all grades of the SER
vice to which it is applicable, the
party went entirely beyond these
grades and affirmed that "the spirit
and purpose of the reform should be
observed in all executive appoint
ments." This, however, was not a
pledge to any extraordinary action.
1t was merely declaration that if the
party were successful at the polls
the administration would dc its
plain constitutional duty. For such
it is. Whether the convention had
said anything upon the question OF
had remained silent, the executive
duty would have been the same.
HOW HAVE THEY BEEN KEPT.
Mr.. Curtis then asked how these
pledges have been fulfilled? Have
fidelity and efficiency proved to be a
sure tenure of office, or have such
appointments generally heen made
precisely as they would have been
made had there been no platform
promises, no pledges of the candi.
date, and no public interest in civil
service reform.
1t was not an answer to these
questions to say that the reform was
not favored by the people; because a
majority Of the people had elected
Mr.. Harrison on the pledges of the
Republican platform, and Civil Ser
vice Reform was one of these pledges.
t was not an answer to say that
the Reform outran public opinion, OF
that the President had not violated
his pledges more frequently than
any other.
What then is the answer? What
is the spirit of the party and the
conduct of the Executivep The an
swer Of course involves great detail
and can be only generally indicated
Let us look at the signs of party
feeling.
A few weeks ago, hilarious ad.
ministration party organ at the cap
ital of New York, one of the most in
fiuential party journals, exclaimed
Fifteen thousand fourth class post
masters have been removed to date
and Mr.. Clarkson remains in Wash
ington with his coat off and shirt
sleeves rolled up. Go it, Clarkson
Out with the whole fifty-fv thous.
and by January 1st" In Missouri
the chief party organ thinks Mr.
Clarkson's labors, although, lauda.
BILE, yet rather deliberate in the di
rection of true reform, and is conf
dent that 'when the dog days are
over and cool weather sets in Colonel
Clarkson will greatly accelerate his
speed"
In New Hampshire the chief adj
ministration organ arraigning re
form as "a stuffed and painted and
unpopular humbug" and "a bale
and rickety affair that DULLES and
wheedles good citizens" inexorably
condemns it ito the scrap heap" Ii
West Virginia a Jealous organ be
lieyes devotedly that the spoils be
long to the victor, and the edito
having secured his part of the booty
announces that at the earliest prac
teal date every Democratic ap
pointee in the office entrusted to him
"from the humble and poorly pait
apple-jack gaugers to the well pait
storekeeper and clerks will be sue
ceeded by Simon pure all-wool-and
yard wide Republicans In Penn
sylvania an administration journa
of importance declares that "the PEG
Pile are tired of the sham of reform
and would gladly snow it under will
their votes"
HARRISON REcREANT TO HIS PLEDGES
! While this is the public sentimen
of the party as revealed in the ordin
airy methods, what is the executiv
action? Does that conform to th
platform promise and the President
pledge? The knowledge of ever.
citizen in his own community an
swers. The general political pre-
scription; the policy which Presi
dent Harrison when a Senator dt
fined as the "frank and bold, if bru
tai method of turning men and We
men out simply for political opinion
the clean sweep which is proceedin
) in the postoffice; the alarm whic
: pervades every branch ofthe service