Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-12-10
TO CORRECT EVILS
Conference of Ezponents Of Civil Ser
vice Reform.
MEETING OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
Principal Cities in the United
States Represented.
ADDRESSES OF DELEGATES

PHILADELPHIA, December 1O.-The an
nual meeting of the National Civil Service
Reform League was begun at the Hotel
Walton today. The delegates represent the
principal cities In the United States and
many of them attained a national reputa-
tion by their advocacy of civil service re-
form.
The executive committee, which was to
have met at 1o:30 o'clock. did not get down
TO business until nearly noon. They chose
George McAneny and A S. Frissel both
of New York, secretary and treasurer, re-
spectively.
After the appointment of the usual COM
mittees recess was taken for lunch.
The delegates included the following II ON
Washington. ID. c.: Francis E. Leupp, John
r. Proctor. ]. J. Edison. II. B. Macfarla 1d.
Alexander Wolff. Charles E. Foster, F. L.
Siddons and A. G.. Wolff.
Robert r. Bowker, civil service commits
sioner of New York, spoke The Self
Organizing Power of the American People"
Commissioners Bowker's Address.
In illustrating the subject of his address,
Mr.. Bowker reviewed the great political
movements of the country in which self
organizing power was made manifest from
the revolution to the last national cam
palgn, dwelling especially upon the "splen-
did uprising which resulted in the Indian
apolis gold standard convention.
The history of the civil service reform
movement. he declared. is in itself proof
that an effective political organiza ton does
not depend on ofiice-holders. He recalled
the scratching campaign of 1879. when
delegation of independent republic ans
went to Chicago and with men from other
states formed an extemporaneous civil
service reform conference. at which the
speaker himself drafted the original of the
civil service reform plank which was
adopted by the Garfield convention. Little
progress was made at first, but since then
reform has triumphed, and while there will
again and again be endeavors to return
to the spoils system. the American people,
self-organiZed for this work through the
associations represented at this meeting
have made 1t sure that civil service has
come to stay.
Reform In Philadelphia.
Mr.. Richardson began by paying trib-
ute to the new city charter of Phiadel-
phia, known as the Bullitt bill, and the
beneficent results accruing therefrom. He
added, however, that the conduct of the
chief executive officers of the city has not
indicated an adequate appreciation CT the
fundamental principles of civil service re-
form. They support the SYSTEM" he
said, so far as ii shields them from po-
htical pressure and assists than in reject
ing the worst and appointing the best of
the active workers of their own party.
But they appear to have little sympathy
with such enforcement of the bill as
would exclude political Influences and pre-
vent partisan services from being gen.
orally regarded necessary qualifica tions
for those WHO desire to be appointed or re-
tained in public positions. Nevertheless
the intrinsic merits of some portions of the
machinery were such that 1t had been of
great uSe.
Mr.. Richardson dissected the bill In de-
tail. pointing out its virtues and defects.
and concluding with the statement that
the best system had not yet been secured,
although bills 20 that end had been time
and again presented to the legislature.
He closed with an appeal to the Pennsyl-
vaEians to do all they can to Stimulate
favorable public sentiment and to give all
possible assist ince in securing the desired
legislation.
Silas w. hurts Address.
Mr.. Burt began his address by saying that
the state Of New York has borne the odium
of nourishing If not of engendering the
spoils system in the early history of our
nation Since the enactment of the civil
service law in 1888, however there had
been a change for the better. They had
always insisted that the New York system
was the merit system, and that the consti-
tuition links merit and fitness as the
two sole and Indispensable qualifications
for the service of the state and of it's civil
divisions. The state, like its sisters in the
Union, provides for the free education of
all, and spends annually millions of dollars
to that end. The merit system is the
natural and logical sequence of the free
school system, and the latest statistics
showed that 50 per cent OF those competi-
lively examined had been educated in the
flee schools and in the academies.
In conclusion the speaker said:
The New York Law requires that all reg
ulations prescribed by the mayors of cities
shall be subject to the approval or veto of
the state commission. which also has full
power of investigation. While these DOW
ers should be extended so as to insure a.
uniform and close adherence to the man
date of the Constitution, 1t Is probable that
the general and immediate control will re-
main with the cities, Such are the present
conditions In New York, though how long
they will retain their pleasing aspect seems
douttfuL Great confidence is felt however
that public opinion will prevent any nm
pairment of the principle enunciated by the
Constitution"