The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-10

The report of the civil service commits
sion should receive the careful attention
of the opponents rs well as the friends of
this reform. The commission invites u
personal inspection by senators and repre-
sentatives of its records and methods, and
every fair critic viii feel that such an eX-
animation should precade r Judgment or
condemnation. either of the system or of
/ its administration. I6 is not claimed that
either is perfect, but believe that the law
is being executed with impartiality and
that the system is incomparably better
aud fairer than that OF appointments upon
favor ! have during the year extended
the classified service, TO include superiD-
fendents, teachers, matrons and physicians
in the Indian service. This branch of the
service is largely related to educational
and philauthrophic work, and Will OBJ
viousiy be the better for the change.
The heads of the several executive de-
partments have been directed to establish
at once an efficiency record as the basis of
a comparative rating of the clerks within
the classified service, with a view to plac-
ing promotions therein upon the basis of
merit. | am confident that such a record,
fairly kept, and open TO the inspection OF
those interested, will powerfully slim ulate
the work of the departments and will be
accepted by all as placing the troublesome
matter of promotions upon just basis.
civil service commission be made adequate
to the increased work of the next fiscal
year.
PROTECTION OF RAILWAY EMPLOYEES.
l have twice before urgently called the
attention of congress to the necessity of
legislation for the protection of the lives
of railroad employees, but nothing has yet
been done During the year ending June
30, 1890, 369 brakemen were killed and 7,S4l
MANNED while engaged in coupling cars.
The total number of railroad employees
killed during the year was AL aud the
number injured. 1880. This is cruel
and largely a needless sacrifice. The gov
eminent is spending nearly one million
dollars annually to save the lives of ship
wrecked seamen, and every steam vessel
is rigidly inspected and required TO adopt
the most approved safety appliances. All
this is good, but how shall we excuse the
lack of interest and effort in behalf of this
army of brave young men. who, IN our
land commerce, are being sacrificed every
year by the continued use of Anticipated
and dangerous appliances? A law requir
ing of every railroad engaged in interstate
commerce the equipment each year of a
given per cent. of its freight cars with
automatic couplerS and air brakes would
very soon and very greatly reduce the
present fearful death rate among railroad
employees.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
The method of appointment by the
states of electors for president and vice
president has recently attracted renewed
interest by reason of departure of the
state of Michigan from the method which
had become uniform in all the states.
Prior to 1882 various methods had been
used by the different states, and even by
t. ha al,
made by the legislature; in Others the cleo
tors were chosen by districts, but more
generally by the voters of the whole state
upon general ticket. The movement
towards the adoption of the last named
method had an early beginning and went
steadily forward among the states, until,
in 1882, there remained but single state
South Carolina) that had not adopted it.
That state, until the civil war, continued
to chose its electors by vote of the legisla-
ture: but, after the war, it changed its
method and conformed to the practice of
the other states. For nearly sixty years all
the states save one have appointed their
electors by popular vote upon general
ticket, and for nearly thirty years this
method was universal.
After full test of other methods, with
out important division or dissent in any
state, and without any purpose of party
advantage, as we must believe, but solely
upon the consideration that uniformity
was desirable and that general election
in territorial divisions not subject to
change was most consistent with the pop
ular character of our institutions, best pre-
served the equality of the voters and eff
fectuallv removed the choice of president
from the baneful influence of the gerry
mander'', the practice of all the states was
brought into harmony. That this concur
renee should now be broken is, l think,
an unfortunate and even threatening
episode and one that may well suggest
whether the states that stlll give their APP
prevail to the old and prevailing method
ought not to secure by constitutional
amendment practice which has had the
approval of ali.
The recent Michigan legislation provides
for choosing what are popularity known as
the congressional electors for president by
congressional districts and the two Sena-
torial electors by districts created for that
purpose. This legislation was, Of course,
accompanied by a new congressional APP
portionment aud the two statutes bring
the electoral vote of the state under the
influence of the "gerrymander." These
gerrymanders for congressional purposes
are, in most cases, buttressed by gerry
mauder of the Legislative districts, thus
making it impossible for majority of the
legal voters of the state to correct the APP
sional districts. A minority rule is estab-
lished that only political CONFUSION can
overthrow. l have recently been advised
that in one county of a certain state three
districts for the election of members of the
legislature are constituted as follows: one
has Is 900 population, one $1,000, and one
1O. 100, while in another county detached
non-contiguous sections have been united
to make legislative district.
These methods have already found effec-
tive application to the choice of senators
and representatives in congress, and now
an evil start has been made in the direc-
ton of applying them to the choice by the
states of electors of the president and vice
president. II this is accomplished. we
shall then have the three great depart
meuus of the government In the grasp of
the gerrymauder-the legislative and
executive directly, and the judiciary in
directly. through the power OF appoint
ments.
An election implies body OF electors
having prescribed qualifications, each one
of whom has an equal value and influence
in determining the result, 80 when the
constitution provides that each state
shall appoint (elect) in such manner as
the legislature thereof may direct a num-
Der of electors etc." an unrestricted
power was not given 10 the legislature III
the selection of the methods to be used.
a republican form OF government" is
guaranteed by the constitution to each
state, and the power given by the same
instrument to the legislatures OF the
states TO prescribe methods for the choice
bv the state OF electors must be exercised
under thas limitation The essential
features of such a government are the
right of the people TO choose their own
officers, and the nearest practicable
equality of value in the suffrages given IN
determining that choice
Ii will not be claimed that the power
-iven m the Iegislature would supDort a