Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-08-19

EtTIFIIfTTTTTlCIITs WTDfIUTITus
service Of the State, aad Ct all the civil divis-
ions thereof. including counties. cities. towns
and Villages. except such appointments as are
made according 70 merit and fitness 20 be as
ccrfaincd far as practicable. stall be com.
petitiye; and the general assembly shall pass
all such laws as may DC necessary more fully
sion.'
HOW II READS NOW.
1.-THE proposed amendment. as embodied In
the Law actually passed, and contained in the
bound volume Of the laws OF Isu6 reads thus:
Appointments in the civil service OF TIE
state. in the municipalities and counties 81 the
State. shall be made according to- merit and
ttucss, TO be ascertaincd so far as practicable
by examination, which shall be competitive
except appointments which are subjcct to
assembly shall pass ali such laws as nav be
necessary more fully TO carry into effect the
provisions OF this section.
A RADICAL ALTERATION.
at viii be seen in the 6rst place that the
language here IS decidedly slipshod. whereas
eona that Ss seg gos o s Se4 qd
seems TO be radically altered. appointments in
ihe civil seryiee OF the State and the municipal
rs IT'S most obvious meaning State appoint.
ments merely, as distinguished from local APP
words in. the municipalities and counties Of
the stare impose further restriction, and
make the provisions Of the amendment apply
thus excluding rot only strictly local aficers
on the one hand. hut also general State Off.
correct one, the Offices TO which the aifend.
ment would apply would be not only few in
number, but would be in great part the very
Offices tor which the examination system 4
least necessary, or IS even undesirable.
LOOKS LIKE TRIcKERY.
According to the house journal the amend.
men;, in its nnrtilaicd form. was reported 10
ihe house ey the eomnai;tee amendments
above stated, seems entirely TO have escancj
notice al the time, and seems cxplanable only
by the superstition OF irickery."
Such is the law which is hera,ded by
Republican organizations as one OF
their proud achievements, and such is
the question upon which tn people of
Maryland must go through the farce
OF voting next November.
Instances oil hypocrisy might easily
be multiplied did but space permit, but
treatment OF this subject would be inn
perfect without a passing observation
on the recent removal of Marshal Jacob
Frey and two subordinate officers from
the police force OF Baltimore by parti-
san board OF police commissioners 1t
is universal principle in the laws OF
the Anglo Saxon race, more ancient
than Magma Charta, that no person
shall be condemned without trial and an
opportunity for defense, and yet in the
case of Marshal Frey no charges were
preferred and no defense was permitted,
but that officer was sumrnarily dismis-
sed, ostensibly for not enforcing the
laws against policy gambling, but really
for partisan and political reasons alone.
In regard TO the charges against the
two subordinate officers, Bernard Car
ter, one of the most distinguished law
yers of the country, as counsel to the
board in written opinion formed after
diligent study OF the testimony, said:
ct have no hesitation in saying, with the
that the charge above mentioned is, as re.
spects each of the officers named, so altogether
destitute Of foundation that IN my Judgment
tribunal competent to deal with the sub
Ject, and governed by determination to deal
with It fairly and honestly, could find that
either OF the officers named have been wanting
tive duties in reference TO enforcing the law
against lottery policy in the city of baltimore"
In the face OF this opinion of their
learned counsel the two Republican
commissioners did not hesitate to carry
out the predetermined plans to dismiss
the officers. The widespread and out
spoken indignation of the people OF Bal
timore is still fresh in the public mind,
and IS sufficient commentary upon this
act of fragrant injustice. In discussing
the removals the Baltimore Sun makes
this observation:
"If we extend our vision to the national field
we viii behold the same spectacle of earnest
professions OF devotion to civil service reform
after e:sciion The following declaration on
the subject IS written in the last platform of
me ,.! national Republican party adopted at St
The civil service law was placed on the
statute books by. the Republican party, which
pested declarations that il shall be thoroughly
and honestly enforced and extended wherever
This plank of the platform was endorsed
~ Mr., Mckinley IN his letter Of acceptance in
TIE following emphatic language:
he pledge of the Republican, national con-
vention that our civil service law should be
sustained and thoroughly and honestly cnforc-
feen anc s s$fsndsd wherever ptaeieable is in
past q years, and win be faithfully observed
Our Opponents decry these reforsas. They ap.
gained after so many years agitation and ef.
tort They encourage ! return 10 methods Of
iaounced, tina; experience has condemned and
that the people have repeatedly disapnroved
ne ;RspnoI,ean party earnestly opposes this
ton" 49," "'s ques-
Alter such declarations OF the nation
al convention and such emphatic words
from the Presidential candidate. /, was
somewhat startling only few weeks
ago to find the Republican State CON
vention in Ohio. McKiniey's own State
which was dominated and controlled by
Senator Mark Hanna. McKinley's con-
fdential friend and close adviser. de-
handing repeal OF the recent order of
President Cleveland extending the on
Grafton of the civil service regulations.
The action OF this convention. ioincd
with the demand of Mr. Gage, Secretary
OF the Treasury. that patronage now
protected by civil service rules. to the
amount OF S2so.ooo per annum. be plac-
cd at his personal disposal. give color
TO the current report that the President
is about 10 yield TO the pressure az
spoilsrnen and do what his party and
himself so recently and 81 enthusiastically
condemned The report IS further
strengthened by the nj views cx-
pressed by Senator Pri.chard. chairman
OF the Senate committee on civil service
as well as by the amendments acsuaIir
offered 20 the deficiency appropriation
bill IN the Senate. excnp;ing from the
classified service all laborcrs and work
men. various internal rcveflue officers.
employees in the Government. Printing
Otrce and certain positions in the In
a II