The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-18

liberty Of action. He would undo what
George Pendleton. the distinguished Demo-
cratic Senator from Ohio. did, who gave
c!yil service legal existence by the Fen
dleton act of 1883. He would undo what
Grover Cleveland has done. who stands
pre-eminent as the unf1inching and con-
sistent Democrat, who more than any other
one man is the true exponent OF the practl-
cal enforcement of the civil-seryice rules.
no; my friends, ! cannot for one one n cnnnfrr
do not fully understand the great dement's
OF civil service. | cannot imagine that the
loyal citizens of this country VIII so faF
forget their duty to themselves as TO APP
prove q policy which openly declares that
the service heretofore rendered by the pub
lie officers of the various departments OF
state has not been efficient and honorable
and honest and that, unmindful of their
record. unmindfuI of their years of service,
their places must be filled by those who
have done political work regardless or
ability to perform the tasks assigned 10
them in the departments of the govern
ment."
Mr.. Foulke introduced his subject by
saying that the Chicago platform SO bris-
tied with anarchistic ard socialistic doc
trines that the more prominent and viru-
lent of these were apt to overshadow the
minor ones. In 1.-THE latter class may be
mentioned the attack of that platform on
the system of public civil service, which
the various administrations of the govern
ment have done so much to develop and
strengthen. 1t was to this evil rather than
TO the others in the violent expression OF
the Chicago gathering that the speaker
wished to call attention. Mr.. Foulke said,
in part:
do you call that a life tenure? If so the
tenure of every clerk in a store or a bank,
the tenure of every employe of a rail-
road. or every operative in a factory is a
life enure. 1t is true that so long as he
does his work We'll and SO long as the gov
eminent needs that work done. he is likely
to be retained. But SO is the clerk and
the operative. nay, even the farm hands
may count upon staying. so long as there
is work to do, and SO long as they do it
well. Who shall say that this is wrong.
that it is un-American? Do you think the
mill owner ought to make a clean sweep of
his hands every four years to give places
to new men? Do you think that rotation
in office ought to be applied to clerks and
railroad employees and laborers in the
workmen? Do you want such a rule APP
piled in our Industrial and business life?
There is not a man who has entered the
service of his country under the honorable
system of competitive examination who
cannot be discharged the instant he fails
to do his duty. Nay, more, he can be
turned out under the law at the mere will
of his superior. the only limitations of the
stat9te being that he shall not be removed
contribute to campaign funds.
Terms of office ere to be fixed so that
more office seekers can enjoy the patron
age. The civil service is not a public trust.
but a personal and party perquisite, and as
many Of its followers as possible are to
system of administration the swine are to
be led in rotation to the trough. and no
growthy, must be allowed to stay there
long lest he keep others away.
My friends, the people of our country
have more sense than politicians think.
They are tired Of the system of patronage
which regards the public service as a lar
rather than a charge where duties are to
be performed. They are tired of the dem
agogues who appeal not to their patriotism
but to their supposed appetite for office.
The promise of a general distribution
either of the places of the State or of the
wealth of the individual will never be rat
flied by their suffrages."
In conclusion, Mr.. Foulke said:
suppose 1t were proposed in this year of
our Lord 1896 to re-establish the institution
of slavery? Could we regard such a meas
ure as anything better than a leap back
ward into barbarism? To reinstate the
spoils system would be a retrograde move
ment almost as demoraliZing to our ma
tional character. Suppose it were proposed
to restore feudalfsm. with the homage and
services due from villains and retainers to
their lord, how would we regard this
proposition? We. would say that if it were
adopted the dark ages would come back
again. What. then, shall we say of the
restoration of the modern feudalism in
VOWED in the spoils system? No medieval
services were ever baser or more degrad-
ing than those required by our political
barons, and paid for, not from the pockets
or the lords to whom they We're rendered
but from the public treasury. We who
have had a glimpse of the morning will
not again go back into the darkness"