Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-17


IN another column of The Stag will be
found Il commune alton that deals with a
remarkable. Illogical. and indefensible
phase of the discussion that prec eded the
thouGhtIess action of the board of trade in
tabling a resolution favoring the extension
of the civil service rules 10 employees of the
District of Columbia. This communication
Is protest against the attitude of The
Star in this important matter but the
foundation upon which the protest is based
collapsed as soon as the first fragment of
superstructure was placed thereon. The
author of the communication avows him
self supporter of Mr.. Jesse B. Wilson
both of them argue that consideration of
such a resolution by the board of trade
would be highly improper because the rcso-
luton Is. in their sight, nothing more or
less than a piece of politics. 1t is properly
AMI fairly urged that "the board of trade
Is in no sense a political organization and
cannot properly indorse any movement,
however worthy, of that nature after say
ing which the protestor quotes the board
AS announcing that it is organized for 1.-The
consideration of, anu action upon, matters
concerning the commerce, prosperity and
advanc ement of the material interests OF
the National Capital" If, in the light Of
that declaration. it is improper for the
board of trade to consider and to act af-
Tentatively upon the resolution which was
50 thoughtlessly tabled, then the board of
trade may as well go out of business.
Many things have assailed the material in
terests of the National Capital, but the
most vigorous assailant this community
has ever known is the spoils system; the
constituencies and extravagant misgovern-
ment that threw out of employment tens
of thousands of capable men and women
whose only offending was in the fact that
their political views or the views of those
through whom their appointments had been
secured We're not in a harmony with the
doctrines of the political party temporarily
In power. A change of administration af-
fected the commerce, the prosperity and
advancement of the city of Washington
more seriously than any epidemic ever
known to have afflicted this region, and al
though conditions have of late been much
improved there is still room for great bet
terment. People who give careful consid-
Grafton to the state OF affairs invariably
consequent upon the Inauguration of a
President, cannot but be amazed that so
vicious custom as the removal of clerks
and other government employees for purely
political reasons prevails in this age of en-
nghtenment; that it should DE defended by
a business man is legitimate subject for
wonder. OF course it would be extremely
improper for the board of trade to indorse
the candidacy of applicant for office,
but the likelihood of any movement toward
such an occurrence would be lessened ma
terially by the enactment of the law in be-
half of which the tabled resolution was
framed by the board OF directors. Civil SER
vice reform is not political question; its
strongest supporters have been men of In
dependent thought-upright citizens of
whose patriotism there cannot be the
slightest doubt. The civil service reformer
and the practical politician are deadly enc
mics, and whenever the Washington board
of trade puts itself on record as favoring
civil service reform 1t removes itself the
further from politics and does something
the motives for which cannot be ques-
toned. The board of trade would fulfil its
mission and would do great work for 1.-The
commerce prosperity and advancement of
the material interests of the national Cap
itar' il. 1t applied itself solely to the. task
of making a permanent resident of every
government enlploye.