Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-18

by 1000 and at the election OF this fall the
entire republican ticket. including the legis-
latve ticket whose Election might decide
the fate OF United States senator. was
again defeated"
The paper on the Democratic Party snd
Civil Service Reform" by Hon. Moorheld
Storey OF Boston, WAS read by Charles War
rem OF the Massachusetts Reform club in the
said that the democratic party is uuder
peculiar obligation to promote the reform of
the civil service. the obligation felt by every
honorable man to repair n wrong which he
has done 1t wao the democratic party under
the lead OF Andrew a. dickson which first
treated the public offices as plunder, oad
which, under him aud his successors, cher
ished the spoils system lovingly as to
mako It cardinal principle of our govern
meat, but then office seekers demand all
any time. l am like a man so busy letting
rooms at one end Of my home that l have
not time to put out the fire which Is burn
ing in the otner but he could not escape
from the degrading bon.hge to the barharous
maxim, TO the vlctors belong the spoils,'
DEMOCRATS LEAD THE CONTEST.
Mr.. Storey's paper reviews the history of
the agitation of civil service reform down
to the passing OF the pendletcn bill and de-
claros: at was democrat who led the con-
test he was supported by the LEADERS, OF his
party and 1t was a democratic victory which
persuaded congress to pass the bill"
or the administration OF the law during
President Cleveards term the paper says:
within the classified service the rules we're
| applied with reasonable fidelity, but other
offices were filled with little regard to the
| principles OF reform We cannot doubt that
| the president wes entirely sincere in his
promise of reform. That he failed so COM
| pletey to realize his promise shows how
great wcs the pressure end how slight the
\ assistance which he got from the public.
The education of the people was not COM
| plete Yet the president, while falling far
short Of our hopes. advanced the reform ma
| terally while in Office. He found some IA,
900 offices covered by the rules when he was
| inaugunlted, and he extended the rules so as
| to add about 1850 places more"
| OF President C,eve.and's ceccnd term, Mr..
| Storeys Paper says: THE loot OF the con-
suships which Immediately followed his re-
| accession to power was a bitter disappoirt-
ment. This with the renewals of fourth
c,aes postmesters and other departures from
sound principle excited indignant comment
| at the time, and nothing has occurred since
| to make US retract anything that was then
| said in condemnation OF the removals. We
must nor forget, however that in his cwn
| time and in his own way President Cleve-
LAND showed his earneot purpose to advarce
the reform by extending the classified serv-
ice about to the possible limit.
"To the democratic party" he said eve
may commeld the study of it's own history
1t will find that its principles. its constituted
declarations fer twenty-five years, and the
teachings CT its great leaders all support our
cause and that the spoils system is urdemo
cratic. The party must return to democratic
principles if it is ever again to be trusted
with power, and it must abandon a cause
which driver from its ranks the men who
have led it to victory"
After the usual votes Of thanks and some
general discussion, the league adjourned tt
meet rext December lin Boston.
The banquet at the St. Nicholas tonigh
, continued until near 4 o'clock. The prlncipa
speeches In respoHse'to the toasts were made
by Hon. Carl Schurz,.J. R, Garfield, Herman
r. Rogers of Buffalo, ]. w. Ella of Chicago
Lewis B. Gunkle Of Dayton, Charles j. Bona
parte of Baltimore and Lawrence Maxwell o
, Cincinnati Judge w, II. Taft Of the United
f States court presided. There were 1SO guests
including all the Hamilton county member
Of the Legislature, who were invited en- th
i condition that their, presence should hav
: no significance, All the speeches We're Sc
, we're in criticism Of Representative Grosveno
e of Ohio and Senator Deboe of Kentucky.
----------