The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-24
ceM. cLARKsoN IN BosToN.
His Civil Service Views Explained to
the Norfolk Club.

BOSTON, May .23.-Hon. j. S. Clarkson,
First Assistant Postmaster General, was the
guest of the Norfolk Club this afternoon.
Among those who assembled at Young's
to meet him were Gov. Bracket, Lieut.. Gov.
Halle, Mayor Hart, Collector Beard. Hon.
John D. Long, Hon. Edward Glines, Presi-
dent Sprague of the Senate, Hon. Henry S.
Hyde and Hon. j. o. Burdett An inform al
reception was given Mr. Clarkson, after
which a banquet was served, presided over
by Hon. Warren A. Locke After cigars
were lighted Lieut.. Gov. Halle welcomed
Gen. ClarksOn in behalf of the state, Gov.
Bracket having been obliged to leave on
official business. Mayor Hart welcomed the
guest on behalf of the city Of Boston. Gen.
Clarkson was the next speaker, and dis
coursed entertainingly upon the Southern
question, civil service reform and the tariff.
The address was received with great favor.
particularly the portion relating to civil SER
vice reform, in which the speaker said
do not believe that Democrats can administer
the affairs OF Republican administration as well
as Republicans, any more than | believe that
Methodists can carry on the affairs OF q Baptist
church better than Baptists. The matter of clerk
ships does not count very much one way or the
other except that it is bad for the clerks who re-
main in them to lose their independence and use
fulness, and bad for the republic to build up life
holding class. But all administrative Offices,
IN as m amy ay to carry T m
the polls, ought to be of men belonging to the
party that Twas; Was approved at the polls In other
ment is a political and not a business organiza-
tioD. The interest of the average man in politics
must be kept alive to make q republic succeed.
many claim, then the administration of
its affairs might be let out to the lowest responsi
BILE bidder, But there is something higher, and
1t is the guardian of liberty, the representative
of progress, the hope of ali people who are its
citizens. Governments should be good and pure,
par, l believe in political party so pure and
for its success just as the Repub lican party has
many times been prayed for, In times OF national
crises, in millions of the homes of America.
In saying all this do not want to be. under
stood as being opposed to civil service reform.
of practical kind. ! believe in giving fixed
tenure to every officer and every clerk in the
p p The s1 as so object s
election or re-appolntment, If he shall be
found to merit It. Just !, as the people
oce as long as he IS usea SO long wo1d re
turn a faithful man in Federal Office / would
send an office holder back to the people for re-
aewa VAL ana approval at Ieast ~ every tour years and
would utilize the trained men In the departments
by way of promotion. l would have all appli-
C baf %Sud haVe se
made, not by men who know nothing practically
or even theoretically, OF the service. but by the
men who are in charge of the departments Of the
service. 1t Is simply absurd that the Post Office
Department, which has loo, 900 men on its rolls,
should be compelled to 60 outside of that
number and draw for men entirely untried in its
service to fill any vacancy in its force. Much
better would it be, both on account of the merit
OF men in the service itself, to draw from the
men who are already trained in its details.
Other speeches were made by ex-Gov.
Long and Collector Beard