Telegram-herald., 1890-10-03
CURTIS CREED.
George William On Retern Of The
CIVIL SeFYies.
ais Asnaai ADDRESS Before the Ns-
tie2al Association in Session
al Eostoa.
Many PROMINENT nxs PHEstsr.

AAAt ftoA1el>t eAt EnL>h7A-
BosKoS. 0ct. A paslie meeting
pFelimiR4ry - tie aanssl mssliHg ~
tAe N2tional Csil-Sersies Reform
League. shich epsAs today, was held
IN IFenoas Temple Wednesday even
Tag, when tbe president George Will
ian Curtis delivered his annual address
70 a large audience. Prominent
among those IN sttendanes we're
Secretary william Potts, OF the New
York League. William Dudley Foalke.
OF Richmond, lad; L9eius p Swift, Of
Indianapolis. Charles ]. BOBaparte. of
Baltimore, General W. A. Aiken, OF
Norwich. Coma; Everett i. Wheeler.
Judge T. O Mzson, Willism Endicott
Jr., Charles K. Goldman. Charles Theo-
dore Russell. George 5. Hale. MOOrneld
Story and others.
Speaking o. the ridicule and criticism
20 which civil-service reformers have
been subjected Ne Curtis said:
TO the cant about the PhArisaisn OF re
fern there i one short and final
answer The man who tells the truth is
hoasr man than tbs liar. TAe man who
does not steal is = better man thas the
thleL The senator iron Massachusetts
declaring ths; politics are a0s.l principles s2
piled 20 public arzirs II a truer patriot and
nooier American than ihs Senator from Kansas
declaring that the deealosae and the golden
rule have no place 1, political campaign
Our plea for civilseFvice reform rests upon the
actual situation Other public questions than
that OF political corruption engage the public
mind. but noae takes precedence u II IN impor.
,snce. Under our Government reform can be
accomplished only oy party adm rsnistration.
Yet the chief obstruction Is the fac, that the
evil IS common TO both parties.
In the interest OF reform ~ Is the annual
duty oi the league 70 test the performances OF
the administration BY the principles OF re
form, ard can best discharge this duty
this year by considering q question
which IS frequently and strongly urged
upon nay attention. II is this; Is the con
viction OF the necessity OF reform so general Is
pabls opinion upon the subject so ripe, thas
the friends on reform may wisely abandon a
separate movement and merge their action
in that OF some existing party Ia other
words. Is there already q political patty
which is actually party Of reformf
IL there be such q party. l invoke the in
quisitive shade Of Flanagan ana ask what
are we here tor? As reformers the league is
composed OF protectionists. advocates OF rev.
enue tariff Prohibtionists and Independents,
Republicans Democrats and Mugvumps. In
answering inc question: tnorclOrt, Il tnaiA
bear this fact ia mind, howeser plainly I may
speak.
The Republican party has unquestionably
declared itself in the strongest manner TO be q
party OF civilservice reform. At the same time
and with equal force 1t announced that It was
the party OF protection, and it also demanded
effective legislation TO secure the Integrity and
purity of elections. These were the three car
dinal declarations Of the platform, and one OF
them was especially addressed to civll-service
reformers.
Mr.. Curtis then reviewed at great
length the work of the Republicans in
Congress. quoting declarations by
Speaker Reed, Mr.. Mckinley and the
New York Tribune to the effect that the
party had fulfilled It's pledges. Mr..
Curtis entered into an elaborate anal
ysis of the work done by the present
Administration for civil-service reform,
which he concluded by saying:
''It is undeEiaole that In the general partisan
pillags OF the civil service the Republican
party has brokea its promise
This is not TO say that nothing has been
done nor that the reform lew has been either
gsossly violated or generally disregarded. 1t IS
only saying that the party can not honestly
claim the confidence Of civil-service reform
erSn