Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-12
OFFICERS ARE REELECTED
Carl sohurz is Again President of Civil
Service Reform League
PAPERS ON THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED
Batch of ConEratuIatory Resolutions
Is Adopted by the Delegates ut
Philadelphia and Further
Legislation is Urged.

presidents, Charles Francis Adams Bos-
ton; Augustus h. McDonough, New York;
J. Hall Peasants, Baltimore; Henry Hitch
cock, st. Louis; Franklin MCNeagh. Chi
cago; William Potts and Rev. Henry c.
Potter New York. Archbishop j. Z, Ryan
of Philadelphia was also elected vice presi-
dent to Gl the vacancy caused by the death
of Rt Rev. stephen N. Ryan.
A committee from the National Associa-
tion of Letter Carriers appeared before the
general committee with a petition urging
the continuance of a postofice department
order, which provides that no carrier shall
be discharged from the service until he
shall have had an opportunity for defense;
also that for promotions TO the office of
superintendent of carriers carriers alone
shall be eligible; also that II 1t is intended
to establish an inspector force for the
supervision of the letter carriers that said
inspectors shall serve at least five years
in the classified service The petition was
| referred to the committee on resolutions
President Proctor of the civil service
commission addressed the delegates on the
! workings of the civil service law. At the
afternoon session a number of papers were
read.
Mrs. Charles Russell Lowell of New York
spoke on THE Relation OF Women to the
Reform Of the Civil Service" Mrs. Lowell
set out Win lUe statement lndJ us Now j Cih
had the unhappy distinction OF having oIlgi-
| mated the sDoils system, 1t was natural
that the tiTst association for its reform
should have been formed in that state. This
was in 1877. The wCman's auxiliary to this
| New York association was formed only a
year ago She declared that, however great
may be the cause for gratitude for the many
! victories won by the cause, the war Is not
yet over, and the spoilsmen, driven to bay,
are, in New York at least, preparing for a
dot. NirpI t1,, tsn Of tha
reform. Mrs. Lowell urged that the objec-
| tion to the separate existence of women's s
| auNiliarics was not well known because
| more interest could be aroused by having
more than one organization. She argued.
| however, that the women of other states
should reduce the membership fee from So
to 81 or 81, in order to secure a large mem
bership.
NEED FOR THE COMMISSION.
Dorman p. Eaton spoke on civil Service
Commission Essential to the Civil Service
| Reform Mr.. Eaton began his address with
| the statement that the enemies of civil serv-
| ice reform in the state of New York are pre-
! pairing for a combined assault upon that sys-
! TEN Al the next session of the legislature
| and that il 1t should prevail disaster would
| result to the reform policy of the state. The
| direct object of the assault Is to deprive the
| state commission of essential power over
| the examinations, he said. and IL possible
| TO supersede the commission altogether. Mr.
! deal with have been whereas for example
| IN Baltimore-the local officers and the local
| party managers out OF office, have been side
| by side in secret cooperation with each
| Other. Therefore, to hand over to either
/ of them the control of the examinations
would be the merest stupidity" The speaker
| concluded as follows: "If Mr.. Morton could
| be governor for two years more the struggle
OF the. spoilsmen for supremacy would be
made hopeless and the abiding triumph of
reform would be achieved Much good de-
pends upon whether Mr. Black the new
governor of New York, shall decide to lead
the higher or the lower forces of his party;
| whether he shall take patronage mongering
| Governor Hill for his model and court his
shameless and ignominious fate and that of
| his party, or shall rise to the level of Presl-
| dent Cleveland and President Harrison of
| Governor Morton and OF all the governors
| OF Massachusetts,, the latter of whom vetoed
! every bill which threatened reform in their
state"
Francis e. Leupp Of Washington spoke on
! Lo the Poor spokesman; HiS Days Num-
! oered in the Indian Service" Mr.. Leupp
| at the outset told the story of the emergence
| or the Indian service from "spoils barbar-
| ISM adding that the competitive test for
! appointment to all minor places is undouht-
edly so intrenched that no future admnistra-
| tiOn Will dare attempt to disOdge it, But {"
| he added. lin the Indian service as else
whore, the steady reduction of the spells
! mans privilege has the effect of concentrat-
! Ing his greed for what remains. For a rem
| edy fer this trouble we shall probably have
| to await two changes-a reform In the
| method Of choosing the higher officers and
the more general settlement of the western
! country"
-FOUR YEARS TENURE"
Lucius b. Swift Of Indianapolis spoke on
| -Four Years Tenure" Mr. Swift opened
with recital of the achievements of the
merit system in the federal service during
| the past thirty years under the leadership
OF this league. He said that one result alone
was tha transfer from the field Of politics to
the field of the wageearner of about 1OO-
0OD Of the best places in that service The
final establishment OF the merit system"
said he, had left much of the federal serv-
! Ice in n curious condition, most Of the under
employees Of high efficiency and long expert
once, while the heads have leag because they
were generally appointed within four years
and were almost universally without knowl-
edge of their duties This is because there
Is always place to reward real or alleged
service in carrying the election" He said
in conclusion: "Mr. Mckinley Is not free
In the matter He is so bound by his plat
form a. to leave hs sincerity to be aues-
toned. He must take up the work where
his predecessor left it and go forward to the
end. To urge that fouryear commissions or
four-year customs stand in the way would
be but childish excuses The first principle
to be laid down by President Mckinley 10
that there are no Offices to be divided as
spells. The second principle is the same
and the last Is like unto it."
civil Service Reform in the West" was
the subject taken by John Ella of Chicago
The speaker said civil service reform was
gradually remodeling primitive political
machinery and introducing business meth
ods In the government throughout the mid
die west. The action of the Illinois legis-
lature In passing the civil service bill a |
year ago last spring was by no means as
spasmodic as 1t seemed to the gentlemen OF |
the east. One of the most notable effects |
OF the civil service law was that the of |
fees In the city hall were no longer crowded |
with politicians after places for themselves |
or friends and so all the officers, from the |
mayor down. were allowed to devote them |
selves to the interests of the city; whereas, |
formerly a very considerable portion of |
their time was absorbed in parcelng out |
the plunder II know you will permit me |
TO say-without implying any dscourtesy
whatever-that the atmosphere of the west |
seems more congenial to the growth of civil |
service reform than that of the east. In !
the west the growth of the reform in all |
its aspects seems to be rapid and continuous,
end yet healthy, and 1t Is already cropping
out In practical legislation in many of the
states. In Chicago we shall get the entire
city service under the rules within five |
years after the passage OF the law-even II
we have TO change the political complexion
OF an administration sometimes on purpose
to do IT,"
ADOPT SOME RESOLUTIONS.