Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-31
Mr.. CLAPP CANNOT SERVE
Pleading His Age, BE Declines Presidency of
Anti-Civil Service League.
HIS Letter i'm Response tn Notification
of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
the LeRgue Meeting.

| was expected that Mr. A. NJ Clam who
| had at the previous meeting been cleo ted
| president of the organization. would assume
the office. The meeting was largely ate id
| ed, brt those present were greatly disap-
! pointed to learn. from the committee APP
pointed TO wait upon Mr.. Clapp and inform
him of his unanimous election. that he had
determined 20 decline the honor. because
| of his advanced years.
The committee laid before the meeting a
| letter from Mr. Clapp. which Secretary
| Lester read, as follows:
| Gentlemen of the National Republican Anti
Civil Service League:
| Having been honored by a call from a
| committee Of your organization. which in
| forms me that l have been unanimously
| elected as its president until the LIST OF Oo-
| tober next, ii is fitting that | should make
! some reply to this Amusement While 1 am
rot unmindful of the honor YOU have con-
| ferred upon me 10y this mark of your re-
| spect, have some doubt of the wisdom OF
your selection. The Justice of this cause
you represent. and the necessity Of your
! action under existing circumstances, are
| very apparent. An issue has been forced
upon the American people by what is known
as civil service reform. and the struggle is
TO come between the devotees Of that po-
| al contrivance and the common-sense of
| the American people, and while | am on the
side of your organization. far l
| derstand its aims, my better judgment has
come 10 the deliberate conclusion that you
| have been betrayed by your friendship and
| Partially into an error of judgment. In
raining me as your president. That posi-
! ton, in my opinion, should be attended by
younger blood. and a vieor that belongs TO
| the meridian of life and age. You seem to
| have for gotten that in few days / shall
| have entered upon my eighty-seventh year
| of life. when the scar and yellow leaf adj
| monishes of infirmties that are unavoid-
| able the lapse of time. and disquali-
flying in their nature for physical and men,
! tai activity. The work that you have un-
| dertaken involves the most active effort OF
| mental and physical power to win success.
| and prefer not to embarrass the advance
| ment Of your cause by assuming the duties
/ of its presiding officer. In view of these
circumstances, i feel constrained. most re-
| spectfully. TO decline the honor that YOU
have so generously rendered to me.
Approves the Object.
While I cannot serve you as your presid-
ing officer, am in full sympathy with your
aims and your efforts, if judiciously direct
ed, to produce the modification repeal
of the civil service law, so that If ii has a
future existence it shall not repeat the
wrongs that have been perpetrated upon
the saviors of our country when in peril,
and the true republicans who have been
prosecuted by the late administration for
| opinions sake The law should be so nodi-
| fled that IL cannot be made the agent of
such wrongs as have heretofore blemished
the character of the nation, under the cry
of plumber and spoils, when those most vo-
ciferous in that cry have long fed at the
public crib
l have 10 concealment of my views on the
civil service commission and its policies IL
is not in line with the genius and spirit or
a government of the people and by the
people" The people Of the United states
have not called for il. for il Is ua-Amert-
can, unrepublican and undemocratic. 1t
has not yet by experiment. showed that IL
has promoted the efficiency. the honesty.
or the economy of its policies. 1t Is not OF
American parentage. hut is the twin sister
of free trade. and is not adapted to our
form CT government, for 1t subverts the pol-
iCies established by the founders of this
government. ard does not consist with the
genius and spirit of American institutions.
1t is useless and expensive luxury, III the
constitutional agencies of power are COM
retent to Judge of The qualifications of their
subordnates.
absursIity of Adaptation.
The absurdity of adaptation has been ex-
en- plifed in a remar kable deslee IN The case
of the government printing Office. The
rres mt public pr inter- is em.nsn ly qualified,
as the statute relating thereto requires, TO
Judge CT the capacities and qualifications
Of his employees. He has been educated in
the art of printing. as the law requires, and
yet by presidential rule his preroSative
l.: been taken from him and transferred TO
q commission which have no knowledge OF
the art of printing. and which have greatly
embarrassed a competent officer 10y assum-
ing his duties when ignorant Of their char
acter and needs. This is great wrong to
the public service. and great embarrass-
n:ent to a capable officer. which calls for
prompt relief by executive internositton or
congTess or al action. IN brief YOU have ny
views of the civil service law as admins
tered heretofore. The laws Of republic
should be for the benefit of the public well
fare, and never Ice made an instrument OF
persecution in any department or class of
public servants.
Thanking you for your kind consideration
of myself personally, 1 am. respectfully
YOURS.
The sentiments in the letter were loudly
applauded. and it was moved that the
declination be no; accepted. and the COM
mittee be instructed to again wait upon
Mr. Clapp and inform him that it is the
IN animocs wish of the league that he ac-
Cept the office. the committee being also
irs tructed to explain to him that the league
does not agree with MIN to his incom-
potency because of his advanced age.
yirGinfa Republicans Views.
letter YVES read from James Ii. Martin
of Unionviile Orange county. Va, a men,
Ter Of the Orange county republican execu-
tive committee and delegate to the last
state convention advocating the repeal OF
the civil service laws. and promising to do
all i'm his power TO assist in that movement.
Under a suspension of the rules the fol-
lowing Were elected to membership: l.. q.
Estes of Maine. Charles Emery of Mis-
souri, Sam c. Elliott of Kentucky, L. II.
Spencer Of Connecticut Chas. n. Lehman
of California. J. Fitzgerald of the District
Geo. ID. Dave of Maryland, and Jos. III.
Ching of Maryland.
A resolution offered by Capt. John II.
Frederick. who presided over the meeting,
6enouncing the civil service law and re-
qIesting Congress to repeal it. went over,
under the rules, for one week. The rules
were susp nded again, and the following
elected honorary members of the
league: Senators ]. IL. Galiinger of New
Hampshire ard ]. b. Pritchard of North
Carolina, Representatives Charles II. Gros-
venor Of Ohio and w. p. Brownlow of
Tennessee. former Senator John ]. Ingalls,
of Kansas and Green b. Raum of Illinois
Before the league adjourned. addresses
were made by several members. IL being
stated that the anti-civil service movement
is meeting with unexpected strength
throughout the country, and that republi-
cans are beginning to realize that unless
the law is repealed the party cannot be
successful again. One of the speakers,
Secretary Lester. regretted that the local
newspapers. the best in the country he
said, do not publish all the news as to the
strength and extent of the movement
1t Is expected that at the next meeting,
to be held tomorrow evening, Representa-
tfyes Sidney II. Mudd MARYLAND and