The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-11
NATIONAL ciViL SERVICE.
Carl Schurz, President of the LEAGUE,
Tells of Reforms in His Annual
Address,

PHILADELPHIA. PA, Dec. 1o.-The
annual meeting OF the National Civil Ser
vice Reform League began here to-day in
the Hotel Walton, and will conclude to-
morrow night, when banquet will be
rendered the visiting delegates by the
Pennsylvania Association. Prominent
representatives from various parts OF the
country are present.
The members of the executive commit
tee met in secret session and outlined the
proceedings of the session. The session
will be continued tomorrow, when vice.
presidents will be elected and various re-
ports be read.
A public meeting was held at 2:3O
o'clock this afternoon. The pa pers read
were: /" The Postc ffices as Party
SpoiIs. by Richard Henry Dana OF
Philadelphia, by Charles Richardson,
ice-president of the Municipal League of
Philadelphia: THE New System in New
York. by Hon. Silas W. Burt of New
York; "The Self-organization Power of
the American People" by R. R. Bowker,
Civil Service Com missioner OF New York,
and "Results OF Reform in the New York
Police Department" by Hon. Theodore
Roosevelt, president of the New York Po-
lice Commission: THE Poor Spokesman;
HIS DAYS Are Mum bered in the Indian
Service" by Francis E. Lapp of Washing
ington. D. c.
The general committee of the league at
the executive meeting elected these officers
of the organizations: Secretary, George E.
McAney; treasurer. D. E. Frisset; execu-
tive committeeman Schurz, chairman:
Morefeld Storey, Boston; Sherman D.
Rogers, Buffalo; William A. Mexican,
Norwich, Conn; Edward M. spard,
BBrooklyn, \. y; William G. Low,
BROOKLYN N. Y; Charles 6. Bonaparte,
SiIas W. Burt. New York; d. B. Eaton,
New York; Edward Carey, New York;
Richard w. Gilderman, New York: A. A.
Potts. New York; Morrill, Wyman Jr.,
Cambridge, Mass; William D. Foulke,
Richmond, Ind: Richard H. Dana, Bos-
ton; Lewis S. Swift, Indianapolis; Her
bert Welsh, Philadelphia; Charles Rich
ardson, Philadelphia, and John w. Ella,
Chicago.
This evening Hon. Carl Schurz, presi-
dent OF the league, delivered his annual
address at Music Hall to large and in
terested audience. Mr.. Schurz spoke as
follows:
The last year has been one of extraordinary
prosperity TO the cause of civil service reform
in various ways. The recent election cam
paign served to exhl bit in a singularly Gear
light some of the remarkable and beneficial
changes which the merit system has wrought
in the American political life and To expose in
their whole futilily many of the fallacies de-
ceptions and superstitions which the reform
movement had to overcome.
Surely the Gus on no uses, postoffices, reye.
nue. offices, navy-yards and so on have thor
oughly ceased TO be mere barracks for the
housing and feeding of the janissaries of the
ruling political party, who are 10 be let loose
on the community as the exigencies of party
interest might require. This we owe alto
ge Their to the introd uction of the merit sys-
tem In making these offices what they now
are-business propositions and conducted on
business principles are the ruling motive
power-it has not only given the people a
more honest and more efficient service, but it
has also made vigorous beginning of moral
reform In political life, which is It's ultimate
and its most i'm portant object.
1t is a significant fact those whose zeal in
the late campaign was most conspicuouslv
unselfish put forth the most emphatic pro-
nouncement in favor of civil service reform,
While the party whose cause was condemned
by the American people was the ony one
which sought 10 inspire the efforts of It's adj
herents by opening TO them the prospect of
unlimited plumber. Spells politics suffered a
double defeat in the election.
The hope expressed year ago that Presi- |
dent Cleveland would, to the extension
OF the classified service, SO far as it could be
effected by executive action alone leave to
his successors but little to do, has been fully
justified. The executive order PROMULGATED
by him on May q, 1896, marks one OF the
greatest and most portan It onward strides i n
the history of the reform movement The
merit system is unequivocally recognized as
the general rule. The establishment and
maintenance OF the merit system in the var-
GUS municipal and State governments is now
in progress.
One OF the arguments against civil service
reform has largely ceased. The dangers to |
civil service reform come no longer from on, |
assault upon the merit system but fro. In |
sidious attempts TO destroy Its substance while
preserving its form. There are some public
men who will never propose anybody for office
of whose worthiness they are not personaliv
convinced, but, alas! they are in the minoritv
The competition principle is the very soul OF
civil service reform.
At the Great Hhees Race.