The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Open Letter from Hon. w. ID. FOull1e
to Mr.. George w. Spahr.
George w. spahr. indianapolis:


Dec. 20 a letter in which you criticise that
paper because it gives prominence to what
Mr.. Schurz and Mr.. Swift have to say on
civil-service reform. THE financier," you
| add, never goes to fiat-money man to
| talk finance. nor the Christian to the syna-
gogue to talk religion, nor the founders of
| a republic to monarchy for their laws
Therefore Republicans ought not to so to the
refugee and the renegade for their ideas and
! opinions of Americanism."
If the founders of Il republic must never
go to a monarchy for its institutions, what
/ have you to say of Our jury system? Must
we abolish it because it came from monarch
| ical England? What say you to legislative
| representation and an independent Judiciary
| to the rule that man shall be put twice
in jeopardy and, indeed, to the whole of
| that great system If common law which
came from the same source? dust we abol-
| ish this? The founders of our institutions
| thought otherwise, and those who would up
hold these institutions should be ashamed
of such an argument.
You say Americans ought not to go to
the refugee and the renegade for their opin-
ions of Americanism." You refer to Mr.
Schurz. Permit me to say that the refugee
from German tyranny in 1913 is a safer guide
to-day. The man appointed by Lincoln
minister to Spain, who resigned to take arms
for his adopted country; the man who COM
manded corps at Gettysburg, who presided
| over the Republican convention of 1868, a
| leader of the Senate at it's most illustrious
period since the war, Cabinet officer who
| brought his own department by civil-service
rules to a condition which has never been
| surpassed, is called by you "a devilfish
spewing his inky substance into the political
| waters round about u.s. You claim credit
as a lifelong Republican. Mr.. Schurz is en-
| titled to credit as a lifelong patriot. You
| say, Il do not propose to take my lessons
from any such man." Are you willing, then,
| to take lessons from the leaders and conven-
| tions of your own party? 1t was in 1864 that
| Charles Sumner introduced into the Senate
our first civi-service reform bill In 1867
Inom mas j. Jenckes, Republican sena-
report in favor of the reform, and in 1868
he introduced bill similar in principle to
| the present law. In December. 1870, Grant
| in his message called attention to the neces-
| sity for reform, and on March 3 1911, Sen
ator Trumbull also Republican I1eI ae IN INTRO
| vised Statutes) which prescribed the first
| tests to ascertain the fitness of applicants
| the first .Civi-service Commission, with
| George William Curtis at its head. In De-
cember 1873, and again in December, 1874
| the soldier President commended the. re-
| form to Congress. In 1872 the Republican
| platform declared that ANY system under
| which the subordinate positions were con-
| sidered rewards for mere party zeal was
| demoraliZing, and favored reform which
should abolish the evils of patronage" The
| Republican platform of 1876 declared that
| congressman should not dictate APP
pointments. that the invariable fidel-
ty in power those places where
| harmony and vigor of the administration re-
| qured its policy to be represented, but per-
| hitting all others to be filled with sole ref
! erence to the efficiency of the public service
| and the right of all citizens to share in the
honor of rendering faithful service to the
| country President Hayes, in his message
| of December, 1879, urged the necessity or this
| reform, denouncing the evils of the spoils
| system and referring to the salutary results
| of the competitive plan established in 1871
! and the additional testimony furnished Dy
| reports of the secretary or the inferior mt e
| SchurZ) of the postmaster general, ana OF
| the postmasterS and collectors in New YORK
and other large cities. In 1880 the Republic
an convention adopted the declarauo1s OF
| Hayes and demanded that Congress should
| so legiSlate that fitness, aScertalned py pfac-
teal tests SHOULD admit to the Ru3 b i Seav
| gural declared that he would ask congress
for a proper civil-service reform law No
| where has the corrupting doctrine or Spons
| heen more clearly pointed out than by Gar
field in his article in the Atlantic monthly
on Dec. n, 1882, during the administration
of President Arthur, the civil-seryice law
passed the Senate. Every Republic can IN n
passed the House by 155 yeas to AZ nays, the
| Affirmative vote being 100 Republicans (in-
GLIDING William Mckinley 81 D 8ti11e Tats
| 20 Democrats. Republicans and l independ-
| emit 1t was the Republican party that
| passed the law. In July the system went
into operation, and 1884 places We're in
| Guided in the classification. me RepuDllcah
convention of 1884 declared: Reform Oh ciyti
service auspiciously begun under Repuo5
| Iican administration, should be completed
| by the further extension of the reform syS-
tenn already established by law to all grades
| Of the service to which it is applicable The
| spirit and purpose of reform Snoulu De 90,
served in all executive appointments ns aii9 a
| reform legislation should be repeaieu 70
| the end that the dangers to free institutions
| which Turk in the power of official pdtIoA
| age may be wisely and effectively avoided.
| In 1883 the Republican national conventlon
which nominated Mr.. Harrison repeated the
| declaration of 1884, which had Deen WTllIeh
| by George William Curtis. During Haril-
| sons term To- $50 places were added 70 the
classified service In 1917 the RepuD ,1cad
| the spirit and evidence of reform IN the
civil service and the wise and CONSISTENT
| laws regulating the same" The Republican
| convention of 1896 declared the civii-serVlce
law was placed on the statute oooh py tne
| Republican party, which has always sus-
| tanned it, and we renew our repeated ueCldr-
ations that it shall be thoroughly and hon
estly enforced and extended wherever prac-
| ticable" Mr.. Mckinley declared in his let
| ter of acceptance that the Republican party
would take no backward step upon this
|
| member of Congress 1 voted and spoke in
| favor of the present law, and | shall at
| tempt it's enforcement in the spirit IN which
| it was enacted" Mr.. Mckinley had many
| times shown his friendliness for the reform.
! In $780, when he was chairman OF the com
| mittee on ways and means he said in Con-
| egress: IF the Republican party is pledged
| to any one thing more than another 1T is to
| the maintenance of the clV1l-SerV1ce law and
| to its efficient execution-not only that, but
| to its enlargement and it's further appiica
| ton to the public service. Since Mckin-
| leys Inauguration strong efforts have been
| made to induce him to modify the reguia-
| tions in a sense unfriendly to the reform,
| but not only has he refused to do this, he
| has actually extended the system and added
| a rule that no removal shall be made from
| any position subject to competitive eXami-
| nation except for just cause and upon writ
! ten charges, of which the accused shall
| have notice and the opportunity TO make
| defense. Now you say that you will not
| take your lessons from the mugwumps. VIII
! you take them from the Republican party
| itself?
| You find fault with mugwumps on account
! of what YOU are pleased to call their lack
of political party ideas" and their independ-
| ence of all parties. Yet you yourself aban-
| don the principles of your party, apparent
| ly unconscious that in this you constitute
! Yourself mugwump of a baser sort, rec
reant to one of your partys most salutary
| doctrines.
! believe with you that the Republican
| party has been damaged by black sheep
| but the black sheep are those who demand
offices as spoils for themselves and their
| friends, and not those who periodically re-
| sist this partisan camor.