Evening star., 1897-03-05
CIVIL SERVICE AND THE NEGRO.
Robert H. Terfell Tells What 1t Has
Done Tor the Race,


Done Tor the Race.
Mr.. Robert H.nTerrell. the well-known
colored lawyer OF this city. read a paper
Tuesday night before the Bethel Literary
Association on "etvil Service Reform as
Government Polffy" Mr.. Terrell gave
most Interesting aIistorical review of civil
service reform. both in this country and
England and defended the system vigor-
ously and logically. He showed that civil
service reform and good government were
inseparable, and laid special stress on the
fact that by the civil service law more
bright and capable young colored men had
gotten into the public service without po-
ltical influence than could ever have hoped
to get in through the old "spoils system
with the support and backing of the poll
ticians. Among other things Mr. Terrell
said: There is no government SO difficult
as that of a great city and when the
problem CT municipal management is once
solved. it will not be a hard task to find a
way to administer properly the govern
mental functions of great state or coun-
try. The corruption in the government of
the state of New York Is infinitesimal in
comparison with that of its chief city and
great metropolis. One may say the same
thing of Boston and Massachusetts. Of
Philadelphia and Pennsylvania of Balti-
more and Maryland. and of Chicago aad
Illinois. AS the functions of government
grow in extent Importance and complexity,
it becomes matter Of prime necessity for
men to devise measures to administer them
with honesty, with ability and with com
petent knowledge. 1t is the duty Of every
citizen who has his countrys welfare at
heart to demand that it's public offices.
military, naval and civil, should be intrust-
ed to persons who are likely to give to the
people the best attainable service. To OBJ
tain dignified place in the military and
naval branches of our government, one
must give evidence of the fact that he has
had mental drill and discipline of the
highest order. For entrance into the civil
service there ought to be well some fair
and Just test Of the competency and ability
of the person seeking place. The civil ser
vice is the chief service with us. We
should not bestow upon it the minimum OF
care, when we expect to derive from 1t the
maximum of benefit.
"In this country the 'spoils system had
| its birth in the great state of New York.
There it has 'fiourished like the green bay
| tree running riot with the patronage. 1t
has enriched some and pauperfzed others;
| it has sent many to the prisons and many
| to the felon's grave: it has not elevated the
| character OF the people, nor has it helped
| the tone of the community. Indeed, those
| who have followed events in New York
| city for the last twenty years know that
| Tammany Hall has been much like the
| tabled upas tree. whitening and bllghtlng
| all that came under the influence OF ls
| deIeterious atmosphere. Civil service re-
! form has been forced to stand up against
| all kinds of opposition-an obstinate ignor-
| ance a fierce party spirit. and the despot-
| ism of bosses intre nched in tradition and
| prejudice. 1t has been touched upon and
| attacked no other good principle mas
| ever been The spokesman the cynic and
| the pessimist have met it with acrid eDl-
| thet and contemptuous jeer, admirably cal
| culated to bring it into bad repute. But.
| on the other hand, the substance and intel
| ligence of the country, the Ieformer ana
| the simple, honest expounder of common
| sense have done all they could to root II
| in kindly soil Civil service reform
| gets badly shaken up sometimes. even in
| Congress. But 1t is natural that some re-
| action of feeling must appear now and
then. The late George William Curtis once
| said There are always bats and owls over
| taken by the rising sun, but despite their
| blinking and hoOting and fluttering, the
sun goes marching on The conservatisms
| of the past are dead ideals that cannot
| thwart the springing ideals of the present.
The people Of this country will never be
| hidden to the obseGuies of civil service re-
1 form as long as American sentiment re-
mains pure enough ito demand that the
| public interests be protected from the raw
ages of party spirit, and from the mad tu-
mutt of party passion that whirls itsel1
| over our country once in every four years.
In the audience were large number OF
| prominent co1ored MEN from all parts of the
country. many Of whom discussed the pa
per. Among those present were Senator
B. K. Bruce. Mr. John R. Lynch, Mr.. Jud-
son Lyons of Georgia. member OF the re
publican national. con,anittee; Bishop B. w
Arnett of Ohio, Bishops Gaines and Holsey
of Georgia, Professor ". s. Scarborough Of
willberforce University, Professor R. r
Wright Of Georgia. Josiah T. Settle. esq.,
of Memphis. Tenn: J. c. Napier, esq
Nashville, Tenn; NJ. w. Lawson, Willis
Texas; Charles Leaveu and Robert Harlan
jr, of Cincinnati: Representative Geo. w
Murray, Rev. H c. c. Astwood of Pennsyl-
vania. Rev. Hatfield Dickerson, Newark
N j.: Mr. Stanley Rufin. Johnson Ramsey
and Dr. Samuel Courtney of Boston. Mass.
George Jones of Helena. Ark; DR.. J: X
| Grassland Of ST. Joseph. Mo-. and DR.. w al.
| ton Of Columbia, S. c. l.. NJ Hershaw OF
| the land Office presided.