New-York tribune., 1909-12-10
REF0RMERS SPEAK
CIVIL SERFICE THEME
DR.. Eliot CTticises Federal
OfcchOlders.

sweufK-ninth annual meeting here vester-
dav Richard n. Dana, of Boston Chairman
81 the council deprecated the activity OF
fodersl oflcehoiders prior 10 and during the
last Republican National Convention.
charles W Eliot. president 81 the associa-
ton. referfed 20 the same thing. but IN
move general terms.
Roth gave credit 70 President Roosevelt
gor ms order prohibiting the employees in
shc competitive service from taking an &C
I've part IN politics hut when II came 20
-l,ose In the unclsssihed service there was
a. entirely different stor,. they said.
President Eliot. speaking al Mendelssohn
Hall in the evening. said
TIE order cid not touch. however. the
rnernhers ~ the uncsssified patronage SER
.rrs The activity - unclassified federal
cfhoeholderS m primaries and conventions
rn lhc interest ~ those 10 Wnom o. 81 owe
frei~ appointments and by w So. eavor
they continue IN Office leads 10 neglect ~
outv nd ahsenteeism on large scale
During every Presidential camuaisn the
government paws large sums in salaries 10
cf7ris.s " no devote themselves 20 politics
vhHc rreir ofices arc EFT 10 the control ~
sihcrdinstes.
Tl.e federal efHoehoIders who are stfn
outside the operation ~ Civil Service rules
rurrhcr about one hundred thousand In
general they are the higher officials. who
can wielo through their official positions
l--Cc political influence and are subject
o. possible dictation from tho central ad-
r-irisfrsfion. The active participation in
cauruscs. urinlarles. conventions and cleo
s0rsl ns-uuiarv interest Al stake sertoi,si,-
frrc~frres with the proper freedom 0f The
people 20 choose their representatives and
cf1css.
Nr Dana. speaking Al the opening ses-
slon a. the C1ty Club in the afternoon.
said that evidence vas wholly lacking 10
substsntiaJe the charge OF coercion OF Of
g~eHg1asre Ia eaotfwa fna vor,,f,a-for
particular candidate. He aided
President Roosevelt allowed his lists o,
appointments 10 he examined for a consid-
erahle rlne before the con Nenrlon. and nor
OILY were the appointments found 70 be
made in the usual manner. on the recon-
mendauon of Senators and Congressman
snd others claiming the patronage OF Offices
3nvo veo, but sometimes those on whose rec
oTnnendstion the appointments were made
were notably opposed 10 the candidate
whom President Roosevelt was known 10
fsVor
OFFICEHOLDERs AT CONVENTIONS.
Blr Mr.. Dana continued.
a comparison OF the Official roll of dele
gates 20 the Republican National Conveu-
non ~ chicago with the latest government
Blue Book showed that 10 per cent OF the
delegates We're oficeholders. that in the
southern States an average OF "a per cent
.ere otnceholders. and in some Southern
states more than one-half The Office
holders II the South generally controlled
rho Rcpunli party organizations IN their
re~ncctive states. and frequently resorted
r0 unfair means IN order 20 retain their
power Their chief motive FOR retaining
power 10 hold In their hands their
p-iices and what patronage went with them.
one hundred and twenty-three thousand
srucfntees in The federal service are still
outside the Civil Service rules. Mr. Dana
said. many of them high officials. WELD
inC vide political influence. subject 10 pos
slble dictation from Washington.
- free institutions" he declared until
their political activity IL curTailed by regu-
lation or their tenure made independent OF
political results. which would curtal Il by
natural process"
All -hs speakers laid emphasis or the
point that Civil Service reform had reached
rhe second stage % its activity. AT first
the fEht was 70 get recognition for and
TIE adoption of the principle. Now the
work was along the lines Of rendering pub
Tie service more efficient. On this point
President Eliot said:
The league has now 10 deal rather with
Fdministra tive and executive officers than
with legislators. and m order 10 deal ef-
ferfvely with such officers n must keep
vol informed about what they are doing.
and also about what they are not doing.
taken together civil Service reform snd
tne short ballot reform viii 20 far 70 d.
-tro- the boss and the machine, those
r6eous evils which the American democ-
rsrv develoDcG 10 an unprecedented de-
gree IN the second hair OF the nineteenth
Cerr.---.
President Eliot said that so Tar the Civil
Service rules had not caused any new need
90 an old age pension provision for gov
eruucnt employees. but the league rccog-
rlzed che advantage Of such a system, both
f-ou humane and administrative points OF
view
DR. ELIOT on CENSUS
speaking of what had been done toward
-r-..n- The employees OF the federal Census
Fl~esu under the civil Service. President
Lltot declared that no accurate and trust
worth census had ever been made as re-
CARDS population or industries IN the United
states Ir Wa due In large measure 20
natural dHiculties. he said. but largely
because tho enumerating force has been
inrarpcreut because badly selected"
President Eliot also said:
no employer has = right 70 employ men
end women on terms which tempt them
-H -tr. and lesst - al should government
commit that ErieNous fault The spols. or
rafroraEe system sublects men IN govern
mem positions 10 fierce temptation. Their
piece are presuma hly temporary and inse-
cure A. moment some other ia
Worries. or somebody eIse's fsvorites. NAV
a.-usee them. They lack the public con-
rizss eaicieacv and honesty. Shall they
rof sC0ept hribes while they have
.rarCe2
President Eliot. speaking ~ the sxten-
SON ~ Ciyi Service IN TIE federal gov
eminent through executive action, said:
UlI % an interesting and somewhat
aIeApecteo Development IN the working of
..e institution n the President elected
rt INC whole people turns out 10 b.
better Interpreter of the peoples wishes
end purposes IN an ethical and economic
reform Than the members of the two leg
-ar'ro bodies elected by states Or by dis
f~frf~
The other speakers ~ the evening meet
'1g. over Vhich Samuel Z. Ordway, presi-
cent ~ the New York Civil Service As
ISOLATION. presideS. were Walter /. Fisher,
~ Chicago. and Edward NJ Shepard.
Tn" .stter said.
Nffl Service reform began with the prop
AIT EXHIBITIONS AND SALES.