The evening times., 1899-12-19
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM LEAGUE
Review of the Work of the Recent
National Convention.


BALTIMORE, Dec. 19.--Mr. Charles ].
Bonaparte has returned TO this city from
the recent meeting of the National Civil
Service Reform League, at Indianapolis.
When asked what his impressions were
regarding the meeting. and the situation
and prospects OF civil service reform, Mr..
Bonaparte replied:
The meeting was somewhat exception
ally satisfactory. There was a Very good
attendance Of delegates, and the proceed
ings were marked by unusual interest and
entire harmony. Il was said-9ith what
truth Go not know-that the Republicans
of Indianapolis had been instructed to
boycott Mr.. Schurz's annual address;
there was. however, a very good audience
to hear this. The delegates were most
Hospitality treated b. the local association
and several other organizations and also by
most of the indianapolis papers, the only
unpleasant incident being the publication
of an absurd and utterly groundiess story
that there had been heated discussion
in secret session over certain reports crit
icising the conduct Of the Administration.
and that these reports had been sup
pressed or greatly modified in conse-
Quence. The truth is that there was no
secret session of the league at all. and the
reports in question were received with
unanimous approval and accepted without
dissenting voice.
The views of the league as TO the situa-
tion and prospects of civil service reform
are expressed in the resolutions adopted
at the meeting. The Presidents order of
May 90 last, the course pursued by Con
gress In relation to the war emergency ap-
pontments and the census, the action OF
Secretary Gage in refusing the league ac-
cess to public records. and the unblushtng
and unpublished violations and evasions OF
the civil service law which have marked
the past two years in the Federal admins
tration, were unanimously and severely.
though temperately, condemned. On the
other hand, the increase of intelligent SYM
pathy with civil service reform in the ex-
pressions of public opinion all over the
country the improvement in local govern
ment reported from various cities and
States-due to a practical recognition OF
these principles in legislation and admin
istration-and the highly creditable con-
duct of some among our public men. such
as Governors Roosevelt, OF New York. and
Wolcott, of Massachusetts,, were noted as
causes for hearty and reasonable satisfac-
ton On all these points there was no
difference Of opinion whatever, men from
all sections of the country and Of both the
great political parties taking precisely the
same view.
Another subject as to which there was
entire unanimity. although its discussion
was a matter of considerable delicacy. was
the urgent necessity Of providing suitable
safeguards against the evils Of the 'spoils
system in our newly acquired territory.
There was. indeed. a very wide difference
of opinion among the members Of the league
as to the constitutionality, justice, and ex-
pediency of some or all OF these territorial
extensions; but everyone agreed that il
would be an outrage upon enlightenment
and humanity if we had dependencies to
turn them over to the tender mercies of
carpet-baggers and place-hunters.
1T is needless to say that the league took
no action and expressed no opinion as to
any strictly political uQestions. 1 was in
terested, however, to note from conversa-
tions with number Of delegates, who may
be not unreasonably regarded as fair rep
resentatives of the independent sentiment
in politics in their respective localities,
what seemed likely to be their own course
in the approaching Presidential election.
With very few. If any, exceptions, they
had all voted for Mr.. Mckinley in 1896;