Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-17

In view of the fact that the board of
trade will tomorrow night devote more
than an ordinary amount of attention to
the question OF civil service reform in mu-
nicipal government. and remembering also
that some have decried civil service reform
agitation as being merely a political move
The Star once more insists that civil SER
vice reform Is in every sense of the word
anti-political. A considerable proportion
of those who are now on the roster of the
unemployed in Washington are on that
pitiable roll through the workings of the
spoils system. the places they once filed
having been given to later arrivals whose
political ideas are, broadly, in line with
those held by the party now in power. The
discharged ones were never seriously &C
cused OF incapacity; they were removed
from office for political reasons only: they
have remained here because that hope
which springs eternal in the human breast
takes but little note of material considera-
lions and sees. somewhere in the PARKWAY
future. the possibility of reinstatement.
This strong attachment to government Of
fee Is one OF the unfortunate features of
the time. and as 1t cannot Immediately be
eliminated from the system, 1t should be
sensibly dealt with and controlled by prin-
motives. The damage that has been done
to Washington by the operations of the
spoils system cannot easily be estimated.
Thousands of men and women have been
ousted from positions they were qualified to
fill and. in response to the stern demands of
that necessity which knows no law. have
endured all manner of suffering, have
sounded the depths OF poverty. Then there
were other thousands who profited by the
experience OF the wholly unfortunate: who
looked forward to dismissal as the certain
sequence OF a change of administration,
and who. with a caution that was as gen.
orally commendable as 1t was from a local
standpoint undesirable, boarded their PEN
mics from the day when their names first
appeared on Uncle Sans payroll. Neither
of these two classes were of benefit to the
District of Columbia, and there was, with
cause. great rejoicing when the civil SER
vice law and the rules that made the stat
ute effective rendered practically impos-
sible such wholesale upheavals as had pre-
viously been common. Since then, those
residents of the national capital who are
necessarily watchful of it's welfare have
done their utmost to encourage civil SER
vice extension; they have been anxious to
throw the protection of law over the Dis
trlCt munlClpdl employees, anu lOr dWHiie
believed that such protection could be af-
forded by a presidentially- rule In
vestigation, however. disclosed legal dis
junction which will continue to be an OBJ
struction until Congress amends the law.
The directors of the board CT trade-realiz-
ing how desirable Il would be to make
permanent residents of the employees whose
tenure is now extremely uncertain-framed
and adopted resolution recommending in
dorsement of the proposed amendment by
the board of trade. That Endorsement was
temporarily delayed by the. cry that the
question was dangerously political and not
a proper one for board of trade-a purely
commercial organization-to deal with.
The political illusion Is no more, - spite
of the vehemence OF the spoilsmen who
have tried to pose as the only true friends
OF the District of Columbia Tomorrow
evening the board of trade-now fully
awake to the importance of the question
will give the civil service reform resolution
its most hearty support.