The San Francisco call., 1895-12-13
wealth and material power every other

Weditu anu uateIial power every Otuel
| nation on the globe.
1--WE cannot close our eyes to the fact
| that in some important respects we are ap-
| preaching the social conditions of the
Old World and that in the near future the
greater part of our population will be gath
cred in the large towns.
LAS functions of government grow in
extent, importance and complexity the
necessity grows of their being admins
tered not only with honesty but also with
trained ability and knowledge. While
every sane man accepts this proposition
as selfevident in theory, it may be said
| that every opponent of civil service reform
desires it in practice. The danger is not
in sudden, grand and startling collapse,
but the gradual decay of those elements
essential to vitality"
He extolled democratic government as
defined by Lincoln: "Of the people, by the
people and for the people," but as the
offices are used to serve ends other than
the public benefit, or are entrusted to per-
sons not apt to give to the people the best
attainable service, in that measure demo-
cratic government fails. He said he had
no particular objection to the doctrine
that democratic government is govern
| ment through political parties.
But" he added, whenever they seek
| to divert the public offices instituted solely
| for the service and benefit of people from
their true purpose in order to use them for
their own service and benefit, to this ex-
tent turning the Government through po-
litical parties into government for politi-
cal parties, they strike at one OF the vital
principles of democratic government"
Mr.. Schurz alluded to the fact that we'll
known men and women have lately fallen
in love with the splendor of monarchial
courts, but he was convinced that the
chief danger did not spring from this
source so much as the possibility of the
| ultimate appearance of strong man, the
chief of an organization looking for plum
der. He declared that there had actually
been such a monarchy on a small scale
among US. and detailed the career of
"Tweed, who was not called a king, but
its equivalent, boss" From this
he argued that there were other
"bosses," State "bosses," who protected
and fostered one another, and he COM
pared them with the Electors of Germany
and the rulers of Europe generally, who
stood side by side with one another. This
was all due to the existence of the spoils
system, which allows that which belongs
to the public, especially the public Of
fees, to be diverted from public to private
use. Without that system bossism would
not be possible.
Civil service reform twenty years ago.
struggling apparently IN vain, has mar
velously risen in popular interest because
the popular intellect, disguised with ex-
isting abuses ana apprehensive of worse
things to come, saw in civil service reform
the only effective method to destroy the
spoils system. 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 experience SO triumphant
| ly that the vociferous objections and re-
yilings of it in which the spoiis politicians
| used to delight have sunk to a mournful
mutter.
The problem remains how to secure
| what we have won by further conquest,
for the result will not be entirely safe un-
til the spolls system is totally abolished.
He appealed for legislative reform in this
matter. Executives were generally safe,
but the opponents of civil service invaria-
bly, went to Congresses and Legislatures to
thwart the will of the people.
The speaker detailed at great length the
perplexities, embarrassments and debase-
| ments of the newly elected Congressman
which the spoils system imposes upon
him, and as a legislator himself told how
he had been almost forced to recommend
for Office men he knew to be unfit and
others of whom he knew nothing whatever.
1.-The use of patronage by members of
Congress-" he continued, sis essentially
corrupt and corrupting. 1t is not the
gross form of corruption which consists in
passing bribe money from hand to hand,
but il is that more dangerous and demoral-
izing because more insinuating corruption
| which wraps itself in the garb of party
zeal, of gratitude, of generous sympathy,
and in this disguise is received and coun-
tenanced among respectable people,"
Mr.. Schurz complimented the President
and heads of departments for their recent
recommendations for the extension of the
civil service reform rules to all the depart
ments of the Government.
| Schurz closed by hoping for the repeal
OF the four-year term of Office and compli-
mente the State of New York in particu-
| lar upon the reform system as having
made the most progress.
| "With such successes as these" he said.
| 1--WE may indeed hope to see the day when
our party warfare will be contests of
opinion free from the demoralizing and
repulsive interference of the plunder
| chase; when change of party in the
National administration will no longer
present the barbarous spectacle of spoils
debauch, torturing the nostrils of our own
| people and.disgracing the Republic in the
eyes of civilized mankind"
RECTOR ALL LWARDT TALKED