The morning times., 1895-12-13

of minor officers OF the League and the
League committees. The election or the
president and vice president WIS reserved
for the open meeting OF the League today.
Two new associations were received into
membership yesterday. They were the
new associations at st. Paul, Minn., and
Princeton College, N. j.
ENTERTAINED AT LUNCHEON.
The delegates were entertained at lunch
con by Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Mackay-Smith
during the afternoon. and at 2:30 O'Clock
the first open meeting of the League was
called to order I'm the pariors of the Cosmos
Club by President Carl SehlTz.
Last night President SchurZ addressed
a largely attended meeting at Metzerott
Music Hail. He was introduced by John
Joy Edison, who, in his remarks. revic wed
the local branch of the organization and
its work and paid a high tribute to Mr
Schurz.
Mr. Schurz spoke In part as follows
HON. Carl. SCHURZ'S ADDRESS.
1T is with a feeling of peculiar salts
faction that 1 greet the fifteenth annual
meeting of the National Civil Service Re
form League at the seat of the national GOV
ernHent, tie place where the necessity of
the reform We advocate has been most con-
spicuoaSly DEMONSTRATED, and where also
its most conspicuous and fruitful successes
have been achieved"
He traced the history of the country.
which, in century, from thin string OF
agricultural settlements on the Atlantic
coast, had expanded into vast cinpirc.
spanning continent, and exceiiing in
wealth and material power every other na-
ton on the globe.
I'VE ca mot close our eyes to the fact that
in some important respects We are APP
preaching the social conditions OF the Old
world, and that III the mar future the
greater part of our population will DE
gathered IN the lQIEt. towns.
''As the functions of government grow in
extent, Importance, and coinplcxity. the
not only with honesty, but also with
trained ability and knowledge. Whiiecvcry
sane man accepts this proposition as self
evident In theory, il may bc said that
every opponent of civil service reiorni de-
nes Ii in practice.
DANGER OF GRADUAL DECAY.
The danger Is not sudden. grand and
startling collapse, hut the gradual decay of
those elements essential to vitality"
He eXtolled democratic government as
people. and for the people" but as tie of
fees are used to serve ends other than the
public benefit or are iniristed TO perseis
not apt TO give to the people the best
attalnahle Seryice-in tnat measure demo
cratic government fails.
He sad ne han no particular objection
to The doctrine that democratic government
is a government through political parties.
But he added. whenever they seek To
divert ,hc puhii~ offices Instituted solely
for tho service and benefit of the people
from their true purpose in orIer la use
them for their own service aud benefit.
to this extent turning the government
througb political parties into govern
mcnt for political parties. they, strike at
one of the vital principles or democratic
cuycrnncn Mt"
Mr. Sc,urz alluded 10 The fact that we'll
known men and women have lately fallen
in love with the spiendor of morarchic.ii
courts; hat he was convinced thai one
--tief danger did not spring from This
source 50 much as the possibility uf he
ultimate appearance OF a strong ulan. the
Chief eli an organization. looking for
plumber.
REIGN OF BOSS TWEED.
He declared tha, there had actually been
such q monarchy on a small scale among
us. and detailed the career of Tweed.
who was not called 4 King. but its cquivl-
lent, boss" From This he argucd that
there were other ''boSses.' state "boSSeS,'
who protected ana fOSterpd one another.
and hc compared them with the electors
of Germany and the rulers OF Europe gcu-
orally. who stood side by side with one
another. This was all dne to the exist
rn"e of the spoils system. which allows
that which belongs to the public. espe-
Cially the public offices. TO be diverted
from public 10 private use. Without that
system political bos>iSm woald not lie
possible.
Civil service reform, twenty years ago
struggling apparently in vain, has mar
velousiy risen In popular interest, because
the popular Intellect, disgusted with exist
ing abuses and dapprehcnsiveo of W orse things
to come, saw in civil service reform the
only effective method to destroy tie spoifs
system. And every Gay the popular de-
nand grows more general ard more ener-
getic for its extension over wider fields.
The merit system has stood the test of
practical experience so triumphanily that
the voCifcroUs objections ana rcvilings or
il in which the spoils polite ians used to
delight, have sunk TO q mournful mutter.
APPEAL FOR LEGISLATIVE REFORM.
The problem remains how to secure
what we have won, 10y further conquest;
for the results viii not be entirely safe until
the spells system is totally abolished"
HE appcaied for legislative retcim IN this
matter. Executives were generally safe,
but Ike opponents of civil service Invar-
iabiy went to Congresses and Legislatures
to thyvart the will of the people.
The speak detailed al great length the
perplcXIties, eniba IRA SsmeDts and dchase-
ments Of the newly elected Congressman,
which ti,e spoilS system imposes upon him;
and as a legislator hims elf told low he had
been almost forced 10 recommend for office
men he knew to be unfit, and Others Of
whom he knew nothing whatever.
And more than that. Many time when.
as Secretary OF the Interior, 1 had TO re
move public servants for perenptory cause
which absolutely left me nv choice. / re-
ceived the visits of members uf Congress
WHO nH0 recommended tne appointment OF
the men in question, and who, now, although
they had to admit the reasons compelling
the dismissal, yet aSsailed me With remon-
strances, threats, supplications, and even
tears, TO move me 10 n violation .of my
obvious duty And l do not remember an
instance of such an appeal when un the
part of the suppliCant, the matter uf the
public interest was in The least drawn
into consideration. But l do remember
more Than me case, In which the member
of Congress demanding the revocation OF
such Il removal, went as far as tu threaten
that, unless 1 complied, the appropriation
for my department would have a hard time
in passing the House.
DUPLICITY OF CONGRESSMEN
1T was in a magazine article written by
Gen. Jacob ID. Cox, ex- Secretary of the In-
terror. that 1 first found a description of
Senators and meIBbcrs of ihe House of
Representatives personally introducing to
a Cabinet minister constituents OF theirs
as candidates for certain places. eXioiling
the merits of those constituents in the
warmeSt language, and with apparently
earnest eioqUence urging their appoint
ment. while the Cabinet minister had in
his desk notes from the same statesman
cautioring him not to pay any attention to
their recommendations.
But Ihave not to depend on other mems
testimony. for a few years later / myself,
sitting behind my desk as Secretary OF the
Interior. looked into the eyes OF Senators
and Representatives who pia yed before me
the Same ignoblc trick, and into the eyes
of their confldng victims-and 1 did not
know whom to pits most, the deceiver or
the deceived. If there is anything l have
TO he sorry for it is that contented myself
hy disregirtling their recommendations al
together, instead of uncoyering the daStardly
fraud on the spot.
There can be no serious doubt there.
rbre Renee aI in 70 our e pol,ical life a cam %
question them. Nor do j state these facts
now for the first time. discussed them