The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-10-12
Subject Of Principal Address
Before Club Women Today
BY HON. RICHARD W. DANA
Speaker is Chairman of Council Of Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League
-Doings of the Day With
State Federation.

The work of the last day Of the
meeting OF the Vermont Federation Of
Women's Clubs was taken up this morn
ing at $50, there being about SO dele
gates present when Miss Clark called
the meeting to order.
Prayer was offered by the Rev. w.
A. Kinzie of the Baptist church in this
city. A pleasing vocal solo was rem
dered by Miss Lila Morse, accompanied
by Miss wis Averill
Miss Clark then presented to the as
sembled club women Mrs. Walter Stokes
Irons, president of the Rhode Island
Federation. Mrs. Irons gave a short talk
on the work of the Federation in Rhode
Island. She told of the difficulties in
getting child labor law passed, and
how after they had succeeded in get
ting a good bill into the legislature it
was cut down and amended until the
bill which was Ut last passed was but
a ghost Of the first draft. She closed
by congratulating the Vermont Fedora
tion for the fine work it had done dur
ing the past year, and asked them to
co o-operate with the women of other
states in keeping up the good work.
Miss Clark gave short paper on the
work and hopes Of the Federation which
showed the association to be in a heal
thy condition. The number of clubs
federated was the same as last year,
although the Century club of Middle
bury had dropped out and one club had
been admitted.
Mrs. Thompson, chairman of the civil
service reform committee, then gave a
short paper. She asked that each club
name one day each year for civil ser
vice study.--to look into the effects of
the spoils system and try to interest
their clubs in the merit system. Mrs.
Thompson then introduced Hon. Richard
III. Dana, chairman of the Council OF
National Civil Service Reform League.
Mr.. Dana defined civil service reform
as being the substitution of regular
method Of appointment to, and regula-
tion III. the civil service, in place of the
irregular system in vogue at present.
Mr.. Dana said that the present boss
system must be changed before we can
secure pure government. Mr.. Dana told
how the boss does his work. He has
an army of people who do his bidding.
He controls them because he controls
their bread and butter. All appoint
ments to and removal from Office in
some sectk are controlled by political
bosses. If one OF the employees in a
department controlled by a boss" does
not vote as he is instructed he loses
his position.
Mr. Dana told how these political
rings bail out men who are arrested,
how they get young men out on proba-
tion and get cases mol pressed; then the
men whom they have helped have to
vote as they tell them to. There are
between 100000 and 100000 people in
the control Of these rings, representing
salaries Of not only one OF two millions
but $500, 900. The way these rings
put man in Office is by having their
tools pad the nominating caucus. Once
candidate is nominated by the party
in political control he is pretty sure
of election. Ii man in the pay Of
political boss fails to do ais he is
expected he finds himself without em-
ployment.
These bosses control state legisla-
tlHes, they say what bills shall be
passed and what shall not. They de-
mand money of corporations and insur-
ance companies and If they refuse it
they find at the next Legislature law
passed to do them some injury. Money
contributed by these corporations is con-
tinnally used in national, state and mu-
nicipal elections, but it il hardly ever
asked Where did that money come
from9" Mr.. Dana gave many instances
Of the effects of the political boss and
the harm done BY him, and also gave
instances of political scandals which had
been found out and never prosecuted.
The recent scandal in the post Office
department would have been hushed up
had II not been for very competent
chief executive He told how recently
in Philadelphia the political bosses
had been ousted by Mayor Weaver's
simply putting in office several honest
men. The bosses were shut out ems
tirely.
Mr.. Dana stated that the women were
the persons who could control the pass
age Of national civil service law, which
would establish merit system He
urged them to work earnestly TO get
the Vermont legislature to pass merit
system civil service law.
A resolution was adopted thanking
Mr.. Dana for his address and another
that every women should work for such
4 law at the next Vermont legislature.
a short talk was given by Miss Marion
G. Nichols, assistant secretary Of the
Massachusetts Civil Service Reform
League, Miss Nichols told of the corr
rupt condition which she found in the
state prison at Windsor and Of the in
competency Of the heads Of the institu-
tion. She thought this should be a field
for all club women to look into our
state institutions.
The reports of several clubs were then
heard and the session adjourned until
this afternoon.
Yesterday Afternoons Session.
The afternoon session Of the meeting