The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-30
CLARKSON'S ERRAND.
Arrival of Wanamaker's Ener-
getic Lieutenant.
Striving to Better the Service in the North
west-Civil-service "Reminiscences
and the Tariff.

at the dldtt IlONCl, lO HSHN ~ UNIV
from the depot. and was welcomed to the
city by the following-named gentlemen;
Morris NJ. Estee, Samuel W. Baekus. ex.Sena-
tor A. F. W illidms, A. \. TOwne, Major Mchln-
ley George II, SeebolI, O. F. Bassett. ., 4, l.
Tharp j. NJ Litctheld, Fred CampDeI anu u
q. kmball OF Red Bluff
In the afternoon the party drove about
the city, and in the evening the General
was seen at the hotel when he talked quite
freely upon the subject of his present trip
through the West and Northwest. He is
pleasant-looking man of 45 or Whereabouts,
with astrikingly handsome face and COM
handing presence. A pair OF kindly blue
ewes and a voice Of remarkable SOftnesS
lend a peculiar charm to his cOnverSat ion.
and he talks rapidly and without any ap-
parent hesitation.
NO POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
"My present trip" he said, has no
political significance whatever, and was
undertaken solely with a view TO seeing
what could be done toward lettering the
postal facilities in the Northwest We
found that they were not at all common
surate with the growth and progress of that
section. and | can say that it was entirely
due to the DarsimOnious policy OF the
Cleveland administration. 1t was piece
of gigantic political buncombe, and the
overwhelming defeat of the Democratic
ticket in that section was one Of the logical
results. When Mr.. Villas was Postmaster
General he crippled the service by his false
ideas of economy, and the consequence was
that the present Administration was called
I1Dop to meet a deficit of $50 OOO between his
estimates and tue actual cost Of maintaining
the department. When Mr.. Wanamaker
went into the Cabinet he began at once to
study the needs of the service, and the re-
suit has been that already 1920 new post
Offices have been established Since leav-
ing Washington on my present trip l have
established quite a number Of offices by
wire, and have made many changes in
mail routes. l have also planned great
many others which will be carried into
effect Just as soon as the appropriation for
the coming year is available, which will be
July lst.
PORTLAND'S POOR SERVICE.
"At Portland, Oregon, in particular, l
found the facilities very poor, and have al
ready taken steps to have it remedied. l
am inclined to think that the same troubles
exist in San Francisco, and that is the OBJ
ieet of my pres ent visit. / shall remain
here probably week looking into the mat
ter. and at the end of that time will return
East by the way of the Northern Pacific
NV hat is the policy of the Administra-
ton on the silver question: was asked.
think that President Harrison Is
friendly to the white metal, but does not
favor a coinage of more than S4,000,000
month, which, as you know, is really more
than the present consumption. There has
been a considerable Tevulsion of feeling in
the East of late on the silver question, and
the friends Of that commodity are not con-
fined entirely to the West. 1t is not likely,
at present at least, that either party would
20 TO the extreme of granting all that the
radical silver men ask"
And now would you object to stating
your views upon the question OF civil SER
vice ref0rm|
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The General smiled as he replied: II
have been so often miSquOted on that sub
ject aud have had so many charges laid at
my door of violating the spirit of the civil
service law that | sometimes hesitate when
II is mentioned The fretfulness of So
called civil service reform proves Its own
weakness, Everybody III America who dill
feTs from it is called dishonest; and, In
deed, it is the only thing in America which
claims that it should not be discussed. 1t
is an experiment at best. and yet those hay-
ing it in charge say that its merits must not
even be debated.
TbelieYe that the Government of the
United States is political and not bust
ness organization. | do not believe that
Democrats can administer the affairs of a
Republican Administration as well as Re-
publicans, any more than L believe that
Methodists can carry on the affairs OF
Baptist church better than Baptists.
believe in rotation in office to GER
tain extent. 1t was intended by the found
ers of this Government that politics should
be the public school of patriotism and of
fce-holding the normal school of Govern
ment. Office-holding makes all men con-
Servative. When a citizen has had this
instruction in Office he is wiser as voter,
wiser as taxpayer and stronger in every
way in his citizenship.
FIXED TENURE IN OFFICE.
In saying this, however. do not wish
it understood that l am opposed to civil
service reform. l am ciyll-seryice re-
former myself, but OF a practical kind. 1
believe In giving fixed tenure to every
officers and every clerk In the public service,
50 as to preserve the self-respect Of the Oc-
or reappointment if he shall be found to
merit it. Just as the people return faith
full man to an elective Office as long as he Is
useful, SO long would l retain a man in a
Federal office. l would send an ofice-holder
back to the people Tor approval and re-
ueWal at least every four years, and so give
him an incentive TO faithful service
I would utilize the married men in the de-
partments by the way of promotion. l
would have all applicants for official places
would have the examinations conducted,
not by men who know nothing practically,
OF even theoretically of the service, but by
men who are in charge Of the departments
of the SERVICE. 1t Is simply absurd that
the POstOffice Department, which has 1j0,-
600 men on its rolls, should be compelled to
20 outside of that number and draw for
men entirely untriedi in its service to Ill any
vacancy IN its force. Much better would it
3. be- both on account of the merit of men In
the service and the interest Of the service
itself to draw from the men who are already
trained in its details.
PROMOTION FAVORED.
p. 81 clerk from good postoffieeia anywhere
in the land would render better service in
this department at Washington than some
one drawn from the civil service who
knows nothing about the postoffice bust
ness,
1--WE do want in this country civil SER
vice reform, but we want one that is praeti-
cal. 1 believe in fixed tenures, in the exam
Ination Of all applicants, in promotion for
merit, and all the time in the selection of
the best possible man for the place. l do
not believe in a system where a man is
=, chosen by those who do not understand the
service themselves, nor in any system
which cOmpelS any official to take a clerk
without seeing him, without knowing any
thing Of his merits or his character, or
without being able in the least to test his
" capacity. The practical system of examin-
alton is the one that insures the greatest
efficiency"
is it your opinion that the Mckinley
bill Will become law?"
PROTECTION IN THE WEST.
with some notifications to suit the
West, yes The policy of protection is
gaining strength in the West, Twenty-Five
years ago there was not protection paper
in the State of Iowa; they were all prac-
tically for free trade. We have learned
wisdom, and to-day the manufactured
products Of Iowa equal half in value the
agricultural products. The best protec-
Eenist in the United States to-day is the
Western farmer He is also the best-posted
man in politics. He reads many news
papers and discusses them with his family
In the last campaign he accepted the pro-
lection plank and stood by ii more faith
fully than did the Eastern manufacturers.
He understands that ne is temporarily de-
pressed, but he understands also that while
tie population increases with great rapidity
the corn and wheat acreage has almost
reached It's limit. and with the years viii
come Of necessity better prices for his