The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-11-21

Platt and Hawley and our Congress- nan N. D. sperry
 Every live country progresses best 5y 8 series of reforms. Reforms are IS natural to a state als new clothes to ! growing boy. It is a choice between reform and revolution.
 The real reformer must be something of a politician in the original sense of -he word, that is a person versed in the science of government. On the other hand, the really good politician annot avoid being something of a re- former even though he may avoid the name.
 "The strength of our movement, which makes it a real and not a bogus reform is that it attacks real evil generally recognized and attacks it by practical, positive, constructive means"
 As the first speaker Prof Farnam in- troduced Daniel c. Gilman of Baltt- more, president of the National Asso- ciation of Civil Service Reform. He devoted his time to hearty expression of thanks to the Connecticut body for its. great welcome to the body and as sured them of another hearty welcome at the next session in Baltimore.
 In introducing President Luther of Trinity college, Prof. Farnam said: Here we have sample of the kind of men we send to our state legislature He has long held the chair of mathe- matics at Trinity college and SO exact has his knowledge of the subject be- come that he succeeded in getting him. self elected to the senate without spending a cent.
 ADrlRESS BY PRESIDENT FLAVEL
 S. LUTHER OF TRINITY COL
 LEGE
 President Luther in his address said that it was, of course, self evident proposition that our work should be done by those who known to do 1t. The old and audacious idea that anybody could do anything if given a chance without preparation answered in other times, but is out of the question now with life grown so complex and the old theory is now an Insult to intelli- genee and has no place in the highly organized civilization of twentieth cen turay America.
 It has been the great contribution of the civil service reformers that they have insisted upon some demonstration of fitness that is of manifest ability for office on the part of office seekers. No adequate substitute has been found for civil service examinations
 The sober thought of the country tends to the extension of the civil ser- vice ideas so as to cover the whole range of officialdom.
 It is becoming evident that there is no office within the gift of the people from that of the country justice of the peace to the presidency of the United States whose duties can be well done without some sort of special training. The idea of rotation in office is also less dominant that it once was.
 So I fancy we must admit that the ancient enemies of civil service reform were right when they said that the new cult tended toward the creation of an off1ceholding class. Our ideas do cer- tainly lean that way; just as sensible evolution has led to the development of 8 banking class, preaching class, a brioklaying class, a farming class If we want our public work well done we must employ men who have learned how to do 1t. Necessarily they will know less about doing other things and thus they will become an officeholding class. And who cares so long as we can discharge unworthy employees at our pleasure? venture, therefore, to sug- gest that among the duties of an asso- citation like this may be included the cultivation of that spirit which will fa- vor the indefinite retention in elective office of efficient officers and promo tion in all public service as fitness Is made evident. This principle, if adopt ed probably means higher salaries in some of the lower offices. But It means better government.
 There is another matter, vastly more important than the foregoing, though related to 1t, which imperatively de- mands earnest effort by all who are concerned that "The republic shall re- ceiye nothing of detriment," as we used elumsily to translate our Cicero. This is the insistence by the public that citizens holding no office and de- siring none shall discharge their pub lie duties. furthermore 50 so far as to suggest the passage of laws making it a punishable msdemeanor for a qualfed elector not to vote at every duly ordered election. Of course there are legitimate excuses; these may be provided for. But fine the man who wilfully or carelessly fails to vote. If he doesn't know how he wants to vote let him cast blank ballot But round f him up at the polls. This infringes per sonal liberty; yes. So do all laws in the interest of general welfare.
 Tomorrow, you may be haled to court and made to testify; you may be put in a box with eleven other men and be made to decide whether a fel- low citizen shall be hanged; you may be made to do police duty; you may be clother in khaki and set up to be shot at , by an alien enemy; your property may be diminished by lawful taxation or taken at price decided upon by some- body else, All this can be done, is done, whether you personally like it or not. Is 1t impracticable, then, to do bit more to compel every citizen to go to the polls and vote when his judgment is asked by the public? I believe that such law would do more to ensure a