Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-09
ARE FOR REFOR M
A Local Civil Service Reform Asso-
citation Organized.
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS PRESENT
Addresses by Senator Lodge, Repre-.
sentative Harter and Others.
THE OFFICERS ELECTED

Efforts are being made to remove the
offices under the District government from
| the clutches of the political spoilsmen and
| to place them securely under the protective
influence of the civil service law. Practical
steps in this direction were taken at a
meeting of citizens at Willard Hall last
night. The attendance was large, and in
Guided representatives of all branches of
business in this city. federal, municipal and
private.
The meeting was called to order by Mr.
Frederick l.. Siddons. who briefly explained
its object. He said it was not necessary to
say anything as to the merits of civil SER
vice reform, as those present were undoubt-
| edly familiar with and friendly to that
| cause. As to the necessity for the organiza-
| ton of a civil service association here at
| this time he explained that since the pres
ent form of the municipal government came
| into existence here up to within two or
| three years ago our people never saw the
| face of spoilsmen. Appointments and pro-
| motions IN local offices were made with in
| telligent Judgment, and generally were per-
sons we'll equipped for the work.
Pressure of Political Influence.
| Within the past two or three years. how
ever. the District Commissioners have felt
the pressure of political influence for office
The spoilsmen, being driven from one de-
! partment TO another. without finding places
| for their constituents, had turned their at
| tention particularly to the offices of the
District of Columbia These are unprotected
| by the civil service and are entirely within
the hands of the District Commissioners.
Up to recent times the selections to the
! District offices have been admirable, ac-
| cording to Mr.. Siddons, but there has been
OF late decided Difference to political press
ure. He said that he understood that most
| OF the appointments to District offices in
| the last two years have been made by
| virtue of congressional or other political in
fiuence. He considered it time for that sys-
| TEN to be checked, and said that was one of
| the reasons why it was thought necessary
| to organize a civil service reform associa-
| ton here. There is, however, still another
| reason For more than ten years past there
have been in various parts of the country
notably in New York, Philadelphia and
Boston. civil service reform associations
| which have been embarrassed in their work
by not having here on the ground similar
| body that would aid them in their CORES
pondence. in their applications to Congress
and in their business before congressional
committees and executive officers OF the gov
| eminent This want has been keenly felt
| more than once and Mr.. Siddons said that
he had been informed that such an associa-
ton as this proposed would be of inyaIua hle
| assistance. These are the two main reasons
| why ii is believed that the local organiza-
| tons devoted to the cause of civil service
reform is regarded as necessity. He
| hoped that ii would be made as strong as
| influential as that of any similar organize
ton in the country, and that those who en-
| listed in the cause would do SO with a de-
| termination to work and accomplish the
best possible results.
A Temper Organization.
A temporary organization was effected by
| the selection of DR.. Frank I. Howe as tenn
porary chairman and Mr. B. W. johnson as
temporary secretary. DR.. Howe expressed
| his appreciation of the honor conferred I'D
| on him and spoke briefly of the desirability
or forming the proposed association, which
would. he said, be in close and constant
communication with similar organiza tons
throughout the country. He said he thought
IL strange that right here in the national
capital, where there is more civil service to
the square inch than anywhere else in the
country, there should never have been an
association of this kind before There Is
more politics here than anywhere else and
yet we are supposed to know less about
politics than any other people. He believed
That this organization would be productive
OF good TO the District, would aid the Com
mlssioners in the administration of the Of
noes under them. and that 1t would be of
benefit to Congressman, as the latter would
then be relieved from the present assertion
or their constituents. that IL they cannot
get office under the federal government they
certainly could get 1t under the District
government
CONSTITUTION adopted.
A committee of five. consisting Of Messrs.
Leupp, Wolf, Stetson. Mcfarland and Muir
ray, was appointed to prepare a constitu-
ton. The committee, after short alb
SERGE, returned and submitted its report,
which was unanimously adopted
1t provides for the organization under the
| name of the Civil Service Reform Associa-
ton of the District OF Columbia" and the
objects, as set FORTH provide for the extern
a int Of h.
OF appointments to, promotions in. rernov-
ais from and other changes in civil service
or the municipal state and federal govern
ments, including that of the District of CO.
| lumbia. The association is pledged to do all
| IN its power to secure such legislative and
! executive action as will tend to produce the
| foregoing results. 1t provides for COM
| plete list of officers and an executive COM
mittee, to be vested with all powers of the
association between the meetings.
An Address by Senator Lodge.
An interesting address was then made by
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,, who was
introduced by the chairman as an earnest
consistent and persistent worker in the
cause of civil service reform. Senator
| Lodge said he was pleased to be there to
| say Godspeed to the work they had un-
| dertaken- He was glad to see an organ
| ization for that object started anywhere
and particularly here They can do much in
| attention to abuses needing the remedy Of
law and to violations of existing law which
need the interference of the authorities
| They can also do great deal toward shap-
| ing public opinion, which, after all, Is the
greatest ally upon which they must rely in
| the future as they had done In the past
civil service reform associations are strong
est where the members bear in mind that
| they must devote themselves exclusively
| to the purposes for which they have or
| ganized, that is, they must not allow pa rty
| feeling to interfere with their Judgment
or their actions on questions relating solely
| TO the enforcement of the law and to its
extension. 1t is a natural disposition to
| look leniently on the shortcomings of our
own party and severely on the shortcom-
| tnss of the party of some one else The
| speaker cited Mr.. Leupp's paper, Good
Governm ent, as an excellent example of
| the proper attitude of the civil service re-
| former on this point. He said that nothing
| makes an association so strong as to utter
| with entire fearleSsness it's criticisms and
its praise OF public men and parties. They
ought not merely to be liberal in criticism
| but liberal also in praise, whenever thew
see a public man or organization doing any
| thing which is really for the benefit of the
| REFORM In that way they will exercise a
| large power on public opinion, which at bot
tom demands sincerity and sincerity COM
manC greater respect from public opinion
than anything else. That has been proved
/ by the adminiStrati ton of the civil Sarx,ica