The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-12

Philadelphia, Dec. 1.-THE delegates
to the annual meeting of the National
Civil Service Reform league, which be-
gan yesterday in the Hotel Walton.
held a business session this morning
President Schurz was in bad voice, and
Henry Hitchcock of st. Louis presided
These officers were elected: Presi-
dent, Carl Schurz, New York; vice
presidents. Charles Francis Adams,
Boston; Augustus r. MeDonough, New
York; RI. Rev. Henry c. Potter New
York; J. Hall Pleasant, Baltimore:
Henry Hitchcock. st. Louis; Henry c.
Leave. Philadelphia: Franklin Nc
Veagh, Chicago; William Potts, New
York
Addresses on civil service were made
by c. b. Willis. of Cincinnati; w Z.
Gushing, Cleveland; Rev. ". r. Lord,
st. Paul; Henry Hitchcock. St. Louis;
! Richard Henry Dana, Boston, and j.
c. Thoro, Madison, Wis.
Charles j. BonaDarte of Baltimore,
chairman of the committee on resolu-
/ tons, presented the report of that body
which was adopted after some changes.
/ They refer TO the fact that for the first
time since the organization of the
/ league its principles were openly re-
pudiated and a revival of discarded
abuses threatened in the platform Dut
forth by national convention. and III
the public declarations of a candidate
/ for the presidency, and 'congratClates
the country that the purpose thus fore
Swallowed to undo the good accom-
piished by persistent efforts during
! generation Of space have failed of con-
summation.
} The league congratulates the coUn-
try on the truly remarkable" passage
of the reform under the second admin
istratiOn of President Cleveland and es-
peciaily during the past year, and de-
clareS that for this great achievement,
advancing as it does the fundamental
principles of free government, Presi-
dent Cleveland deserves the sincere and
heartfelt thanks OF all good citizens
The league recognizes in the presi-
/ dent-elect a friend to civil service re-
form, and urges that he ado2t. as
soon as may be practicable. a plan
which may enable him 10 base his
nominations for non-poltical Offices,
such as pcstmasters and consuIs, upon
aseertained fitness and efficiency, re-
I Sardless of party or other affiliations.
/ The league further suggests TO the
/ president-elect that the public interest
would be advanced # no rem ovals were
made of fourth-class postnasters ex-
/ cept for cause. and it submits the ad-
visibility Of extending the system of
/ registration of laborers. to all depart
ments.
This concluded the work of the busi-
ness session
This afternoon these papers We're
read: The Relation of Women to the
/ Civil Service Reform Movement" by
( Mrs. Charles Russell Lowell: civil
/ Service Reform in the West" Colonel
J. W. Ella, Chicago; -Four Years Ten
/ ure, Lucius B. Swith, Indianapolis.
Mr.. Swift's paper follows:
The late Bryanite platform declared
being built up in the public service and
/ Bryan himself. in his letter of accept
/ ance and in one of the slight variations
! of his speech, showed that no after
thought had brought him new light No
( one in America is in favor of life tenure
! 1t is contrary TO republican government,
and to the spirit of American institutions.
! II lie tenure IS being built up here.
! it is the duty of everyone to turn in and
! pull down The structure. But it is well
/ first to be sure OF the fact.
\ boiler maker works through the week
| in the shops and at the end draws his pay
I The next week ne does the same and this
may continue through months and even
/ years. 1t might continue until from old
! abe to work. The requirements are that
! he shall he faithful and efficient. While
] lNeSe exist II Is :naHl1 SStly 10 the Cetrl-
-nent of his employer 10 dismiss Linn. lie
may, however, be dismissed at any time
! because there Is 10 work. or for any kind
! of misconduct, or for lack of efficiency
! or Tor no reason whatever Clearly this
! is not life tenure. Turning 10 the pub
! lie service q railway mail clerk obtains
! his Pace by competition. Having OBJ
! tanned it and proving himself faithful and
/ efficient he may work for weeks months
and years, and even until old age or other
/ disability renders MIN unfit. He may be
! dismissed. however, at any time because
] there is no work, or for any Improperly
! or misconduct, or for lack Of fd:thfuiness
! or efficiency, or for no reason whatever.
rhi= IS not a life tenure. as Bryan and
/ his convention knew. The declaration of
his platform was a falsehood fifty set
I with other falsehood5 to aid him and
] ether demagogLes in a scheme of plumber
/ so comprehensive that 1t left no interest
untouched
There is no difference between the tenure
/ of a boiler maker and of the clerk. The
work which has been accomplished in the
I 30 years of the struggle for the merit
! system, largely under the leadership of
/ this league IS the transfer from the field
I of politics to the field of the wage-earner
/ of about 100000 of the best places in the
! federal service. This is a tremendous fact
! to wags-earners. The former occupants
went into these places political heelers.
They had nothing at the beginning nor
more at the end 1t became a p-overb
J that a place was a curse and place-seek-
! ing a guaranty of poverty. nat do these
: places mean now IheT mean the re-
( tention of manhood in getting them: they
4 mean the comfortable support of families,
the requirement OF home. the education
/ of children and peace of mind; they mean
a better and more economical public serv-
/ ice and a great elevation Of public
/ morals. That the men who attacked and
who would overthrow this system have
met with Overwhelming and hurniliating
defeat is the most gratifying fact that
/ has appeared in the history of civil
] service reform And the unhampered
power of dismissal which should be kept
! unhampeied except by the requirement of
! a written reason is not only a guaranty
1 of discipline and efficiency, but X is and
/ will remain the complete answer to the
charges of life tenure.
MERIT SYSTEM
The victory and final establishment of
I the merit system has left much of the
! federal service in a curious condi ion.
! 1t may be described as light-headed.
Most of the officers under the merit sys-
tenn have under-employees OF .ong ex-
perience and high skill and efficiency. The
heads have less for the reason that they
we're generally appointed within four
years and Amos universally without
knowledge of their duties or of the work
to be done. The process was 10 20 unon
the street and pick up active politicians
or take some beneficiary Of an active
politician. President Mckinley will soon
/ be asked to repeat this process, because
! four years have elapsed since the present
holders came in. Your county chairman