New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-13
FOR CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL
LEAGUE HELD IN WASHINGTON.

MUCH PROGRESS ALREADY MADE; MORE EN-
pEcTED-How CABINET OFFICERS ARE
OVERWHELMED BY PLACE HUNTERS.
Washington Dec. l2.-The National CVh service
Reform Leagues fifteenth annual meeting pes"h
here this afternoon. when the delegates were wei
coined bv John Joy Edison. president OF the local
organization. The officers Of the league Will De
elected tomorrow. and the meeting Will close In
the evening with a reception at the Arlington TO
which all the principal officials OF the Government
and members OF Congress have been invited
carl schurz. the president OF the league to-day
In his annual address said 1T Is with ieeHhg OF
peculiar satisfaction that greet the hfteenth an
nuel meeting OF the National Civil Service REFORM
Ioao,,o =, the seat OF the National Government-,he
Mace where the necessity Of the reform We advo-
cate has been most conspcuously demonstrated
and where aso its most conspicuous ana ru'iui
successes have been achieved
lie traced the history OF the country, when In a
century from thin string OF agricultural settle
r,s on the Atlantic Coast had expanded into
,.,e, er,nIre snanning o continent and eXcei.ng IN
,..altb and material power every other nation on
the globe and continued: we cannot close our
eyes TO the fact that in some important respects we
are approaching the social condiuohs OF 'he o'o
World and that in the rear future the greater part
90 our nopulation will be gathered IN the large
towns As the functions Of government gro" In ex-
ton. inheritance and completely the necessity
orou,s Of their being administered not only Win
honesty. but also with trained ability ana kho"i'dge
y-hre evarv sane man accepts this proposition as
self-eviden' in theory. 1t may he sad 'hi' every
onronent of civil Service reform denies II III prac
,ioa rho danger Is not In a sudden, grand ana
startling collapse. but the gradual decay OF u'ose
elements essential TO vitality lie extohed nemo-
cr.tic government as defined by Lncon-"of the
neople by the people. and by the people -ou' as
the offices are used To serve ehus o'"e' INN ''o
ri,bc benefit inirusted TO PERSONS ho' 'ihe9
- ;,.. IN the people the best attanable service, In
that measure democratic government ials' lie sa"
ba had no particular objection TO the doctrine that
denocratic government Is government through po-
l,,ic, uarties But" he added whenever thcy
sock 10 divert the public offices INSTITUTE" soeN 'ui
the service and benefit Of the people, from 'hel'
trua purpose In order to use thehl ior t"c' Wv"
service and benefit to this extent turning the "o'
ernment through political parties into government
for political parties. they strike at one oil the VIAL
principles Of democratic government.
Mr. Schurz alluded to the fact that weII-hno"h
men and women have lately fallen IN love win the
snlendor of monarchical courts but he was con-
WINGED that one chief danger did not spring from
this source so much the possibility OF the III
innate appearance Of strong man, the chiel OF
an organization looking for plumber He declared
hat there had actually been such a monarchy on
small scale among u.s. and detailed the career OF
Tweed who was not called king. but its equivalent
a boss From this he argued that there were other
bosses" State bosses" who protected and fos-
tered one another and he compared them with the
Electors of Germany and the rulers OF Europe gen
orally who stood side by side with one another This
was all due to the existence of the spells system
which allows that which belongs to the public; espe-
c.ay the public offices. to be diverted from pubic 10
private use. Without that system political bossism
would not be possible.
civil Service Reform. twenty years ago struggling
apparently in vain. has marvellously risen In popu-
lar interest because the popular Intellect Disguised
with existing abuses and apprenticeship OF worse
things TO come. saw in civil Service Reform the
only effective method to destroy the spois 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 triumphanty that the
VociierOus objections ana revilings OF II in which
the spells politicians used to delight have sunk to
a mournfui mutter. The problem remains how to
secure Wndt We nave won by further conquest, Tor
the results Will not be entirely safe until The spoiis
system Is totally abolished.
He appealed TOR legislative reform in this matter
Executives were generally safe, but the opponents
of Civil Service went to Congresses and Legisa-
lures TO thwart the Will OF the people The speaker
detailed at great length the perplexities embar-
EASEMENTS and debasements OF the newly elected
congressman which the spoiis system imposes upon
him; and as a legislator himself told how he had
been almost forced to recommend for office men he
knew 10 be un1t, and others OF whom he knew moth
Ing whatever
The use of patronage by members of Congress"
he declared rs essentially corrupt and corrupt-
ing 1t is not that gross form of corruption which
consists in passing bride money from hand TO hand
But 1t Is that more dangerous and demoralizng be-
cause more insinuating corruption which wraps IT.
self in the garb Of party zeal of gratitude OF gen
erouS sympathy and in this disguise s received
and countenanced among respectable people
MI Schurz complmented the President and heads
for the extension of the Civil Service Reform rules 70
al the departments OF the Government This will
simplify the system of accounting which
now has to deal with over 10000 individual, post
masters The postofices scattered by thousands al.
70 keep alive the spoils ideas among our people
Sf nan o nnysng else they have been prizes
More than anything else they have served to de-
Jorai~e me popular mind with the notion that
change in all the offices" f'' ''9""
fouryear term of Office, and COMMUNICATING 81 the the
State OF New-York In particular, where the reform
as he said %s ay nSaed s saea
to see the day when our party warfare Will be
lepulsve interference Of the plumber chase; when
4 change Of party in the Ma tional administration
spoils debaueh. torturing he nostrs of our own
civilized mankind"
In the course Of an interesting paper on THE
Appointment and Tenure of Postmasters" by Rich
ard Henry Dana. Of Cambridge, Mass in which he
severely criticises the United States postal system
enera Of olcs in nitraton
IF his position. Mr.. Wanamaker wrote to some OF
the model POSTMASTER to consult with him on the
business of the service. on OF the pressure
9f Congressman he was unable to fix date before
Iune after his installation in March. but even then
hese model postmasters got further than his
inte-room. where they yainy waited many val,Ia-
Die hours While applicants under the wings of mem
after about week of waiting got into the
inner room and found the Postmaster-Ceneral en- |
gagged in a discussion with negro postmaster OF a |
small town in the South the question whether
the appointment should not be revoked not on the |
ground of unhtness but because of a rumor that |
mis- negro had once attended Demo cratic eau |
'uH Alter some quarter OF hour consumed over |
mis- question. the Postmaster-Genera had a mo- |
ment or two to shake hands and explain that the |
business consultation must be postponed TIL the |
next August as he was overwhelmed with the pres
sure for places This story. which * a true one
ne said. Il tell not a. Illustrating the work of any
)ne but OF the heretofore usual duties of this
'abinet position In general AZ "A result the organ |
cation OF the Department is the same basil that |
was under Franklin when there were seyentv-fva |
)Ostotfices in the coIntry'
iRHf IND NAVY ORDERS