Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-28
AN ANTI-SPOILs LEAGUE.
Civil Service Reform to He Made a
Popular Movement.

The National Civil Service Reform League
Is about to initiate a popular movement to-
ward the abolition of the spoils system A
great enrolment of the reform sentiment
of the country will be undertaken, the work
beginning yesterday and to be carried on
from the office of the league at "a William
street, New York city.
The immediate purpose Of this enrolment
is to form single popular organization,
working into every state, and to have for
Its members every person enrolled The or
ganization viii then be used as effectively
as possible as force toward administra-
tive reform in national. state and local af-
fairs. 1t will be known as the Anti-spoils
League, with Carl Schurz as president, VIM
Potts secretary and Col Silas W. Burt
treasurer.
The Civil Service Reform League, which
proposes to inaugurate this movement, has
an active membership at present of about
nve thousand, divided among twenty-three
cipai centers are at New York, Brooklyn,
Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Indianapolis. Chicago and st. Louis.
Each of those five thousand members will
be enlisted in the missionary work of the
new movement at once. 1t will be carried
on through number of active agencies
and with all possible expedition. The col
leges and other large educational institu-
of every city and the voting organizations
or all parties having good government
among their purposes will be the first fields
undertaken, and the extension of the work
will follow as rapidly and thoroughly as
possible.
The circular sent out by the league con-
tains the following significant declaration
Of its purposes:
by the reform of the civil service it is
meant that every competent citizen of the
United States shall have an equal chance
to enter the service. and that II shall no
longer be kept for the support Of the party
politicians; that in order to enter the SER
vice man must show that he is compe-
tent; that when he has entered the service
he shall be kept there as long as he faith
fully and efficiently performs the duties
of his office. and not be compelled to give
up his position because it Is wanted for a
party hack or the henchman Of a boss; that
a citizen shall be able to go freely to the
primary meeting and to the polls, and not
have his political action controlled by a
body of officeholders: that officeholders shall
not be assessed by party politicians for po-
litical purposes: that IL salaries are so large
as to admit of such assessment they should
be reduced"
The following card accompanies each cir
cular. the recipient being required to sign
1t, giving his full name and address. and
return it to the secretary of the league:
1--WE hereby declare ourselves in favor Of
the complete abolition of the spoiis system
from the public service. believing that sys-
tenn to be unjust. undemocratic injurious
to political parties, fruitful Of corruption,
a burden to Legislative and executive Of
fcers and in every way opposed to the prin-
ciples of good government
I'VE call upon all in authority to extend
to the utmost the operation of the present
reform laws, and by additional legislation
to carry the benefits Of the merit system
20 the farthest possible limits under our
national, state and municipal govern
mentS,"