The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-02
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
George William Curtis Addresses the Ma
tional Reform LEAGUE.

Boston, Mass, Oct. IA public meet
ing, preliminary to the annual meeting of
the National Civil Service Reform league,
which opens tomorrow, was held in Ire
mont Temple this evening, when the pres
ident, George William Curtis, delivered
his annual address to a large audience.
Prominent among those in attendance
were Secretary William Pitts OF New York
league William Dudley Foulke of Rich
mond, Ind; Lucius p. Swift of Indianap-
OILS; Charles j. BOnaparte, Gen. w a.
Aiken of Norwich, Conn; Everett II.
Wheeler, Judge +. &, Mason, William
Endieott. .Jr, Charles Il. Goldman, Charles
Theodore Russell, George ;. Hale, Merri-
field Storey and Others.
Mr.. Curtis began his address by noting
various achievements of the United States
and American people of which every patri-
otic American citizen should be justly
proud. But" he continued, Americans
could not be proud of the merchandise of
patriotism by congress, or disposition OF
congress to buy with money the votes OF
certain classes: they could not be proud of
a government of a state 10y the Louisiana
lottery; they could not be proud of cleo
tions carried by soap or buying of vot-
erS in "blocks of five Nor could they
he proud of national legislation for the
benefit of owners of necessary commodi-
ties nor of the ignorance, venality and
vice of the government of our cities; they
could not be proud of acQuieScience in the
leadership of a party by man who does
not defend ms character against the
charge of corruption and criminality,
They could not be proud of
that degrading and demoralizing system
OF appointments and removals in public
service which might he fit only for the
government of Costa Rico, Honduras or
Turkey" He then proceeded to point out
the defects in the American government
of today. Congress, he said, was bad, but
the reply was made, he continued, that
it was as good as il had been for fifty
years past. IL is no consolation to growing
man." he answered, Ito be told
that his ancestor was hanged
it was bad to decry, TO hide abuses and
belittle corruption. He continued: Il
have known even intelligent men to sneer
at the scholarin politics. But in n republic
founded upon the common schools such
as seems TO me To show momentary loss Of
common sense, il implies that political
opinions of educated men are unimportant
and that Ignorance is counsellor Of the
republic
To the cant about the Phariseism, of
reform, there is one short and final answer.
The man who tells the truth is a holier
man than the liar. The man who does not
steal is a better man than the thief The
senator from Massachusetts,, declaring
that politics are moral principles applied
TO public affairs, is a truer patriot than
the senator from Kansas, declaring that
decologue and the golden rule have no place
in a political campaign"
The speaker then proceededlto make a
strong plea for the civil service reform.
He condemned the Republican party for
what he called its failure TO keep the
pledge made in its national platform to
enforce the civil service law. The year of
Republican government, he said, had
proved conclusively that the Republican
party was not the party of civil service re-
form and can't claim that confidence of
reformers. The Democratic party also,
was not a civil service reform party Ee
concluded by showing what the civil ser
vice reformers had accomplished and what
in the future it was their object to accom-
pNsh