The Washington times., 1895-05-11
Recorder Taylor Again Held Up
As a Horrible Example.
RESULT OF THE sPOILS system
Comptroller Eckels Made an Address
Indorsing the Object of the Asso-
ctation-Ex-Commis Webb
and Douglass Also Spoke-Secre-
tary Siddons' Report.

| REFORM Association was held last even
| ing in the lecture hall of Columbian Uni
versity, the principal features of the pro-
| gramme of exercises provided being an
address by the Hon. j. II. Eckels Comp
| troller of the Treasury, and the recep-
| ton of the annual report made by Secre-
| tary F. L. siddons, in which last was in
cluded royal scorching administered to
| Recorder Taylor. The roast was in
dorsed by the association when it unani-
mously adopted the secretary's paper.
The meeting was presided over by Pres
ident William b. Webb, who, in brief
presentation speech, introduced the orator
of the evening.
| Mr. Eckels indorsed the civil service idea,
| and characterized it as simply the en-
| forcemcnt in public business of the rules
| that govern i'll private hnsiness. The old
| idea, he said, was that public office was
| public plunder, and mau who obtained
| position believed that he was TO forget
| the tenets of common honesty. Offices
| were given as rewards bIr service i'll the
interest OF an individual, not upon the
principle Of obtaining the best equivalent
| for the expenditure.
A DEFINITE PRINCIPLE.
CINll seINiCe, DE bdlu, mas Indue It's way
into the affections of the people, and
is now definite principle in practical
| politics. The idea OF maintaining good
! government is strong with the people,
| and has taken possession of the voter
In proof ur this he iustanced tie elections
results III New York aud Chicago, where
cleanliness in politics, as applied To tie
| candidates, was the chief Consideration
| The people of the former city, he declared,
! have been disappointed, the man whom
they eIeGted To preside over municipal af-
fairs having officially approved a meas
| ure which the men who elected him did
/ not believe should prevail; but he declared
/ that he trusted yet to see every city ac-
| coinpiish what had been attempted in
New York, and what Chicago had done
He said he bad had some experience aud
| mad personally known Senators and Rep
| resentatlyeS IN Congress TO recommend
lately for important positions men whom
| they would not eutrust With their own
| financial af1Srs. He expressed Tie belief
| that If the principles Uf evil service were
subLaitieu 10 Tie voters of the Uu1ted
States, they would be iGdorsed by ma
| jority comparatively as large as that re-
| corded in New York.
EX COMMISSIONERS VIEW.
Hon. John Is, ,gDouglass was introduced,
and after rsciting the rule he had adopted
as Commissiohet of the District, OF dis
missing faithful official solely for po-
| litical reasols, said there is no better
| field Tor the extension of the civil service
law than in the District for. lie added,
he found the matter of putting men in and
out OF office much more veXatious thing
than even the garbage contracts
Rev. A. Mackay-Smith, vice presi-
dent of the association, also addressed the
association briefly, sayiug that the friends
of the system do not claim perfection for
it, nor do they ignore the fact that they
are yetvery far short of success. He advo
Gated the inclusion of fourth-class post
masters within the provisions of the law.
Secretary Siddons' report reviewed the
history of year, stating that the society
organized May 10, 1894 with forty MEM
bers and closes its first year with a MEM
bershhip of sixty-three. He reviewed the
unsuccessful efforts made to have the Dis
trict employees placed under the protection
OF the law and added that bill of enlarged
scope would be introduced at the next ses-
sion of Congress, which, if passed, would,
he belle we'd receive the executive IN
dorsenent.
Referring to the charges of violations of
the civil service law preferred against c.
II. j. Taylor, recorder OF deeds he said
the association has every reason to believe
they were sustained when the investigation
was had, and that the report. W ith u recon-
mendation for Taylor's removal and crini-
nal prosecution, had been placed before
President Cleveland.
EVIDENCE OF THE EVIL.
"Since them" the report continues, "a
revolving criminal action for'libel has been
tried, and the public thereby given con-
vincing evidence OF the evil results follow
ing the application of the spofls system
to public places. The gross scandals that
have arisen III connection with Taylor's
appointment to the office of Recorder OF
Deeds are the legitimate offspring of the
principles invoked in placing him in that
position.
"A committee of the association, in an
interview with the President toward the
close Of the winter, urged immediate
consideration of the report and recon-
mendations of the Civil Service Commits
sion made to him last August. So far
as is known, however, he case has not
yet been disposed Of
lit is much to be regretted that in this
and other cases where charges of viola
tons of the Civil Service Law have been
made by the officials who administer the
law, that there has not followed an i'm
mediate consideration of them by the
Executive authority, and where sustained
that swift punishmenthas not been meted
out TO the offenders. The failure to do
this casts dlscredit on the law and the
principles it undertakes to give legal ef-
feet to.
RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED.
1.-THE persons charged with violations
of the law are entitled as a matter or
simple justice to have the charges against