The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-17
Annual Address of the President of
the National CfviI-SerVice League
Delivered Last Night.
PRAISE FOR THE PRESIDENT
BUT CONDEMNATION FOR OPPONENTS
OF THE MERIT SYSTEM.
Gen. GrOsvenOr Singled Out for the
mitted Mt the League Meeting.

Schurz, president of the National Civil
service Reform League. which is in session
here, delivered his annual address in Odeon
Hall tonight to a large audience. Judge
William H. Taft. of the United States Court
of Appeals, presided. President Schurz was
frequently interrupted by applause, es-
pecially in the closing part of his address,
in which he became most vigorous in his
reply to the recent charges of Congressman
Grosvenor of Ohio AT the conclusion of
the address there was a rising vote Of
thanks to Mr.. Schurz. Mr. Schurz in the
course of his address, which was lengthy,
said:
The American people have hardly ever
beheld rush for spoils Of office more tu-
multuous than that which followed Presi-
dent McKinley's accession TO power. Nor
nave we ever heard more furious. and.
may add, a more disgraceful clamor from
party men for the breach of party faith
than that of Republican politicians demand
ing the repeal, or, at least, the disemboWel-
ment of the civil-Service law by Il PreSi-
dent and majority in Congress pledged to
its maintenance and extension. / know the
excuse that is given for this amazing de-
mand. 1t is that President Cleveland'S adj
ministration had filled a great many posi-
tions which were not in the classified serv-
ice with Democrats. and then covered them
with the civil-service rules in order to pro-
tect the new incumbents against removal.
The civi-service reformers have not been
when under the Cleveland administration,
removals or appointments were made which
appeared improper. But do not hesitate to
say that the objection to Mr.. Cleveland S
great executive order. made by the Repub-
lcan spoils politicians is utterly futile. That
order did not protect any public servant
which is the simple fact that considerable
number of men have actually been re-
moved The effect of the order simply was vas
that, if any of those places were vacated
they could not be arbitrarily filled by way
of political or personal favor with incompe-
tent or otherwise unsuitable persons; for the
order subjected candidates for such places
to competitive examinations. And this is the
thing that troubles those representatives OF
the League of Republican Clubs and other
spoilsmen of the same kidney.
MKINLEY COMMENDED.
'True to his honor as a gentleman, to his
vows as Republican and to his duty as
President of the United States Mr.. McKin-
ley stoutly held his ground against the fierce
foray which was set on foot to overwhelm
him. He issued an executive order on the
9th of July by which he exempted from the
competitive rules certain classes of posi-
lions in the revenue service, extended the
rule over very few others, and then d.
rected that no removal shall be made from
any position subject to competitive exami-
nation except for just cause. and upon writ
ten charges filed with the head of the de-
partment or other appointing officer and
of which the accused shall have full notice
and an opportunity to make Defense
1.-The part of President McKinleys order
which attracted the most attention is that
concerning removals. 1t is no eXaggeration
to say that its appearance was greeted with
a round of applause that resounded all over
the country The people saw in President
McKinley's order a vigorous manifestation
of his patriotic purpose to make true his
words: 'Civil-SerVice reform has come to
stay Besides, the intelligence of the cOun-
try recognized in the order concerning re-
mOValS a decided progress. 1t makes the
reason assigned for every removal, well
the answer thereto, matter of public
record. and it will thus render the execu-
tive officer for every removal from place
under the competitive rule amenable to the
judgment of public opinion as well as to the
judgment and the corresponding actions of
his superiorS. The new rule, If carried out
with fidelity and firmness, will thus be well
apt to rid the service of a very offensive
ley fully deserves all the praise he has re-
ceived tor this achievement. To secure the
enforcement of the order the secretary of
the treasury, Mr.. Gage, with commenda-
BILE promptneSS, issued excellent instructions
to executive officers under the Treasury De-
partment, prescribing appropriate mode
of procedure and containing the important
injunction that reductions in grade and sal
airy should be treated in all things like re-
movals
Nothing would crafty me more than to
be able to add that the Presidents order
had already borne all the good fruit that
it is expected to bear. But L regret to say
that so far it has not. Many reports have
come to us from Washington, as well as
from other parts of the country, which
represent executive officers as making or
recommending removals or reductions with
out assigning any just cause any cause
at ALL 1t is confidently expected that the
President. as ofenses come TO ms notice
enforce respect for his order by duly pun
ishing the offenders.
THE first onset against civil-service re-
form has been repulsed, but the fight is
not finished. The clamor of place seekers
still resounds with lusty vociferation. In
three Republican state conventions reSOlu-
lions have been adopted hostile to the merit
system. An association has been organized
to agitate for the repeal of the civil-service
law, and Republican members of the Sen
ate of the United States and of the House
of Representatives are loudly threatening TO
bring the matter to an issue at the next
session of Congress. Two of them Repre-
sentative Grosvenor. of Ohio, and Senator
Gallinger of New Hampshire, have already
been designated by one of the spoismens
organs as the anti-civil-SerVice reform can
didates for the presidency and vice presi-
dency. Mr.. Grosvenor loudly protests that
the men who in 1896 marched thousands
and thousands of miles to hear the words
of announcement and instruction from the
President as he stood upon the steps of his
home in Canton shall not be excluded from
places in the departments Dy troublesome
civil-service tests.
QUESTIONS FOR GROSVENOR
Does not Mr.. Grosvenor think that Pres
ident Mckinley, to whom those thousands
came to listen, had a much more correct
conception of what is really due to the peo-
pie when in his letter of acceptance he
sternly rebuked those who encourage a re-
turn to the methods of favoritism which
both parties have denounced, which ex
perience has condemned and which the peo-
pie have repeatedly disapproved?' Is he not
much more just to the confidence of the
people who made him President and more
conscientiously mindful of the peoples
rights when he firmly tells the clamorers
for the return of methods of favoritism
that. faithful to his recorded vow. he will
to the utmost of his power protect the peo-
pie in the enjoyment of the right freely
to compete on equal terms for public en-
ployment?
.irhere is a force working for civil-servce
reform which is now far more eneetiye
than ever before. 1t is the character OF the
opposition to IL. The very shamelessness
with which certain Republican politicians
now clamor for the Republication OF their
platform pledge to enforce the ctVil-SerNice
laW-the very Vehemence with which they
rush upon the President that they have
lust elected to force him 10 break his word
and to proclaim himself dishonest man
the very audacity with which they seek TO
deceive the people with the most bare-faced
falsehoods about the civil-service system
and all this for the palpable purposes OF
looting the government for spoil. these very
exhibitions of unscrupulousness and fury
make unprejudiced men. who never cared
much about civil-service reform. stop and
ask: What does all this mean? Can fight