New-York tribune., 1896-09-28

and denorallzng conditions Of Civil Service ad-
ministration. against which the public conscience
revol,ed some twenty years ago. The Convch-
ton which nominated Mr.. Bryan declared It's
covert but unmistakabe hostility to the merit
system Of Federal appointments in these words:
We are opposed 10 life tenure in the public
service We favor appointments based upon
merit fixed terms Of Office, and such an adThis
trs ton Of the Civil Service laws as VIII aliord
equal opportunities TO all citizens OF as'eFtaheu
fitness. .
In his "crown of ihorns" speech at Chicago. in
defence of the Tillman-A Atgeld PLATFORM Mr.
BRYAN passed over the Civil Service plank Win
the mild remark that the present system seeih'd
10 "excludc from it's benefits the humber classes
Of orr citizens" His letter of acceptance TWO
months later contained a few sentences aiii'n
at the bugaboo Of life tenure. the Statesman oi
the Platte declaring oracuarly that "A l"T"'a
"ncnt office holding class is not in harmony "i'h
"Our institutions.
II was not until he visited Nashine'o"
however. that the Boy Candidate disclosed HIS "'
tachmen to the old spols system III all lis par
tisan and demagogic fcrvor. In the lace vi '''
audience to whom the scandals ana corrup'lo"N
of the old methods of appointment were sun
lively memory. Mr. Bryan was led ID! soi'''
strange impulse Of candor to declare: we are
lin favor of fixed terms of ofiic" III the SeN'I"i
..departmcnfs OF the Government. we want "
so that when man goes in we shaii Nho" ho"
long he is going TO stay In and when he l. eone
.'lo get out We don't want TO build up an oi'i'e
"hodng class and fill the offices for ife' so 'i''
''when a man gets an office he will have no more
concern about his country than TO draw his
salary
Mr. Rrvon served two terms in Congress. ana
knows as well as any one that the HE tenure Oh
which his appeals To vulgar prejudice are paseu
is a mere figmcnt of the imagination ne present
Civil Service rules protect no empoye aghihs'
discharge They simply eliminate the element
of personal favorism in promotions ana aP
pontmcns by requiring them TO De Hade from
lists of cligiblcs who have shown the neceSSaT!
qualifications Not daring 10 assail the princlpie
Of appojntment 10y fitness. the Democratic candl-
date seeks 10 accomplish the overthrow Oh
the present system by the equally eifectNe
device Of limiting the tenure Of ONCE I" Il
fixed term of years The life OF single
Admlnistra ton would probably be selected u!
the Nebraska Orator and his folloWers rs
n proppr limit and the whole Government SET
vice would thus be reduced 10 the haphaZard
and capricious level touched in the old-time al
ministration OF the four'h-class poStoinceS ! nat
under such n dispensation "cltiZens OF asccr-
tanned fitness in the Democratic sense -mlgh'
enjoy "thc benefits Of Federal office IN larger
numbers cannot be doubted; for "ascertained nj
ness would probably then mean little more iiah
n capacity to accept unqueStioningly as politcal
truth all the wild vagarcs which have crystal
lied this year in the dual platforms on when
Mr.. Bryan is making his race for the Presidency
The Boy Orators Washington speech meas
ures with curious accuracy the breadth and elr-
walton Of political views. Even more than his
uttcrances on the financial question. II throws a
timely sldellght on the essential vulgarity and de-
structiveness OF his political ideals