The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-18


Vice observation-disclosures Francis
Boston; Henry Hitchcock, st. |
Louis; Henry c. Haslea, Philadelphia;
Franklin McVeagh, Chicago; ]. Hall
Peasants, Baltimore; Rt. Rev. P. c.
Potter, New York, William Potter, New
York; Rt. Rev. P. ]. Ryan, Philadel-
phia.
secretary-George NJ. Mccartney, New
York.
Treasurer-A. S. Frissel, New York.
Executive Committee-Carl SchurZ,
New York. chairman; Moorfeld Storey
and Richard Henry Dana, Boston,
Sherman s. Rogers, Buffalo; William
A. Aiken, Norwich; Edward A. Shepard
and William G. Low, Brooklyn; Charles
J. Bonaparte, Baltimore; z. z. Vince
lock, Silas w. Burt, Edward Carey,
Charles Collins, Richard watson VI ID
er, w. A Potts and Norman B. Eaton,
New York; w. Wyman, jr., Cambridge;
William Dudley Foulhe, Richmond,
Ind; Lucius B. Swift Indianapolis;
Herbert Walsh and Charles Richard
son, Philadelphia; John w. Ella, Chi
cago.
The report of the treasurer, A. S.
Frissell, of New York, showed receiptS
of S4,254.59; disbursements, s3,S7S.S2;
balance on hand S376.1S.
The report of the committee on reso- /
lutions presented by the chairman,
Charles J. Bonaparte, Of Baltimore,
was adopted as follows:
ITS PLEDGES.
1. National civil service reform league
assembled in this, its seventh annual
meeting, reminds the country of the
specific and emphatic pledges of the
last Republican national convention
thoroughly and honestly to endorse the
present federal civil service law and
to extend its operation wherever. prac-
ticable. The league confidently expects
from the president and demands from
every Republican senator a faithful
fulfilment of this distinct and solemn
pledge.
ABUSE OF PARTY FAITH.
2. The league denounces any attempt
on the part of the Republican members
of either house OF congress to repeal
the law to embarrass the administra-
ton or any modification of it's provi-
sions, except to the end that the merit
system for public offices and employ
ees may be extended and personal or
partisan favoritism in their choice more
thoroughly eradicated, and declares it
is not only unpatriotic and unwise but
gross shameful abuse of party faith
which no man of honor would be guilty
of.
WISE MEASURE.
5. The league recognizes in the or
der of President Mckinley forbidding
removals in the classified service, I'M
less for good cause and after due no
tice to the person accused, a wise and
just measure fully endorsed by a
heightened public opinion and it de-
mands for the order a fair construction
Old
quate punishment for any officials who
may disobey or seek to evade its pro-
visions.
GREEDY CLAMOR.
4 The league respectfully urges upon
the president and upon those members
OF his cabinet ard of either house OF
congress who also desire to preserve
and extend the merit system of APP
pointment in the federal service, the
Importance of an unfinching resist
a-nce to the demands OF men who wish
its destruction. Any concessions to
these demands inspired by such mo-
tives viii greatly encourage these men
and increase their greedy clamor, while
making resistance to such pressure
more difficult in the future.
PEOPLES APPROVAL.
5. The league calls attention to the
fact that in those states where the
party dominant in the federal govern
ment has sought in the resolutions Of
its state conventions to qualify or evade
the unequivocal utterances of its ma
tional platform as to civil service re-
form, the results of the late elections
have clearly indicated their disappro-
val of honest and patriotic citizens. The
league further recognizes with pleas
ure the steady and rapid growth OF
sympathy with its principles and con-
scientious Americans of all classes.
MISREPRESENTATION.
6. The league Indignantly stigmatizes
the mendacity with which the enemies
of good government and better politics
both in and out of congress have mis-
represented the political working OF
the merit system, and their persistent
repetition of gross and ridiculous false
hoods clearly and frequently exposed
insults at once the intelligence and con-
science of the American people.
MERIT AND FITNESS.
7. The league demands that the en-
ployees of the census bureau be select
ed for merit and fitness, TO be deter
mined by fair, practical and thorough
competitive examinations under the
direction of the civil service commits
sion. With the warning example of the
last census before its eyes, it protests
AGAINST any enactment which may pre-
vent or impede such selection as in
volving a scandalous waste of money
and sacrifice of the country'S interest.
It would be better to have no census
at all in 1900 than one taken by incom-
petnt or untrustworthy political pro-
teges selected according to the we'll
known methods Of so-called practical
politics.
FOUR YEAR TERMS.
8. The league renews is previous dec
larations in favor of the repeal of the
law prescribing four-year terms for
many federal offices, the extension of
the merit system to the consular SER
vice. and the municipal service of the
District of Columbia, and the consoH-
dation of outlying with central post
| Offices. 1t expressly disclaims any ad-
yocacy of civil service pensions as q
part of the merit system, which con-
/ templates such pensions no more than
did the system of appointment and re-
moYal by favor prevailing before the
merit system was introduced; on the
contrary, the protection which an as
sured tenure during efficiency affords to
public servants should enable them, by
! the exercise of frugality and fore
thought, displayed by all prudent per-
sons, to provide out of their current
! earnings for the ordinary contingent
cies of old age and inf1rmity.
OLD HICKORY CONDEMNED.
The Hon. Henry Hitchcock of St
Louis read paper on THE Repub-