Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-04

Ms OeVOtOn 10 CIVIL SERVICE reform mao
drought the public service to the highes,
Standard Of efficiency" Brother Thompson
i, Of III. firm conviction that no employees
of the government we're ever possessed OF
"less qualifications" than those ap-
pointed since the civil service law
went into effect. Such . discrepancy
among the prophets Of Democracy is har-
rowing to contemplate.
In its national platform of 1892, the
Democratic party ''reafirmed" ito devotion
to the cause Of civil service reform and
called "for the honest enforcement of all
laws regulating the same." In the face of
this record of his party, Brother Thompson ID
still confident that no "intelligent man" in
its ranks"has the least respect for the civil
service commission or the law which provides
for its existence" If he is correct in this
view and we think he is the members Of the
two Democratic nation II conventions, from
whose platforms we have quoted were either
lacking in intelligence or honesty. If they
have not, az our Belfast contemporary as
serts, the slightest respect for the civil ser
vice law, then their ostentatious endorse
ment of it was the mere claptrap of politi-
cal demagogues intent, not upon the enun-
citation Of principles, but upon the manu-
facture of false and misleading statements
and catch phrases with which to deceive
the people.
1t is sight a. inspiring as it is rare, to
t. see storm beaten Democrat come out
from the haze of his party mi.representa-
tions and ballucinations, to lift up his voice
in the assertion of genuine truth. Brother
Thompson has done the public valuable SER
vice, by frankly admitting that bis party
has no respect either for the civil service
commission, or the law which created it.
We thought as much before; but it is pleas
ing to secure confirmation of our views
from sn authoritative source.
Now a word upon the history of civil ser
vice reform in this country. The state
ment of the Democratic national platform
of 1888 that President Cleveland "inau-
gurated" this work is absolutely and stupid
ly false. The first civil service law bill
was introduced by Charles Sumner, Re-
publican senator from Massachusetts, in
1854. In bringing it before Congress Mr..
Sumner said (Cong. Globe, 1864, p. 1850
THE object of the bill is to provide q
competitive system of examination in the
civil service of the United States" This
bill was side-tracked by its opponents and
never came up for discussion in open ses-
sion. The next civil service bill was intro
duced into the National House of Represen-
tatives in 1865 and again in 1866 by Con-
gressman Thomas Allen Jenckes of Rhode
Island, also member ef the Republican
party. Mr.. Jenckes advocated his bill ably
and earnestly through several sessions of
Congress; but it failed to secure passage.
The third civil service bill was introduced
by Hon. Carl Schurz, Republican senator
from Missouri. Subsequently other civil
service bills were introduced by Senator
Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, George
L. Edmunds of Vermont, and several other
Republican members of Congress. The
first movement towards practical reform in
the civil service occurred in the administra-
ton of President Grant. Examinations of
candidates were instituted and certain rules
adopted. In furtherance of this movement
President Hayes issued an order Dune %,
1870 applicable to all branches of the civil
service. 1t directed that mo officer should
be required or permitted to take part in the
management of political organizations, eau
cuses, conventions, or election campaigns.
No assessment for political purposes on Off
GERS or subordinates should be allowed. In
1888 the present civil service law was given
a passage AMI signed by Republican Pres
ident. It was drawn by Mr.. Dorman B.
Eaton, Republican, at that time the chair
man of the committee on legislation of the
New York Civil Service Reform Associa.
ton. 1t was introduced by Senator George
II. Pendleton of Ohio, a member of the
Democratic party. There is little reason
to doubt but what Mr.. Pendleton was sin.
cere in his devotion to this reform; but he
was made to pay dearly for his temerity in
running counter to the sentiment of his par
ty, for the Democratic majority in the Ohio
Legislature refused to return him to the
Senate, and he was permanently retired
from public life. These facts show con.
clu.ively the correctness of Brother Thomp.
sons statement that his party has no respec,
for the civil service law. They also show
the mendacity of the Democratic national
platform of 1888 when it trotted out Grover
Cleveland as the original civil service re-
former. The Democratic party was the
original spoils party, and Brother Thomp-
son is entirely correct in believing that it
has never, in this respect, seriously de-
parted from its Jacksonian policy.
It's rather late in the day for Grover
Cleveland to condemn the compromise tariff