Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-13

| archy surrounded by the pomp of court
OF nobles, with ancient names, escutcheons
and gold lace, and ribbons. and stars, and
croSses-rather very vulgar sort of mon
archy, whose vassals and high dignitaries
were a mayor and police commissioners
and heads of municipal departments, and
district leaders and ward politicians, with
! names and antecedents and manners and
social standing anything but aristocratic-
but monarchy for all that, with most of
the essential attributes. To be sure, the
title of this monarch was not that of king,
but that of boss'-but hess clad with re-
gal power. which he exercised with arbi-
trary authority, until, like some French
kings. he had to yield to popular upheav-
al amounting to a revolution. Such things
happened. as every one acquainted with the
History of Tammany Hall knows, in this
very republic; and If we speculate upon the
manner in which monarchy, not in name,
but IN fact, may rise up among us, here is
the living example.
"Tae development of political bossism in
TO something like actual monarchy is to be
sure, an extreme case But all political
bossism has a tendency in that direction
When In political party the selfish ele
ment obtains controlling influence IT. will,
for mutual benefit naturally seek to organ
lie itself irto what we call a machine; and
machine rule will usually, for the more
certain attainment of its selfish ends
through united and well-regulated action,
drift into more or less irresponsible one
man rule-the one man to rule the machine
for It's and his benefit. to rule through the
machine the party organization, and to
rule through the party organization, as the
case may be. the municipality or the state.
How far the aspirations of bossism, thus
established, are already reaching found re-
Gently curious illustration in the newspa-
per report that some of the state bosses.
not content with their local autocracy, got
together in conference to agree upon GER
tain persons to be put forward as candi-
dates for the presidency of the United
States-just as in the old times of the Ger
he prfr -bn in, no
nigh dignity and power of capital electors
met together to agree upon selection for
the imperial crown.
The spoils system renders these develop
ments of bossism possible. With that sys-
tenn Kept alive in our politics, bossism will
not only continue to exist in spite of occa-
sonal reverses. but it will propagate itself
IL ON state to state, and bring forth results
which, If predict ted now, would severely tax
popular credulity. Fortunately, with an
intelligent and vigorous people like ours, the
growth and recognition of such evil
usually brings with them the recognition of
the remedy
Interest in Civil Service Reform.
ut is a remarkable fact that civil service
reform, which twenty years ago struggled,
apparently in vain, to win this favorable
attention OF the great mass of citizens, has
OF late years marvclously risen In popular
interest. and every day the popular demand
grows more general and more energetic for
Its extension over wider fields. The merit
system has stood the test of practical ex-
perience so triumphantly that the vociferous
objections and revilings of it in which the
spo1lS politicians used to delight have sunk
to moarnful mutter
Ihus, civil service reform has no longer
to struggle for its right Of existence. So
much Is triumphantly established The
problem remains how to secure what we
have won, by further conquest, for the re-
suits the reform movement have achieved
will nos be entirely safe until its success is
complete-until the spoils system is totally
abolished.
Two Classes Of Congressmen.
There are, in fact. only two classes of
members of Congress who have only a real
interest in preserving the patronage. One
of them consists of those who are so weak
in intellectual ability and requirements
that they must despair of maintaining
themselves in public life, unless by bribing
men with places and salaries. And the
offer class consists of ADLER men, who, by
attracting to themselves through the distri-
button OF spoils the selfish and INSCRIPTIONS
elements in politics, seek to organize for
their own use and purposes power strong
enough to maintain itself by sinister means
in defiance of public opinion. But these
two classes of members of Congress form,
together only a small minority
Mr.. Schurz closed by saying that the evil
de noes of advancement of the cause were
such that while in years gone by we found
an incentive to strenuous effort in the great
hess of the obstacles to be overcome, we
n ay now work on. inspired by the hope of
&C mplete achievement.