St. Paul daily globe., 1895-02-11
THE CIVIL SERVICE LEAGUE.

very good follower at that.
THE CIVIL SERVICE LEAGUE.
Among the significant indications
of the times was the formation OF
the Civil Service Reform League OF
ST. Paul, on Saturday, at meeting
in the Commercial club rooms. The
purpose of the league is to uphold
the movement for civil service re
form and to aid in the application to
the minor and clerical offices OF the
state and cities of this growing re-
form. The growth of this move
ment is one of the most singular
events in our political history. For
nearly fifty years the spoils system
of patronage has been rampant. Ii
the motto ITO the victor belong the
spoils" has not been displayed upon
the banners of the parties it has been
carried out in their practice. The
lure of office is held out as an in
ducement to party activity So
welded had men become to the con-
nection of offices with party cam
paigns that they really believed that
party organization could not be
maintained if there were no offices
with which to reward the workers
after the fight or to allure them to
renewed efforts after defeats.
The complete refdtation of this
assumption in practice goes unheeded
by them. The fact that party or
CARNATIONS are maintained in states
where party success is almost hope
less, and that in every campaign
candidates go unfiinchingly through
hopeless fight; the other vital fact
that Republican and Democratic ma
tional administrations have been
turned out with every office in their
possession, and regained it empty
handed, ought to be a conclusive
demOnstra ton of the futility of
spoils as factor in party organiZa-
tionS and work. But against the
united hostility of politicians trained
in the JackSonian school, in spite Of
the sneers and ridicule of politicians
and their sympathizers on the press,
this reform has gone steadily on,
until it is firmly seated in the ma
tional administration both in the law
and in it's spirit, and is now work
ing it's way among the states, driv-
ing the vicious and demoralizing
spoil system before it.
At each session of congress a wall
ing minority moves to strike out
from the appropriation bill the
money for the support of the civil
| service commission, and at the last
session Of congress, in the committee
of the whole, where no record is
made, this annual motion had a ma
jority. But when, on the succeeding
day, the matter came up where
members had to make a record, the
| majority dwindled away to an in
significant minority. This is the
strongest possible evidence that back
of the movement is a strong popular
approval which the politicians dare
not offend, much as they dislike it's
object
The advances made under the two
administrations of Mr.. Cleveland
have been marked. The railway mail
service is entirely eliminated from
the spoils and placed upon the merit
system. Officers commissioned for
term have been permitted to hold
their term instead of being, as for
merly, ouSted upon the incoming of
| a new administration. More marked
| yet is the action of Postmaster Bis
| sell, who, without the command of
law, applies the four-year term to
fourth-class poStmasters, who hold
at the pleasure of the postmaster
general, and who have been the prey
of the spoilsmen under all former
administrations
A movement that is thus virile.
that moves forward against such
great obstacles, must have some
thing of great merit in it to sustain
1t. 1t has its positive and negative
| strength. The former is in the gem
efal recognition of the common sense
OF the proposition that the public
business, like a private business. is
| pest served by the most efficient.
ana that the service which is both
| capable and efficient should be re-
tanned. Its negative strength lies
IN the repugnance developed by the
application Of the spoil system, with
It's heartlessness, it's rapacity. its cul-
tlVat1on of all that is selfish and in
human in our nature.
ThuS buttreSsed the reform has
| come to stay, and we cordially wish
| the Civil Service Reform League of
81 PauI success in it's effort to es
tabllsh it as one of the features of
state and city administration. But
the gentlemen expect the legis-
latufe to receive them and their pro-
posalS with open arms, they will find
themselves very much disappointed.
Ihey Will encounter active hostility
on the part Of some, and indiffar-
eiice On the part of many. Although
| lhe legislature is overwhelmingly
republican, and although that party
pllues Itself upon having initiated
thls reform, and though its nlat-
form pledges it to it's extension va
VIII be very pleasantly disappointed
II Tue league succeeds in establishing
any Ioothold whatever at this ses-
sion But the effort will triumph at
last' and this reform will take it's
place among the beneficial institu-
tions Of this state.
IL makes food that will keep sweet
moist and fresh longer or that may be
eaten hot with impunity.-Price's Bak-
ING -NN-N