The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-21
WHAT CIVIL SERVICE IS.
Address of Charles j. BOnaparte
at Kansas City.

Kansas City, Dec. 21.-'What Civil
Service Reform Is and What 1t Is Not
was the subject of an address given by
Charles J. BOnaparte Saturday night in
the rooms of the Commercial club to
members of the Civic league and
great gathering of other people that
filled the large room.
Mr.. Bonaparte said in part:
Civil service reform is simply the ap-
plicatiOn of morality and common
sense to the choice and tenure of pub
lie servants. A public office belongs to
the people; its duties are fixed by the
peoples laws; its salary is paid by the
peoples money.
A public officer is then a trustee, and
a trustee not for party, or any fac
ton of a party, but for the public, the
whole people,, as well for those who
have not votes as for those who have;
as well for those who have voted for
his competitor as for those who have
voted for him. AS a trustee he is sub
ject to two obligations, unequivocally
recognized by every Jurisprudence to
which trusts are known, he must not
himself profit directly or indirectly, in
his own person or through the adj
vancement of any other individual or
any organization, by the administra-
ton of his trust, and he must himself
conduct this administration, not hand
it over or farm it out to Others
1t follows logically that if a president
or a governor or a MAJOR uses the pa
tronage which he holds in trust for the
union or his state or his city, to
strengthen himself in his faction or his
faction in the party or his party at the
polls his conduct is Neutrality-suspicious.
IN morals from guardians who should
use his wards money in his own bust
ness or in the business of some firm
or corporation of which he was a mem
Der. 1t is not even enough that he
may not choose unfit subordinates; to
be perfect he must choose them solely
because of their fitness. If he allows
any other consideration whatever to
influence his choice, for a. strict moral
list, he is wanting in the work which
he has promised, nay sworn. to per-
form.
1t is equally vital that a public like
private trust, should be executed by
the trustee himself, not abdicated in
favor of another, delegatus non potest
delegare. It is related OF Mr.. Lincoln
that when he one day depIored to an
intimate friend the necessity of sacri-
hcing faithful competent official to
appease the enmity of an influential
congressman, whom we may call Mr..
Memo, his interlocutor "a civil service
refOrmer of those days., asked with
some Indignation: But, Mr.. President,
are you president or is Mr.. Memo pres
tdent? Mr.. Lincoln replied at once,
Mr.. Memo is president" Yes under
the spoils system, Mr.. Memo is presi-
dent; Memo is also governor and mayor
and collector of customs or of internal
and sheriff, and every other officer who
has subordinates to choose or to re-
place.
Unquestionably no one in his senses
would think of mana ring his on bust
ness as the peoples business is man
aged and was before the reform of the
past twenty years. A man who filled
up his factory with workmen chosen be
cause they agreed with him as to the
currency of the Philippines and changed
When more efficient political workers
We're needed, would probably get into g
strait-jacket even before he got into
bankruptcy. But to a moralist there
would be a vast difference between his
behavior and similar conduct nv thf
president or governor or mayor. After
p all, he would be but doing as he chose
with his own unless he endangered his
creditors or his family, and would be
but a fool for his pains
If during his absence, however. hi:
manager or foreman were to deal thu:
with his interests the most charitable
critic would recognize in the latte
something worse than a fool. His con
duct might not be crime, while tn,
larceny Of his employers goods woulC