The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-16
CIVIL SERVICE LEAGUE.
The administration Has Failed To Keep
Its Pledges.

Rai.smcre. Dec. l5.-At the close or
the executive session OF the Civil Ser
vice League. IL was announced tnat
nothing of importance had been dohs
except TO authorize the appointment OF
a committee Of seven to investigate
charges Of violation Of civil service
rules and to inquire into the manner IN
which appointments have been made by
the war department and I'm the consular
service. Al the afternoon session. the
report OF Secretary McAneeny was rta1
and approved. after which a paper ON
Colonial Administrations Warning
from Spain" by Henry II. Classic. OF
Washington. n another on Criminal
Orenses Among Federal civil Servants
in Maryland Under the Spo!ls and
Under the Merit System" by John &.
Rose. United States district attorney at
Baltimore. was read.
In the evening" Hon. Carl Schurz
president Of the league. delivered his
annual address. which was "A minute
discussion Of civil service. and occupied
some time I'm delivery. He said. in part:
THE national administration has so far
failed to redeem the pedgc contained in
the platform upon which IL was elected
not only To enforce the civil service
laws honestly and thoroughly but also
To extend Il wherever practicable. n
various abuses have been allowed 10
creep into the COnIutl VI lnt 'iNl VI
vice which have had the effect OF null
lifying the spirit and intent of the law
and Of the rules in a considerable mum
Der of cases. II Is gladly acknowledged
that the number OF such cases Is still SO
limited that IL may be spoken OF as the
exception. But IL has been large and
conspicuous enough to impair the con-
fidence of many people I'm the honest
enforcement of the merit system and u
a ~. shat n tho
abuses complained or ne permitted 10
continue and To spread they will un-
dcrmine the discipline of h service
and bring back many Of the worst eNlS
which the introduction of the
merit system was designed to remedy.
ON the other hand. recent events have
served tn put the necessity of the main
tenance and Of the greatest possible eN-
tension of the merit system in a
stronger light than ever. and still more
To- i~nvigorate that patriotic public opin-
ion which. steadily increasing in right
eous power, will not only not tolerate
any backward step. but never cease to
press ON until the work of reform Is
wholly accomplished and firmly found
ed. The attacks we have now to beat
back from the ground we have won
are. after all. those of mere maraudinE
parties seeking lOdgment in ill-guardSd
positions of ours and trying To pick up
whrl there may he within their reach
for a living. While they are not with
out power of mischief. they will be
really dangerous only If there be neg
ligence or ~pusillanimity or bad faith i'm
our W camp.
Our duty. always the same. is clear
and peremptory. IL is to hold aloft
with a firm hand the standard of genu-
| inc civil service reform. to permit moth
ing 10 pass under that name that does
net truly satisfy It's test; To repel with
out regard of person or party. without
fear or favor. whatever attack may be
made upon II n to press on with In
domitable perseverance toward the
nnal contamination Of the work