The McCook tribune., 1897-12-24
THE SPOlLS SYSTEM
It Is Denounced by the National Civil
Service Reform Lcnguc.

Service Reform League.
CINCINNATI, Dec 20.-The Nation
al Civil Service Reform league re-
elected Carl Schurz president by accla-
nation.
The report of the treasurer, A. S.
Friessel of New York, showed re-
ceipts of $4,47S.S2; balance on hand,
S376.13.
The report of the committee on
resolutions, which reported through
it's chairman, Charles G.. Bonaparte OF
Baltimore, was adopted as follows:
l. The National Civil Service Re-
form league in 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 lawand
to extend its operations wherever
practical. The league confidently eX-
poets from the president and demands
from every republican senator faith
ful fulfllmant of this distinct and SOL
emn pledge.
2. The league denOunces any at
tempt on the part OF republican mem
bers of either house of congress to re-
peal the law to embarrass the admin
istration of any modification of it's
provisions except to the end that the
merit system for public Offices and en-
ployGs may be extended and personal
or partisan favCritisn in their choice
more thoroughly eradicated, and de-
clares it not only unpatriotic and un-
wise, but a gross. shameful abuse of
flNn T,-.4y l.. \, L
would be guilty.
3. 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 q wise and
just measure fully endorsed by
heightened public opinion, and it de-
mands for the order a fair cOnstruc-
ton and a practical enforcement with
adequate punishment for any officials
who may disObey or seek to evade it's
provisions. The league respectfully
urges upon the president and upon
those members of his cabinet and Of
either house of congress who also de-
sire to preserve and extend the merit
system of appointment in the federal
service the Importance of unfiinching
resistance to the demands CT men who
wish its destruction. The least con-
cessiOn to demands inspired by such
motives will greatly encourage these
men and increase their greedy clamor,
while making resistance to such pres
sure more difficult in the future.
4. The league calls attention to the
TACT that in those states where the
party now dominant in federal gov
ernment has sought intercessions of
ats state conventions to qualify or
evade the unequiVocal utterance of it's
national platform as to civil service
reform the results of the late election
have clearly indicated the disapproval
OF honest and patriotic citizens. The
league further recognizes with pleasure
the steady and rapid growth of SYM
pathy with its principles of conscien-
tious Americans of all classes.
3. The league Indignantly stigma
tlzes the mendacity with which the
enemies OF good government and bet
ter politics, both in and out of con-
eresS, nave misrepresented the Drac-
tlcal working of the merit system, and |
their persistent repetition of gross |
and ridiculous falsehOOds, clearly and |
frequently exposed, as insults at once |
to the intelligence and conscience of
The American people.
Z. The league demands that the en-
0loyes of the census bureau be select
ed for merit and fitness, to be determ-
ned by fair, practical and thorough
examinations under the
llrectlon of the Civil Service commits
'lon. With the warning example of the
asst census before its eyes. it protests
against any enactment which may
prevent or impede such selections as
nVoiElng scandaloUs waste of mon
y and sacrifice Of the c0untry's inter
'sts. 1t would be better to have no
ensus at all in 1860 than one taken
" incompetent or untrustwOrthv no
ltlcal proteges selected according TO
he we'll known methods of so-caIIed
PRACTICAL politics.
n -,-,