Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-15
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
Conference Opens at Rooms o.
the Commission.
GENERAL BLACKS ADDRESS
Welcomes out-of-Town Delegates to
the Capital City.
GROWTH OF SERVICE OUTLINED
Addresses by Commissioners Cooley
and Greene-Response by
William Y. Erving.
GENERAL BLACKS ADDRESS
GROWTH OF SERVICE OUTLINED

Representatives OF several state and mu-
niciple civil service commissions and Of the
National Civil Service Reform League. to-
gether with several local government off,
Gals, gathered in the rooms of the United
States civil service commission. 9th and E
streets northwest at 10 O'Clock this morn
ing to hold a conference with the commits
sloners of the general government with a
view to the betterment of civil service
throughout the country. Gen. John C.
Black. president of the United States civil
service commission presided over the open
ing session and Commissioners Afford w.
Cooley and Henry F. Greene were present
and delivered brief addresses After less
than an hour spent In this way the twenty
or more delegates were conducted through
the Office of the federal commission and
shown the working methods employed
there.
The conference was called by the federal
commissioners. and the general topic for
discussion is 1.-The Improvement Of Methods
in Examination and appointment"
General Blacks Address.
When he had extended cordial welcome
to the visiting delegates Gen. Black said:
Civil service is not a thing created by
an ipse dixit. It might be with an absolute
government 1t might be where the law OF
one man dominates the will of all others,
but in a republic it is matter of develop
ment. IL 1t has come to stay and to be
permanent it must be matter Of law.
And it had happened in the progress Of
events that marked the first century of this
country that everything In the republic had
come under the domination Of law. Law
regulated the relations of two citizens who
might meet In the wilderness. In the streets
of city, In the capital in a church. 1t
lated or sought to regulate the relations of
great corporate enterprises of every de-
scription to the general government and to
the body of the citizens, and great progress
had been made during that century. .
These regulations had been established,
theoretically and practically. with regard
to nearly every issue and every interest
in this government. There was one matter
however, that had not fallen under the
dominion of law. There was one chaotic
power which was at war with all the rules
of good government, not Intentional. be-
cause the men who exercised that power
were pure patrfots-men of exalted station,
men of great records In the service Of the
government. But none the less that power
was free from the restraint of law.
Was a Dead Letter.
"It Is true that the Constitution con-
ferred upon the President and those that
might be associated with him the power Of
appointment but the world knows that that
was a dead letter.
Referring to the spoils system Gen. Black
outlined conditions under which appoint
nents were made prior to the enactment of
the civil service law. saying:
And that system meant choas, and was
chaos 1t meant that the service rendered
nominally to the government was rendered
really to private individuals. without num-
Der, for the furtherance of ends of party,
for the furtfaarance of ends of clques and
factions, and that power had to be con-
troiled and had to submit to the great
motto that have named or 1t would control
all things.
And so twenty-three years ago wise men
of all parties. looking out upon the troublous
affairs of the republic, desiring its high
public service, created and established the
civil service by the law OF 1888. Many men,
young and DID, have been at work under
that statute from that day to this. and
believe that II may I've said of each and
every one of them that they have been
working for the good of the republic, that
they have been working for the good of the
public service, that they have sought to ex-
alt the office of servant of the republic and
to make all the enemies of the public serv-
ice bend to the support of the public veal.
Have Made Progress.
ST think that without exception that has
been their high object. And certainly, my
fellow countrymen. they have made great
progress in those directions: certainly an
assembly like this gathered from the area
between the oceans offers some proof of the
advancement which has been made by the