The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-16
CIVlL-SERVICE REFORM
CARL SEIZURE DOES NOT THINK 1T is
MAKING HEADWAY.
He Says the National Administration
Has Failed to Redeem the Pledge
Made by the Republicans.

BALTIMORE Md, Dec. 15.-The annual
convention of the National Civil-service Re-
form League began in this city to-day, and
will continue until tomorrow night. The
meetings are being held in the assembly
room of Music Hall, and delegates from all
parts of the country are present. This
mornings work was confined to a meeting
OF the members of the general committee
and the executive committee, the meeting
being joint one, held behind closed doors.
At the close of the executive session it was
announced that nothing of Importance had
been done, except to authorize the appoint
ment of committee of seven to investigate
charges of violation of cvil-service rules
and to inquire into the manner in which ap-
pointments have been made by the War De-
partment and in the consular service.
At the afternoon session the report of
Secretary McAneny was read and approved,
after which paper on Colonial Admins
tration-a Warning from SPAIN" by Henry
H. Classic, of Washington, and another on
Criminal Offenses Among Federal Civil
Servants in Maryland Under Spells and I'm
der the Merit Systems" by John C. Rose,
district attorney, of Baltimore, were read
Mr.. Classic, in his paper. drew the conclu-
sion that much, if not ALL of the evils which
have resulted from Spanish dominion in the
colonies have come from insufficient pay to
civil and military officials and from inn
proper methods in making promotions. By
avoiding these Mr.. Classic asserted that we
may not only be able to provide a proper
government for the Antilles and the Philip
pines, but at the same time greatly i'm
prove that of the country in which we live.
The following officers were selected to-
day: Secretary, George McAneny New
York; treasurer, A. s. Frissel New York;
executive committee, William A Aiken,
Norwich, Conn; Charles J. Bonaparte Bal
timore; Silas w. Burt, New York; Edward
Cary, New York; Charles Collins, New
York; Lucius b. Swift, Indianapolis; Rich
ard Henry Dana, Boston; John w. Ella, chi
cago; William Dudley Foulke, Richmond,
Ind; Richard Watson Glider New York;
Herbert Welsh, Philadelphia; William q.
Low, Brooklyn; Dorman Il. Eaton, New
YORK; William Potts. New York. Charles
Richardson Philadelphia; Sherman S. Rog-
ers, Buffalo; Carl Schurz, New York Ed
ward NJ. Shepard New York; Moorfield
Storey, Boston, kVerett P. Wheeler New
York; Morrill, Wyman, jr., Cambridge, Mass.
In the evening, at Lehman's Hall, Hon.
Carl Schurz, president Of the league deliv-
cred his annual address, which was vigor-
Gus arrangement or the spoils system and
review of the civil-service reform move
ment IN concluding, Mr.. schurz said:
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 it was
elected--not only to enforce the cvil-service
laws honestly and thoroughly but also to
extend it wherever practicable and va
Iious abuses have been allowed to creep into
the conduct of the civil service which have
had the effect of multiplying the spirit and
intent OF the law and of the rules in con-
siderable number of cases. 1t is gladly ac-
knowledged that the number of such cases
is still so limited that it may be spoken of
as exceptional. But it has been large and
conspicuous enough to impair the confidence
OF many people in the honest enforcement
of the merit system, and to justify the APP
prehension that, If the abuses complained
of be permitted to continue and to spread,
they. will undermine the discipline of the
service and bring back many of the worst
evils which the introduction of the merit
system was designed to remedy. On the
other hand recent events have served to put
the necessity of the maintenance and of the
greatest possible extension of the merit sys-
tenn in stronger light than ever and still
more TO invgorate that patriotic public opin-
ion which, steadily increasing in righteous
power. Will not only not tolerate any back
ward step. but never cease to press on until
the work of reform is wholly accomplished
and firmly founded