Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-08

selves much profit upon your return. we
know the honorable and distinguished MIS-
tory of the league, and appreciate all ina.
1t has accomplished in the cause OF goou
government. National in character. ana
chiefly interested in the national civil serV-
ice, which it has done SO much to Improve,
there Is no place more appropriate for It's
meeting than the national capital. There
is no place where 1t has more sympathetic
friends or where its trumphs and its as
pirations are better understood. Civil serv-
Ice reform is but sentiment in many
places, but here it Is a substantial fact,
which has transformed the whole life OF
the community. We who can remember
the full operations of the spells system
here. eliminating in the assassination or
President Garfield which shocked the
country into its first real acceptance of the
new reform, are grateful for the vast
change in conditions Frequent upheayals.
wholesale changes for political reasons. and
perpetual favoritism, with all their demon
alizing influence upon individuals, political
parties and the national life were more
detrimental to this community than to any
other. Business, society, the church, were
all hurt by them. Now We rejoice in a sta
BILE civil service based upon personal merit
rather than upon political favor, and bless
ing rather than cursing the national capl-
tai.
Unfortunately, the national civil service
law does not apply to the District govern
ment, with its $500 employees, because tina!
government is not part of the national gov
eminent, but separate municipal corpora
ton, according to the uniform decisions of
the United States Supreme Court Unfor-
tunately, Congress has not yet granted the
request of the Commissioners of the District
earnestly supported by our Civil Service
Reform Association and the citizens gener-
ally, for District civil service law Never
theless. the Commissioners of the District,
backed by public opinion, have maintained
merit system of appointments and pro-
motions, and make no removals except for
cause. By courtesy the United States civil
service commission conducts examinations
for admission to our police and fire depart
ments, and on special occasions in other
departments, but the Commissioners are
earnestly appealing to Congress to give
them a law for the District government
similar to those in all other progressive
municipalities. We hope that the District,
which has been kept waiting longer than
any other similar place, may soon be given
it's desire In this respect. Meanwhile, we
are greatly helped by the spirit of the re-
formed national civil service and the
wholesome atmosphere which 1t has Gre
ated here.
ut is inspiring to all of us to be In the
place where the battle for civil service re-
form was won by the noble men who led
its fighting line. 1t is ennobling as well as
encouraging to remember that here that
friend of the republic George William
Curtis, hero and saint of civil service re-
form. the st. George who gave the spoils
dragon its death-wound, struck the first
great blow when he took the post of civil
service commissioner after declining to be
minister to England. We have the benefit
of the heroic work of Curtis and his sue
cessors, none more militant or effective
than that civil service commissioner who
has just received an unparalleled vote of
confidence as President of the United
States from his fellow-countrymen, who
first learned his character and capacity
when he fought the good fight of the civil
service commission. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that Washingtonians favor civil
service reform. You are in the house of
your friends, and we trust you will feel at