The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-14
THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
This Writer Sees No Use for a Repub
lie with Such a Statute.

This Writer Sees No Use for a RepuD-
lie with Such Statute.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
observe that your paper and several
others seem very much put out because
of opposition to the civil-service law, and
seem to find much fault because opponents
of the law do not see things as you do.
The burden of complaint seems to be that
opponents of the law are in favor of re-
moving experienced, competent men, and
putting in their stead incompetent men
that there are only few who can manage
the affairs of this country. You would have
a board of education to educate a certain
few for office, without reference to their in
terest as citizens, or views as to the form
of government we have, or their duty to
support and uphold it. You have been cater
ing to the mugwump element until we have
partially changed the form of our govern
ment, are fast approaching an aristocracy
a limited monarchy, adopting such ways and
customs as are found only in governments
monarchical in FORM You also claim that
the people are in favor of this infamous
law. You know, or you ought to know, that
the people have never had a chance to vote
on this question without sundering party
ties. abandoning all political convictions
and sacrificing every other interest for this
one question. My honest conviction is that
if this question alone was put to the peo-
pie IS per cent. of the American people
would vote against it. If it is such a good
thing for the postal clerks. why is 1t not
such a good thing for the department
clerks why is it not equally good for the
secretary of the treasury, the navy or OF
state? Why change these every time we
elect President? Why allow the President
elect to appoint his special friends to the
heads of the various departments of our
these
mentS coming every four years with their
schemes to confuse, upset and disturb (as
you would say the settled order of things?
public? One of the chief reasons assigned
by our senator's and representatives is that
it relieves them from a great deal of worry
and bother. After their squat bible and hght
is over they want everybody else to stop
seeking office, and let them draw and spend
their salaries. If they were not allowed to
resign and come home when they found the
pressure too great there might be some ex-
cuSe for the views they entertain. Or If this
was a government for the few only, they
might be allowed to nurse this precious doc
trine But standing, as we do, upon the
high and broad plane of equal rights and
an equal chance in the race for life, and
government of, for and by the people.
cannot and will not longer subscribe to
this One-hOrSe type of a twO-byfour mon
archy. This civil-service law and the man
ner in which it is being enforced is making
converts every day for Mr.. Bryan, and it
is in my judgment only a question of a
short time whether or not we won't lose
protection, sound money and many other
good things in our very foolish effort to
maintain this monstrosity of mugwump
parentage / am waiting anxiousy to see
in our next general election how many who
favor this wartism will be returned to
office. The tide is turning and if you will
only listen and look you can hear the swash
of the waves and see the wreckage COM
ing to shore. The right to aspire to and
hold Office is just as inherent as any other
right in our government. 1t makes polit-
icians and statesmen and interests the peo-
Pile in the affairs of the nation. A man
without politics is generally without pa
triotism or love of country. He is for him
self alone and the world is better off when
he dies. GEO. w. SPAHR.
Indianapolis, Dec 10.