New-York tribune., 1896-12-10
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
HERBERT WEIGH, OF PHILADELPHIA
ADDRESSES THE WOMEN'S
AUXILIARY.
NEw-YoRK STATE. HE DECLARES. HAS BEFORE
IT THE F1ERCEsT WAR THAT HAS EVER
prr,N w.cED IN ITS INTEREST.

IT THE FTERCEST WAR THAT HAS EVER
BEEN wAGED IN ITS INTEREST.
fIerber: Weich. of Philadelphia secretary OF
re Indian Rights Association, addressed the
Women's Auxiliary of tho Civil Service REFORM
Association and the League for Political Educa-
lion Yesterday afternoon In the Berkeley Lyceum
on civil Service Reform az Affecting National ana
Individual Honor"
Every citizen he said. was individually re-
sponsible for any evils that might exist In the
Government, and reforms could only oe
brought about by the pressure OF public opinion
every one who was interested IN Civil service re-
form could further 1t by laboring to increase such
pressure with regard 10 IT.
Tho battle for Civil Service reform Is only De-
ginning" he maintained. land right here IN your
own state YOU have before you the fercest war
that has ever been waged in Its interest. You neeu
not fear any open assault on the law. but eHorts
NAV bc made TO regulate its details IN way 'nat
will practically nullify it. II the Commission were
IN be brought within the range OF the appointing
power. the old system would soon come INTO play
again ,.a
1.-The only way to prevent this evil" he continued
els to arouse the people to sense or the imPor-
tance Of Civil Service reform. and this can oe done'
not by explaining to them Its technical oe'a's'
ybich do not interest them and OF which they
NAV not see the -utfnty. but by showing them the
ethical principle that Is Its foundation
Get us consider what were the causes which
wrought such evils In our public affairs and made
WON NJ whatever party stood aghast at tho spec
,.cle Was II not the failure TO use the very small
est appointive Office on right principles
.If this reems trivial look at one or the resu's o
.,a sno,ls system Under 1t II was CONSIDERED per-
t.c,v proper 10 appoint the relatives ana iriehoS
~ notical leaders positions OF trust IN the pun
Va, oha hle institutions and In this way un'o!d
s1arnp for which we. who permitted SUCH sys-
,or, aro responsible was inflicted on thousands oi
..,n,ass individuals The same thing happened
-, tho Indians and II was only after sue
aas,on % incompetent agents had precipitated a
cos.Iv war that the public woke up 10 the serious
r..s ~ the situation and demanded reform
"Ir our consular service the spoils system IS re-
,nons,ble for many and great evils and' 10 'ahe d
.,, oxaun,e believe that II our representative
in the Turkish capital had been appoi,'eu u-'
c,,.u cervice reform our missionaries IN turkey
would be in q mucn safer position 'H''" '''e' "''
to-day. ., -, ~, Ua,ch
l.. .,u.,or "denends upon the recognition OF the
nrincnle underlying Civil Service feIoIht feItt . M
nnils svstem makes the boss. ana the ,iI eli
the boss being wi'hEuS ,abs, bIdder Now in this
country there are great agei n1,hnu, moral
controlled by bodies tina are no, 49, ,hev should NOT
sns esyantage % Of such opportunities to secure
their own intercsts-a combination OF & clrcu'"S'"'e'
in which Americas greatest danger lies. , torce1
Mr. Wech also said that the sI,oils system Unes
bones, men out Of politics. and that III soino rad
it was quite Impossible for any 70 en- ef'er a., % vested
precincts of the machine VINO '"" ""' ~
themselves of their conscience, n..s Mrs C. A.
Runke OF the vice-preslsurn'' s ',r,rod,cing the
speaker she expressed her pleasure d, ,ba, -. one
large audience and recalled the iact ,!ar ,r,Ie % bad
time even The brilliant George William % .ar
nos 49,, .tia n draw a larger audience Una" ''"
when speaking on this SUBJECT