Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-09-30
CIVIL SERVICE MEN
Hold Their Reform League
Convention at Buffalo.
CURTIS ANNUAL ADDRESS
Treats on What Has Been Accom-
plished In the Past Ten Years.

of the National Civil Service Reform
league was accomplished yesterday. The
afternoon meeting was preparatory TO tho
meeting Of today. In the evening a pub
lie meeting was held at Concert hall,
where President George William Curtis
delivered his annual address. Mr.. Curtis
spoke with grace, dignity and force, and
was applauded mt frequent intervals. Fol-
lowing are parts Of his address:
| The National Civil Service Reform league
was organized at Newport. r. J., on the llth
of August 1851 II was the result of n confer
| enco among members OF civil service reform
associations that had spontaneously arisen In
| various parts of the country for the purpose OF
awakening interest in the question. The first
act Of the league was a resolution OF hearty
approval OF the bill then pending In congress
| two years afterward the civil service law WAS
| passed In congress.
The Passage OF the Law
was the first great victory of the reform move
ment. The second Is the demonstration of the
| complete practiCability OF reform attested by
| the heads Of the largest Offices of administra-
| tion In the country In the treasury and navy
| departments, the New York custom house and
postofiice and other important custom houses
and postoftiCes. without the least regard 10
| tho wishes or the wrath of that remarkable
| class of our fellow citizens known as political
Bosses II IS conceded by officers, wholly be-
| yond suspicion of party Independence, that in
| these chief branches Of the public service re-
| form is perfectly practicable and the re-
| formed system public benefit.
The league has pronounced It's Judgment
| upon the conduct OF each Of the administra-
tlons since tie passage of the law In regard 70
| civil service reform In general. 10 has tested
them by the principles and spirit of reform,
which apply 20 the entire exercise OF the ap-
pointing power and TO every tranch of the
approved by the platform Of the present ad-
ministration. The moral obligation OF reform
is not limited To
The Iassifled Service.
IL was doubtless In recognition OF this truth,
and to seem TO conform to the highest stand
ard that the platform of the party OF admins
| tration declared that "the spirit and purpose
OF reform should be observed in all executive
| appointments" IL did not say that reform
should apply to 80 600 employees only of tho l2O,-
| 90 employees OF the government, and that tho
| rest should be treated as spoils. but that the
| spirit ot reform, whatever the method OF ap-
pointment, should be observed throughout the
/ service.
Still another victory is the fact that tho sys-
| tenn or party assessments on the civil service
| and the kindred evil of the interference OF
oiliceholders in elections are nowso effectually
gbfSHd BY 9pPb9 5G%,
Undoubtedly the practice IL some degree still
continues, as the late disgrdccrul letter OF the
shows, but only as sneak. .thieving and pocket
picking continues after laws are enacted to
prevent them.
This steady change Of public opinion in re-
gard TO political changes I'm the non political
pubic service is the happiest result Of the ten
years agitation of reform.
The Reform Rules
| embrace only about a quarter of the places in
range The reform may be fairly said 10 be
effected. But beyond that range the civil ser
vice is etill liable to be treated as spoils. by
the express direction Of President Hayes and
by the known desire Of President Cleveland,
the immediate control Of caucuscs and Conyen-
tions by oiiiceholders was greatly diminished
~ inn H. lnG fakU 1ltNs
convention Of the administrative party this
year In New York, where In other years l
have seen the collector Of the port Of New
his subordinates, the offlcehoiding force again
appeared, and the chief figure ip the conven-
tlon Of the party whose NATIONAL platform de-
mands that the reform shall be extended TO
every branch OF the service and its spirit OBJ
STATE agent OF spSds who gaily pro:laims tina.
by fidelity or efficiency, but by violation of
their party pledges, and by making the public
service party plumber. The comedy OF the au-
,enlion, directed by the chief administration
spokesman in the state, reatiirms the affection
! OF the party for thorough genuine civil serv-
| ice REFORM"
In April tho secretary OF the navy. in a
| speech at Boston, announced his intention TO
exclude politics from the labor system of the
| navy yards. He said that tho degradation of
| that labor into party spoils was demoralizing
TO any party that resorted to Il, destructive TO
Nho EO' ihhi.HN ntiniSc anu ucDauCnlHB 10
| national and local politics. 1T is an ulcer on
| the naval administration system" he said,
"and propose to cut IL out" He proceeded
TO state clearly his scheme, for which he said
the rules were preparing in detail. The
Three Cardinal Points
OF the scheme were free and open competition,
employment on proved merit alone, and the
absolute publicity of every detail
n special committee appointed to inquire
into the condition Of the federal civil ser
vice made n report, concluding as follows:
Your committee desires 20 express its belief
| that no census viii hereafter receive the con-
| ndoncc OF the people until il has been wholly
removed from partisan influences; and they
trust that IN the future such successful ex-
amplCs as have already been made OF tho
| merit system will be followed in all federal