The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-22
THE VOICE OF THE SPOKESMAN.

A correspondent from Winona called
attention though the G lob e, the
other day, to the objections to Mr.
Bryan's candidacy, which are based
upon his opposition to civil service
reform. We are of the opinion that
this alone should be sufficient to ar
ray against him all the good citizens
able or vital to this nation has been
done in the last generation than the
establishment of the principle Of civil
service reform. 1t has made it's way
by It's inherent virtue and necessity,
and by the support of the masses
against the combined opposition of the
most powerful political leaders on both
sides. 1t has banished forever from our
national politics the worst evils of the
spOils system. It has helped to purify
politics and to raise the level of eff
ficiency in the public service. Mr.
Bryan said in Washington the
other day, in public speech:
I'VE are opposed to life tenure
in the public service" That declaga-
tion of the Chicago platform repeated
10y him has reference, as he should be
well aware, only to the supreme court
of the United States. It has nothing on
earth to do with the civil service.
There is no such thing as life tenure"
in the civil service of the United States
and never will be. Civil service reform
involves a tenure based on efficiency
and faithfulness. 1t requires the dis
charge of a man as soon as he Is either
incompetent or unwilling to discharge
his duties well, whether he has been
in office one month or fifty years The
life tenure" business was put forth
to show indirectly, what even the Chi
cagO revolutionists did not dare to say
directly, that they demanded the cleo
ton of judges of the supreme court
for fixed terms of office so that their
opinion might be swayed by and held
at the mercy of political combinations.
Whether Mr.. Bryan was merely ig-
norant or shiftily trying to evade an
care. He goes on: I'VE are in favor
of fixed terms of Office in the civil de-
partments of the government. We
want it SO that when a man gets in
he will know how long he is going to
stay and when he is going out We do
not want to build up an office holding
class and fill our offices for life" That
shows the caliber of this man, who
is out hunting for votes and does not
hesitate to use the most ignoble means
to catch them. His idea of fixed
terms of Office" is the idea of the
spokesman. He is the last refuge and
defense of the infamous spoils system.
1t affords opportunity and excuse for
politician, when elected to office. to
make complete change in all the of
fees under him. What this means
from a business point of view every
business man understands. We need
as much efficiency and experience in
conducting the affairs of the United
States as in those of a dry goods store
or boot and shoe firm. If such bust
ness concerns were obliged to hire en-
ployes for fixed terms of office" and
turn them all out periodically to take
on green hands, they would give up
in despair.
AS far as politics is concerned, the
theory OF Mr.. Bryan is thoroughly cor
rupting. He knows, as all of us know.
that the effect OF the spoils system on
. the public service was much less bane-
full than its effect upon politics. IT
contributed to the building up in every
state. city, county and town of a poiiti-
cal machine. based upon the spells of
office. 1t Tammanyized the nation.
Politics have been purified immeasur-
ably by the extirpation of this fountain
of three-tourths Of the present un-
worthiness and public unfaithfulness
In the country. Mr.. Bryan proposes
to go back to 1t. We do not think he
actually believes In it. but incIines to
the opinion that, finding this sentence
In the Chicago platform, he is COM
PEELED to twist and distort it into a
statement of doctrine relating to civil
service reform. however bad that may
be. rather than to consider the real