New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-18
THE PRESS AND REFORM.


..rbe press and Reform" was the subject OF the
rernarss Of Curtis Guild jr who said in part;
We come TO YOU from one OF the eight great cities
that has squarely taken backward step IN the
Hf@ a.n but unashamed There are some defeats
that are more honorable PIE man ina nTncipe Of civil
Service Reform than to win on the platform OF
spells , =, s,roie voar however. has
taught the citizens OF Boston method OF govern
,nents of the city have been reorganzed, and In
stead of an irresponsible commission. there Is III
In Selecting these chiefs of departments Mr. Curtis
naced AT the head of the Fire Department an officer
Of the civil War. DISTINGUISHED not only 19r ms ms
~ the head of the Street Department competent
snEneerb The a bsSd of the Water Department
cessful business man he SET al the neu % th ctv
and associated with him unpaid visiting board OF
inspectors composed Of een Of nr the m%s'
these depar,ment,s and bse all in
public market and at the lowest price ana 'ie oov,
Service law has been for the last year not resu-
In the campagn that has just closed Mayor Cur
lis was supported, not by his party alone nor by
his party organs nrotec wTs tariff in he city he
Boston Herald and The Evening Transcript" 1t
Sad Seween business and politics and politics won
The future. however. is not dark. for ny deleat
uatorv speech Of a fanatical clergyman upon the
eve of election drove from our support thousands OF
decent attack upon their religion. Though fuller
vote was poled than ever before. thousands OF GU
zens whose EDUCATION ought to force them 10 poHtl-
cal action stayed away from the polls
In tho Boston Back Bay distrlCt, whlch CORE
snonds to the New-York Murray Hill district the
assessors list shows that 1924 may vote II they
please. or these 1924 1852 did not vote ana S'VS-
never even took the trouble to register.
The citizen who does not perform that DUTY pc
travs his country just truly as the soldier VINO
deserts his colors on the field OF battle Inc IRE
in American politics due not so much to the
pervera OF the ignorant as TO the sloth among
the educated.
When this passing cloud Of religious prescription
is blown away from the free American heaven
when the citizen who shrks his duty Is stunned ny
decent men OF both sides as the copperhead was
stunned: when the people have learned-and they
are fast earning-to think and to act Tor them
selves and to vote from reason rather than preJu,
dice the voice of the American people VIII indeed
be the voice of God To think otherwise Is TO de-
spair OF all government by the people
THE PERILS OF REFORM.
General 6 l.. Wood spoke to the sentiment OF the
"Perils of Reform in place OF ex-Mayor Abram ;.
Hewitt. who taken with a mild indispositon
I'm the course of the dinner General WOodford made
a brief but vigorous speech He recognized that a
law should be enforced. but he maintained that a
law could never be continuously and permanently
effective that was sustained by the sense Of the
community in which the law was 10 be enforced.
He implied that the present stringent excise laws
we're not in accord with the judgment OF the com,
munty. and prophesied that subsequent municpal
admins tons would not uphold the acton or the
present commissioners on the excise question
The remaining speakers General Horace
Porter Commissioner Roosevelt and Recorder Johh
w Golf