The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-26
Mr.. LODGE REPLIES TO GEN. CLARKSON
Present Methods of Civil Service Re-
form Ably Defended.
Wars and Rumors of Wars In the
Chamber of the Senate,
Ending In a Victory for the Navy Yard
at Portsmouth.

WASHINGTON, May 24.-Henry G. Lodge
was seen here this afternoon by represen-
tative of the Associated Press in regard to
the speech of Assistant Postmaster General
Clarkson at Boston, Friday night on the sub
ject of civil service reform. Mr.. Lodge said
Massachusetts has always been strongly
her people have come to believe in taking the
routine offices out of politics. / suppose
1t was on account of these
very facts that General ClarksOn
took occasion to make the attack on the re-
form In Boston. Gen. Clarkson made a
about the stars which are asked Of cand l.
dates for the place of assistant astronomer
at an observatory ought to be asked. They
are not asked Of copyists and letter carriers.
The examinations of copyists, carriers, etc.,
are today as simple and practicable as hu-
business man would ask of his clerks
Gen. Clarks0n Is opposed to thrusring Off
GERS back into the old system and he is, he
says, in favor of reform but against this par
ticular reform now in existence His argu-
menr against existing reform system con-
sists Of three propositions: that offices
should be held by members of the party in
power; that the present scheme makes
civil pension list inevitable, and that the
true way to carry on the government is by
their subordinates. Some offices ought and
must be held by members of the party in
power. Such are the cabinet officers and
their assistant secretaries, foreign ministers
and all engaged in carrying on the policy
which is that of the ruling party. In the
routine business offices of the government
which form the great mass of the civil SER
vice, politics are of no consequence and new
er would be thought of in that connection
II the holders OF these places had not been
taught that the right to carry letters or run
errands for the government depended on
their political activity. 1t is, moreover, a
delusion to suppose THAT the distribution of
this mass of offices is anything but source
OF weakness to party and its representa-
tives, or has any effect except to cripple its
usefulness and prevent its doing the work
for which it was placed in power. If pat
ronage in Office is a source of strength, how
does it happen that it did not save Iowa last
fall and the lack of it did not
lose Massachusetts to the Republicans?
A civil pension list is always held up as a
bugbear by the opponents of the reform 1t
never has been and never will be advocated
by any supporter of the reform. Gen. Clark
son himself Is the only person who has dis
cusse6 the subject seriously who advises
speech. in pension for railway mail clerks.
A civil pension list is utterly at variance
with American ideas. In my opinion there
ought to be an age limit. The report of the
house commlttee on appropriations shows
between 400 and 500 superannuated clerks in
departments; there under the old law, not
under the new system. Civil service re-
form does not prevent removals made to pro-
mote efficlciency as Gen. Clarkson seems to
think. These men were not kept in by civil
service law as he seems to think. They were
probably retained from politics or charitable
motives. If they should be removed for the
benefit of the service, no civil service re-
former would find fault. Heads of depart
ments and bureaus are supposed to select
their own subordinates. If they really did
there would be little need of reform for with
hardly an exception these chiefs of service
are ambitious only of good administration.
The trouble is these men do not select their
own subordinates and never have done so
Their subordinates are selected for them by
Senators. Congressman and other politicians
in, having the best administration.
The object of civil service reform is not to
take appointments from the heads of depart
ments but to take them out of politics.