New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-30
PREDICTION AND EVENT.

If there was one thing more than another
which used to excite the scorn of the anti-ex-
| pansionists it was the suggestion that Civil
| Ser7ice system might be developed in our island
possessions which would be better than what
we had at home and serve as example to be
initiated by our own people. Howfhe idea was
ridicuIed as sef-evdent hypocrisy! How
satire withered everybody who dared TO sug-
gest that national appreciation of the delicacy
of the insuiar problems would lead to the NAM
tenanee of a higher standard for colonial Off
GERS than was commonly thought necessary for
those charged with the direction of domestic
affairs with which everybody was familiar and
felt competent to deal, How absurd were the
McKinleys and Roosevelts and Lodges made to
appear for thinking that sposmen's pressure
would be less or more easily resisted when the
patronage was at Manila than when Il was at
Washington. The deepest Boston philosophy
and the most sef-sat ished of superior New
York cocksureness proved beyond shadow of
n doubt that such thing was impossible, and
that nobody but fool or knave would sug-
gest such a hope as palliatlon Of the expan-
sion wickedness Yet here find in Good
Government" the organ of the National civil
Service Reform League. of which that eminent
anti-mperialist Carl Schurz was formerly pres-
dent. and is still n foremost adviser, leading
editorial on the recent meeting Of the league
in Philadelphia. which says:
One of the most interesting features OF the
annual meeting was the information submitted
by those ngaged In the service to the work
that has been done in the Philippines and lii
Porto Rico toward the establishment of the
merit system. There have been many difficult
ties to meet and all OF them have not been sur
mounted; but It is plain that much more has
been done. and done better. than the most san
guine would have ventured to predict few
years ago. And this has obviously been due
largely TO the higher standard OF appointments
rot included under the specific rules. standard
that must he conceded to he superior to that
applied in some important branches of the gov
eminent at home. 1t is evident and it WAS
newt bic. that the logic of this situation was IN
nany minds and that there was well defined
longing for that arrival of the principle of the
Mia which has fervently been discussed at
former meetings. The very thoroughness ana
practical success with which the merit principle
hiss been applied by the President aud his ad-
mira Bile commissioners TO the classified service
turns mems thoughts to what yet may he &C
compshed in extending the same principle more
widely than heretofore to the offices usually re-
garded political
OF course IL cannot 10 true. 1t was proved
TO us long ago by psychology. history aud the
rule of three that II could not he true. The
only things that could come to Washington by
wav OF Manila were cholera, hubonic plague.
despotsm and corrupt adventures with politi-
cal pulls and yet here are the select apostles
of Civil Service reform, who speak with expert
knowledge and who many Of them also
anti-expansionsts. turning with hope to Manila
as stepping stone the road to Washington
for the perfected and purified merit system.
1t is all very strange. Have the Civil Service
reformers gone daft. or is II another case OF su-
perior scientific demonstration going wrong
like those solemn proofs offered few years
ago that the tnplate industry could not by pro-
lection be successfully naturalzed in this coun-
try?