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

men who turn out to be, as was long sus-
pected, common thieves, and when the first
flood of public indignation has ebbed after
engulfing the rogues, the same metropolis
in little while is again in the possession
Of another set of equally ignorant and cor
rLpt individuals, who, more daring than
their predecessors, extend their evil infiu-
ence and control until a state is in their
hands, and they reach up and out for
larger spoil. How comes this aDount? The
answer is at hand By systematic de-
bauchng of the political conscience of the
cupidity or necessities. BY the bride of
office. How many leaders of movements
for the public good have been tempted and
fallen and their cause betrayed, by the
snare of public place, set in their pathway
by those who held the key to what has
been aptly called a vast bribery chest.
And bribery such as this is not checked by
Al Stralian ballot laws or proportional rep
resentation.
10 destroy the bribery chest the one
rope of the political striker and boss; to
restore the freedom of speech and political
action of the voters: to make our public
servants truly the servants of the public:
to clear the way for those industrial and
onomic reforms made necessary by the
greatly changed industrial and economic
condition of the country; in fine, to make
our government, in its best and trueSt
Lse, II government of the people, is the
imI ortant function of civil service re-
form"
Dana ON the Postal Service.
Mr.. r. H. Dana, in his address, said that
in the American spoils system we spoil not
q distant eremy, but ourselves. Nowhere
is this better Illustrated than in the postal
service. We have the worst postal service
in the civilized world, as result Of letting
our representatives strengthen their politi-
cal fences by asking frequent changes and
unfit appointments that would ruin any
business exposed to open competition. To-
ko. Japan, has more frequent deliveries
than New York, and England. France, Ger
years ahead of us in improvements, espe-
cially in their branch offices. So much
have the Postmaster Generals and their as
sistants been occupied with the distribu-
ton of patronage that they have not had
time to attend to the organization of the
department. Model postmasters come for
consultation on business of the service,
have to wait in the ante-room while APP
pointments in unimportant localities are
considered AS a result, the organization
is on the same basis as it was under
Franklin with only seventy-five post offices
in the country. When ordinary business
grows it is subdivided, but the Post Office
Department has no officers between the
general-in-chief, with his small staff, and
the captains of companies All questions
relating to the wants of the various post
masters are practically to be passed on by
the two clerks at Washington, who are too
far off to be able to judge of the circum-
stances.
That the people of the United States do
OF rise and demand a better service is be-
cause they have not seen any better. 1t is
only a small portion of the small minority
that have intelligently compared our postal
service and that of other civilized coun-
tries.
Mr.. Dana cited the railway mail service
as showing the excellent results Of civil
service reform. But he continued, the sub
jects that corcern Cs most are the cor
TIA, % thn 1r ",
cur politics and the danger to our liberties.
If each of the 10000 postmasters can mus
ter only five friends together they make
10000 or one in twenty-one voters, or a
clean majority of all persons taking an ac-
tive part in our nominating machinery.
AS to corruption, we have seen the bar
gaining of misunderstanding at conventions
in trade for votes of delegates. to say moth
ing of selling them by Congressman or de-
feated candidates for Congress of the dom
inant party for ready money.
We give special welcome therefore to the
messenger bringing US the news that the
postmasterships or any number of them
have permanently been forfeited, against
the raid Of the Kurdishl.ke spokesman, and
the recent order of the President has a
peculiar and almost absorbing interest. 1t
cheers the heart and brings hope to the
breast
He referred to the plan now proposed by
the President and Postmaster General of
consolidating as far as possible neighbor-
Ing OllCeS with larger OHe, anu Sdlu
when all this is done and when some
more extensions now contemplated, I am
informed will include some 1900 more
places have been made we may know that
not only is the back of the spoils monster
broken, but that the work Of eXtermina-
ton is practically completed, and We may
prepare to attend the funeral obsequies,
keeping however, our weather eye open
all the while, and our hands at the sword
hilt lest some hydra head spring to life
again."
The Local Committees.
The local committees which had charge
of the arrangements for the meeting and
the entertainment Of the delegates, are as
follows:
Reception committee-Mr. John Joy Ed
son, chairman; Rev. DR.. Alex. Mackay-
Smith, Mr.. Jno. w. Douglass. Mr.. Charles
Lyman, Mr.. F. L. Siddons, Rev. J. Havens
Richards, S. j., Mr.. Gardiner G. Hubbard
"a : y Woodward, Mir Charles 6. Conn
Mr. John B. Wight, Mr.. Henry B. F. Mac
farland, Rev. Teunis S. Hamlin, Bishop
John ]. Keane Mr.. Crosby s. Noyes, Gen
Ellis Spear, Mr.. Beriah Wilkins, Mr.. Henry
F. Blount, Mr. Matthew G. Emery, Mr.
Charles c. Glover. Rev. S. NJ. Newman and
Mr.. M. M. Parker.
Press committee-Mr. Henry B. F. Mac.
farland, chairman; Mr. Francis E. Leupp
Mr.. P. v. De Graw and Mr.. Charles A
Entertainment committee Mr. Charles