Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-20
MAYOR HENNEY TALKS
Delivered a Long Address at Session of National Civil Service Reform
 League
OFFICERS WERE ALSO ELECTED

New Haven, Nov 20.-At the open
 ing of the second days session of the
 National Civil Service Reform league
 Dr Daniel c. Gilman of Baltimore was
 reelected president. All the old vice. presidents were also reelected. The
 following address was delivered by
 Mayor Henney of Hartford this af- ternoon:
 Mayor Henney said, after leading
 up to the application of the principle
 of civil service reform to municipali-
 ties that there was steadily grow
 ing sentiment n favor of it in this
 state, and he believed the time was
 not far distant when Connecticut will
 have competent and satisfactory
 law regulating appointments and pro
 motions in the civil service of the
 state. Among our cities, he said, | New Haven had "a board which I
 am told is giving reasonable satisfac- | tion. It is governed by provisions | much the same in substance as those | of the proposed law creating a civil
 service board for Hartford which was | rejected by the people. The same law, under direction of the common
 council, was submitted to the last
 legislature as an amendment to the city charter and was killed In the senate. The civil service reformers of Hartford have not, however, be- come weary of we'll doing, and will again present the proposed amend ment to the next legislature and ask for its passage. l hope the local as sociation will present a similar bill
 for the regulation of appointments to minor state offices"
 Mayor Henney then read the draft of the proposed amendment to the
 Hartford charter, and continuing
 said: "If the scope and bearing and the limitations of this law were once thoroughly understood I am con- vinced that the citizens of Hartford
 would be glad to adopt it. They are
 a conservative community and some
 what cautious about innovations, but
 when once satisfied that they are
 right they have never hesitated to
 go ahead with will. Civil service
 reform in Connecticut must progress
 step at a time. One, city after an-
 other will, I believe, adopt regula-
 tions suited to its needs; the state
 will ultimately follow their example
 and finally general law covering all
 communities of the commonwealth,
 framed in that wisdom experience
 alone can supply, will ind place
 upon the statute book"
 The venerable error, so hard to dis
 lodge. that the civil service is a plum tree to be shaken by the prevailing party for the benefit of it's adhercnts, Is already doomed in this state. It's injustice and cruelty to competent public servants have aroused the con- science of the citizens. and their con yictions will bear fruit Already we hear the cry that Gre office and an other must be taken out of politics. This cry, however. is sometimes mis- leading. Not long ago in probate district in this state, each of the two candidates for probate judge announced to the public that, if elected, he would take the office out of politics, each meaning appar- ently that he would accomplish so desinrable an end by the simple ex- pedent of keeping himself in the of- flee and the other fellow out. all off which illustrates again the necessity of discussion and agitation as to the purposes and methods of genuine civil service reform.
 I cannot refrain. in closing, from | a word or two on the broader gen. eral aspects of the topic under con- There Is good deal of 1 truth in the statement of Holmes | that If you want to reform a man you must begin with his grandfath- err" And so. if you want to reform | a service you must get In with it's source. The character of legislation | must largely depend on the character | and intelligence of the law-maker. | and he who seeks wholesome reforms | In public service must attend to the methods of choosing those by whom the offices are administered and laws are made. Thoughtful men rejoice In teh enactment of corrupt prae- tices act in this state. I think all | will agree that. that act notwith- standing there is still too wide an op- portunify for the use of money in elections. It is one of the functions Df the civil service reform associa- lion i'd do It's utmost to correct that evil. We will never have the sound and clean elections We are entitled to. we will never secure the free and snd fair expression of he popular wiei. until the state shall prescribe what are the reasonable md necessary expenses of an cleo