Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-02
THE ANNuAL RErIEK.

IHh dNNOdb lew.
The National Civil Service Reform
League held its annual meeting in Phil
adelphia yesterday, and the president,
Mr.. George William Curtis. reviewed
the course and condition OF the reform
for the year, as he has done regularly
for number OF years. 1t Is hardly
necessary to say that Mr.. Curtis Is not
satisfied with the situation. He has
never been. 1t is quito possible he
never will be. He charges that the
president has not fulfilled the pledges
Of the republican platform nor
carried out his own protestations OF
purpose to advance reform. He
cites in support OF this charge
the fact Of the removal OF fifteen thou
sand fourth class postmasters, the alarm
which pervades every branch Of the
service, the open, fragrant contempt for
public opinion, for private Information,
and for the party promise, which was
shown in the appointment OF the late
commissioner of pensions, the execu-
tive refusal TO apply the civil service
rules to the census service, the removal
OF public officers of character, ability
and exp periencc who had disregarded Of
fee, and the general political proscrip-
tion. All this Mr.. Curtis asserts was dis
tinct violation of the pledges OF the
president and of the party.
Let it be granted that this is a some-
what severe indictment, was there no
warrant for any part OF the course OF
the present administration In its re-
movals from office? OF course Mr.. Cur
tbs attempts to show there was not, but
in order to do this it is necessary to ut
terly ignore the course of the preceding
administration, during Its closing
months particularly. The effect of
that course was not only to do
great deal of injustice to cap
able and experienced republicans,
very few if any OF whom had been
offensive partisans, but to very nearly
demorallze more than one branch OF the
public service. 1t was certainly the
duty of the new administration to re-
store efficiency where it had been de-
| stroyed, and in order to do this it was
largely necessary to return to their
| positions the eXperie and competent
men who had been displaced in response
to the demands of party expediency.
| Perhaps in the matter of the removal of
| fourth class postmasters the pres
ent administration has been un-
necessarily vigorous, but the fact
must be borne IN mind that
| there was most urgent need
of reform in the entire postal service,
and it is more than probable that there
was a better than partisan reason for re-
moving most of the fifteen thousand
fourth class postmasters who have been
removed.
Mr.. Curtis notes growing senti-
ment among republicans hostile to civil
service reform, but he does not despair
of final victory. Delays and defeats
are inevitable" ne remarks, "but tenn
porary. The advance is sure. The
thunders of the church did not persuade
Calico that the earth did not
move, and the war of the party
machine and the gross viola
tion of public pledges by the president,
the postmaster general, by senators and
representatives in congress, by party
committees and local leaders, all OF
which we have heard and seen before.
do not convince us that the reform sen.
timent of the country is not stronger
every day" This sort OF faith is nee
essary to a reform leader, but if Mr..
Curtis has lost confidence, as his ad-
dress implies, in the republican party
as the party of reform, his hope of final
victory for the cause in which he
labors has very unsafe and uncertain
resting place.