Evening star., 1896-12-11
New York, Brooklyn. Buffalo and Roch-


ester were instanced. He continued:
Especially gratifying is the triumph re-
centIy won py the sturdy mayor of Balti-
more, Mr. Hooper, over the republican spoils-
politicians of that city who had sought to
turn into carnival of plunder last years
victory of the reform movement overthrow
ing the democratic machine. The reform
ers have indeed, failed to carry a general
civil service law through the Maryland
legislature, but constitutional provision
similar to that of New York, is to be voted
upon by the people next year
Nothing could be more encouraging than
the fact that in several states Inc people
of individual cities without waiting Tor
general acts of legislation, have secured
civil service reform by means of amend
ments to their charters. In Louisiana the
city OF New Orleans has obtained d charter
embodyins provisions for the application
of strict civil service rules TO every muni-
cipal department. In Seattle and Tacoma
the principal cities of the sta-e of Wash
ing, in the extreme northwest of the coun-
try, similar rules have been placed in the
charter by popular vote. Evanston in IL
linois has also adopted the merit system
by vote OF the people under The provi
sion of the Illinois state act, thus follow ing
the example of Chicago. In San Francisco
and Los Angeles, Cal. in Wheeling. w.
Va, In Galveston, Tex, in Denver, Col,
and in ST. Louis, Mo-, steps have been
taken toward the same end.
Dangers Threatening Reform.
Tine dangers threatening civil service
reform come no longer from oper assault
upon the merit system, but from insidious
attempts to destroy its substance, while
preserving its forms. You may hear many
a politician who all his life has trained
with the old spoils guard now deliver him.
self In this wise: Civil service rescrm?
Certainly. An excellent thing. But ii
should be practical civil service reform
Examinations? Certainly. But they should
be sensible, practical eXamina tions. The
trouble is, these professional civil service
reformers do not know how to manage
this business. They are mere theorists
one-sided. impractical, unreasonable farat-
les. In one word, whether they call them
selves republicans or democrats, they are
mugwumps. They ought to be reformed
themselves. And we can do il. We are
the men to give the country the reform it
wants. Let us have an opportunity to
try our hands al it, And with his preface
pear plausible to the unwary. But when
the Greeks come bearing gifts, it behooves
US to keep our eyes OPEN
President Schurz devoted considerable
time to criticism of pass examinations
instead of competitive. THE competitive
principle" he said, Il repeat, is the very
soul of civil service reform. Without it
there can be no true merit system on a
large scale. Without it every reformatory
attempt of a general nature will eventual
ly become sham and result in failure.
The corduct of the competitive exami-
nations should present every possible guar
antee of impartiality and should, there
fore, be Independent of the appointing Off
GERS, that is to say, out of the reach of
the pressure of political influence to which
the appointing officers are exposed" This
point he dwelt upon at length and said:
Il am therefore, not going too Ear when
/ say that this scheme of transferring, in
whole or in part, the management of the
examinations from the Independent civil
service boards to the departments means
a deliberate attempt to destroy the sub
stance of the merit system while preserv
ing some of its forms, and that Il has no
other purpose than to return to the old
spoils pric tice.'
Work 10 BE Done.
Regarding the work to be done he said:
"Of the public servants under the national
government who should still be put under
civil service rules the minor postmas;ers
are the most important class. OF these
there are about 60 900. Nothing has done
so much to keep the spoils idea alive In the
popular mind as the change Of the village
postmaster with every change of party in
power. Nothing will do more to disinfect
the popular mind of the spoils idea than
the taking of the village post office out of
politics.
the opposition by Senator German 20 Post
master General Wilson's plan of reorgan-
ization, which contemplated the consolida-
ton of smaller and contiguous post Offices
with the free delivery offices In such man.
ner that, when such a consolidation las
been effected, the smaller Office becomes |
mere station and its postmaster a superin- |
tendent or clerk, as the case may be, and I
he istogether with his subordinates, IL he 4
has any. brought within the classified SER |
vice.
Mr.. Schurz continued: ''The exceo. ed list /
may be still somewhat reduced by c,assi- /
fvinf assistant n0StT1aSterS. H.
uty collectors. ard on Also the em- |
ploycs of the District of Columbia may.
and should, be brought under civil service /
rules. Likewise would the two houses of 4
Congress do themselves, and by way of /
expenses also to the people /
service by putting their own en-