The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-11
SP0ILS SYSTEM DECLINING
MEETING OF THE MEN RESPONSI-
 BLE FOR THIS RESULT.

"ahy IrOmlnenG Men Address the CtVll
 Service Reformers-Pres. Carl Schurz Delivers the Annual Address-Says Pub lie Sentiment is Behind the Movement for the Permant Tenure of Civil Officers.
 Philadelphia, Dec 1O-The annual meeting of the National Civil Service Reform league began here to-day in the Hotel Walton and will conclude to- morrow night Prominent representa- tives from various parts of the coun- try are in attendance. The members of the general committee and of the executive committee of the league met this morning in secret session and out lined the proceedings of the meeting.
 public meeting was held at 2:90 o'clock this afternoon, at which the following papers were read:
 "The Postoff1ces as Party Spoils," by Richard Henry Dana of Boston; Civil Service Reform in Philadelphia" by Charles Richardson, vice president of the Municipal league of Philadelphia; Civil Service Reform in New Orleans" by Charles Janvier, president of the Citizens league of New Orleans; "The New System in New York" by Hon. Silas w. Burt of New York; "The Self Organizing Power of the American People" by R. R. Bowker civil service commissioner of New York; and Re suits of Reform in the New York Police Department" by Hon. Theodore Roose- welt, president of the New York police board.
 Francis F. Leupp of Washington, D C., read paper entitled 10 the poor spoilsman; his days numbered in the Indian service"
 In his paper Richard Henry Dana said in part "We cannot expect the immense postal department, with it's one hundred to two hundred thousand employees, to be the dumping ground of political henchmen, and to have its officials changed from top to bottom just as they are beginning to learn the rudiments of this very com- plicated business, and at the same time get the good results of business like appointments and tenure of office. Experience in the railway mail service continues to show what can be done for the benefit of the postal service by abolishing the spells system, and intro- ducing civil service reform methods. In the general postal service, too, the adoption of civil service principles had led to marked improvement.
 MT. McKinley's able defence of civil service reform in congress in 1890 and the platform on which he was elected make it clear that he will uphold the system already established. But how about the postmasters? They are not classified under the civil service rules, and there are 3,635 presidential post masters and 663O3 fourth class. It is hoped that we shall not be subjected to another disgraceful scene with the in- coming administration. MT. Mckinley has certainly shown enough interest in the reform to wish to put 8 stop to this remainder of the vicious system"
 The general committee of the league at it's executive session elected these officers: Secretary George Aneny; treasurer A S. Frissell; executive con- mittee, Carl Schurz, chairman, Moor field Storey of Boston, Sherman s. Rog- CTS of Buffalo, N. Y.; William A. Aiken of Norwich Conn; Edward M. Shep- ard of Brooklyn, N. Y.; William G. Low of Brooklyn, Charles J. Bonaparte of Baltimore, Everett P. Wheeler, Sflas w Burk, D. B. Eaton, Edward Cary, Richard Watson Glider, William Potts of New York, Morrill, Wyman, jr., of Cambridge, Mass. William D. Foulke of Richmond, Ind; Richard H. Dana of Boston, Lucius B. Swift of Indianapolis, Herbert Welsh of Philadelphia, Charles Richardson of Philadelphia, and John w. Fla of Chicago.
 This evening Hon. Carl Schurz, pres ident of the league, delivered his an- nut1 address at Musical Fund hall to large and interested audience. MT. Schurz spoke as follows:
 There is here and there in the popular mind-even among those who on the whole favor the merit system--a lack of appreciation of our efforts. We still hear reasoning like this: You wish the public service to be conducted on business principles. Now, would not any practical business man be better satisfied with some less restrictive method of ascertaining the quallfica- tions of those he has to employ? Will he not be the best judge of those quail fications? Will he limit the freedom of his choice by any competitive system" The answer is simple, Yes, we do wish the public service to be conducted on sound business principles. But we have to recognize the fact that in one respect the situation of public officer wield ing the appointing power is essentially different from that of private busi- ness man. The public officer is exposed to a peculiar pressure of political infiu- ences and importunities of which the private business man knows nothing. Of this pressure only those have just conception who have actually experi enced it.
 It is a. remarkable fact that many men in politics who are otherwise al ways mindful of the public interest seem to lose all sense of responsibility whenever the patronage comes into question I do not speak here of the professional spells monger who makes the providing of places for his hench- men or the building up of Q party ma chine his principal business in public life. But I speak of men ordinarily conscientious in their conduct who will, perhaps moved only by the generous desire to help or please, or sometimes only to get rid of importantly them selves, not merely perfunctorily recom- mend and even earnestly and persist entIy urge the appointment of-pardon tho vrlsra rism-the veTieSt ''deadhe2tS'