Evening star., 1896-10-06
Facts Worth Considering.

We have reached that stage of the cam
paign where what may nationally be
termed the minor issues are receiving
considerable attention. The financial
phases of the situation have been, are
being. and will be discussed until the polls
close, but they will not monopolize interest
as they have done. Especially is concern
being manifested over the really important
issue of the character of the civil service.
From the time when the Chicago platform
was adopted The Star has insisted that
Bryan and his followers are spoilsmen. and
this position has been completely sustained
whenever the presidential candidate has
permitted himself to give expression to
his views on the merit system. The
Star has endeavored to give approxi-
mate idea of the conditions which would
prevail in this community and in adjacent
Maryland and Virginia should the Bryan
program become operative. Now comes
the Washington correspondent of the Bal
timOre Sun with a careful and conservative
declaration, reprinted elsewhere in The
Star. that ought to and must arouse all
there is of the spirit of good citizenship in
every man who reads it, The absurdity
of the Bryan statement that the civil
service law has created an office-holGing
class which is menace and unfair to the
InllllONS VINO 90 not EOlu ONCE must De
apparent to any one VINO will give the sub
ject five minutes of cool thought. The
government service is no longer what it
was. Under the spoils regime unfit men
and women were given places in the de-
partments for reasons that cannot be de-
Tended. and it was mainly those whose
political influence was strong who sue
cecded in retaining possession of their
desks In some instances there We're reten-
tions because of especial skill but such cases
were rare; there was an ever-present sense
of insecurity which affected the working
forces of every employe from the top TO the
bottom of the payroll Today the merit
system, though by no means without blem-
Ishes which need correction is here to speak
for itself. Appointments are made from
those who excel in the competitive examina-
tionS and promotions are as rule the re-
ward of excellence and industry 1t is
true that the head of any department may
E.t any time remove subordinate, but the
temptation to that power is largely
nullified by the fact that the chief does not
know who will come to fill the place thus
rendered vacant. The result is a feeling of
security conducive to steady application,
profitable to the government So far as
Washington and its vicinity are concerned
the proposition to overthrow present condi-
tons is a very serious thing; il means revo-
luton Credit would be impaired and prob
ably destroyed, while the expenditures of
government employees and those dependent
upon them would only be for the bare
necessarIes of ordinary existence. A city of
home-owners would once more become a
city of hoarders, and cheap boarders a that.
The effects of such retrogression would be
felt all over a large area of the adjoining
states by thousands of the voters who nave
heedlessly subscribed to doctrines which
they have never tried to understand Is ii
likely that government employees will vote
for their dismissal? Is it proba BILE
that Maryland and Virginia will vote to
destroy one of their best markets?