The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-08-26
CIViIl, SERVICE.
Means Better Business and:
aneraPo olitics. s,s.s.-. s...... !.
IN HE age of reform movements is a
play now being enacted upon almost
4 -BYsD.sA- PETR1E.

I'm HE age of reform movements is n
play now being enacted upon almost
e - every stage throughout the broal
continent of America. In no period of The
past quarter of a century has. there been
offered ato the reading public a greater op-
pnrtunity to, i study existing needs than
is set forth i1 the ma ny lew maya zines
and papers which are flooding the country.
We can read from them che many ideas
set forth to- solve existing inequalities.
For instance, a large sa1nountBof space is
devoted to municipal ownership 9th ,rs
tt 1eat on cooperative commonwealti1s,
then again, the income tax measure is
insisted upon to equa1ize taxation, and on
this same line come the advocates of Henry
George, with. his single tax proposition,
Which is forming around its rostrum a
large host of advocates.
All of these propositions are aimed for
better social organization and are Sub
ject which the 5pe6ple Of this age cannot
afford to ignore. In order however, 10
bring about any Of these desired ends, the
axe must be leveled at the root of the evils,
and the first reform must begin in poll
tics. ~ uder the present spoils system
there; are thousands of mem who belong to
no party, except that party which they
expect will win out at a coming election =
the spoils seekers or 3pot-house politicians.
These are the men who are constantly
,fcOling the people,, and lying to them
selves; they care not whether the right
one is elected SO long as they receive some
reward Gam office) and should they be dis
appointed Immediately switch around to
the other party at a coming election
to eliminate this class of people is the de-
sire Of every right thinking citizen, and
one plan would suggest itself; a strict en-
forcenent of civil service rules from
municipality to the federal government,
affecting every public officer. When NETT
becomes the only ordeal which shall test
a mans fitness for position, then will we
have eliminated from politics a host Of
hungry and in most cases unfit office seek
ers and voters, who are a. constant prey
on better citizens. 1t is no wonder tha-
the latter class refrain from taking hold of
the reins Of government which necessarily
brings them in close contact with the
low down tactics of the pot-house poll
tician; but after all this is a very lame eS-
cuse for good citizens to shirk their duty
as without sacrifice little good is ever cf-
fected. The old saying of Scripture is
here emphasized: zone man soweth and
another geaps the harvest only goes to
illustrate thai the best of mems efforts
are rarely enjoyed in his own generation,
and yet is in direct contradiction to the
saying that one does NOT profit by the
experience Of others. believe this is a
picture very much overdrawn, because
If we failed to learn wisdom out of th.
follies of the past, the world would never
progress, and one reason why we might not
further progress, is that we are unwilling
to cast off the scales of bygone days and
put On the armor of the present oppor.
tunities. -s