Evening star., 1898-12-16

age. Circulars and testimonials sent free nv ad-
dressing F. A. Stuart Co. Marshall, Mich. del 4&lG
BILE government in Cuba" he said. urgent
reasons Of polity impel us to insist upon
the establishment there OF a sound and
permanent civil service. not only in the cen
traL but in the local and municipal admin
lstrations. Next is the considera-
ton that through a skilled and honorable
service we shall afford to the educated
classes, whom an extensive franchise
threatens TO swamp, a share in government
that VIII tend To preserve their just and
necessary prestige. The last and most i'm
portant reason is that I'm a government that
does not promise to be the most stable in
the world there may be at least one eIe-
iheht OF perrnanence. and that In society
long distracted by partisan strife the great
fountain head of spoils may he forever
dried up. Nothing, l imagine will do more
to give Cuba order and repose"
President schurz's Address.
In his address before the league last
night Carl Schurz, the president, said IA
part:
President Mckinley was elected on
platform which declared that: The civil
service law was placed on the statute book
by the republican party, which has always
sustained It. and we renew our repeated
declaration that it should be thoroughly
and honestly enforced and extended wher-
ever practicable" In his letter of ac-
ceptance and his inaugural address he en-
phatically accepted this platform and
pledged himself that under his administra-
ton there should be no backward step.
These pledges clearly covered the exten-
SION and the scope of the civil service rules
made by President Cleveland. which had
long been published and sufficiently dis
cussed by the public press to bring them
TO the knowledge OF every intelligent per
son IN any manner interested In public
affairs.
But some time ago the President gave MS
TO understand that he purposed 10 Issue an
order excepting certain important classes
OF ofhces from the operation of the civil
service law, against which we thought il
our duty respectfully to remonstrate hon
ing TO convince him that such exceptions
were unnecessary and would be injurious
10 the public interest When the report
that such an order would after all be is
sued continued to appear, the league
thought 1t proper to submit to him a more
formal protest, which has been spread be
lore the public, together with elaborate
briefs showing in detail how uncalled for
as we thought, as well as how hurtful,
such curtailments of the merit system
would be.
Pledge Has Not Been Kept.
The present situation may, therefore be
summed up thus: The national administra-
ton has so far failed to redeem the pledge
contained in the platform upon which IL
was elected-not only to enforce the civil
service laws honestly and thoroughly" but
also to extend it wherever practicable;''
and various abuses have been allowed to
creep into the conduct of the civil service
which have had the effect of multiplying the
spirit aud intent of the law and of the
rules in considerable number OF cases
1t Is gladly acknowledged that the number
OF such cases is still so limited that il may
be spoken of as exceptional. But ii has
been large and conspicuous enough To i'm
pair the confidence of many people in the
honest enforcement OF the merit system
and to justify the apprehension that if
the abuses complained of be permitted TO
continue and TO spread. they will under
mine the discipline of the service and bring
back many of the worst evils which the in
PRODUCTION Of the merit system was de-
signed to remedy. On the other hand, re-
cent events have served To put the neces-
sity of the maintenance and pf the grea test
possible extension OF the msrt system in
a stronger light than ever. and still more
To invigorate that patriotic public opinion
which. steadily increasing i'm righteous
power will not only not tolerate any back
ward STEP but never cease to press on
until the work of reform is wholly accom-
plished and firmly founded.