Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-09

lar service. in order that these offices
should be taken out of the hands of polit-
ical favorites. He commended Senator
Morgan's bill. having that object in view,
as worthy of earnest support. In conclu-
sion. he said. that the vast importance of
this movement to him was not merely the
Improvement of the service although that
was an admirable result but the primary
object is to take out of politics vast body
of offices which are nothing but tempta-
tons to the debauching of politics. They
lie there and expose the spoil for everyone
to touch at; they lie there temptation to
every administrat ton. to be used to influence
votes; they are danger all the time; and
this association should try to take every
system, and put 1t under the operation of
the law. Although 1t is not claimed that
the competitive system is perfect, 1t Is an
enormous improvement over the system Of
favoritism. The spoils system is a system
of favOritism; favoritism Is un-American;
the system of competitive examination is a
fair field and no favor; that is thoroughly
American.
Permanent Omcers Elected.
Messrs. Newman. Siddons Donath. Doug
lass and Mendenhall were appointed a COM
mittee to nominate permanent officers Of
the association. They reported the follow
ing list Of officers and they were unanimous
ly elected: President. w. B. Webb; vice
presidents, DR.. Alex. Mackey Smith, John
Joy Edison, Rudolph Kaufman: secretary,
F. L. Siddons; assistant secretary, Chas.
Stetson: treasurer. Adolph Wolf; executive
committee, Chas. c. Glover. August Donath.
Chauncey McKeever. Joseph G. Gurley. DR..
Frank 7. Howe and H. B. F. Mcfarland.
Other Addresses.
Addresses similar to that of Senator Lodge
were made by Representative NJ. ID. Harter
of Ohio and Rev. Alexander Mackey Smith,
rector of st. Johns Church. Mr.. Harter
said that there is no time like the present
and no ground like the District for the for
nation of an association of the character
proposed, and he predicted that 1t would ac-
complish great good. He referred to the
presence in Washington at this time of the
Coxey army and as being an excellent OBJ
ject lesson against the evils of so-called
paternalism. He said that the people may
as well be taught once and forever that the
government does not owe them support or
employment and this truth ought to be in,-
pressed upon their minds, especially at this
present period of industrial depression.
The address of Mr.. Smith was particular
ly eloquent and well-timed. He was for
many years a member of the New York
Civil Service Reform Association and gave
an interesting account of his experiences in
the early days of that movement in New
York state. He said he was specially graf
flied at the large attendance of young men
at the meeting 1t was good and hopeful
sign. He referred to the cause they repre-
sented as the organized conscience of the
country against the organized corruption of
the country. Their future was bright, and
he predicted that they would be powerful
beyond their numbers in shaking corrupt
spoils system to its center. They would up
lift public opinion and teach the young in
politics that virtue is rewarded and vice is
punished.
The meeting adjourned at this point, and
most of those present improved the oppor-
tunity OF signing their names to the con-
stitution and subscribing to it's sentiments.
Among those who attended the meeting, in
addition to those already named, were Prof.
Mendenhall, Civil Service Commissioners
Proctor Roosevelt and Lyman. Prof. Nc
Donald, NJ. Weston Flint. Mr.. H.. l.. De
Lard, Mr.. Charles e. Snow, Mr.. Lupton.
eX-Commissioner Douglass, Mr. Hughes,
Edison, Mr.. J. B. Wight. Mr.. Randall Webb,
Mr. James S. Cowden, Mr.. John Clapp and
Rabbi Stern. ..,,,---.-. .. +.