Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-17
DeDison Says He Has ELM
mated Spells System.
CAUSES OF CLASS HATRED
Failure of Law to Punish Rich Grim
inals at Fault.
POLITICIANS BANNED sTIMS0N
That He Was Requiring
Too Much Public Work of
His Assistants.

BALTIMORE, Md, December 1.-THE
most sensational address ever delivered
before the National Civil Service Reform
League, which closed its sessions with
big banquet last night. was that Of W. T..
Denison, assistant United States attor-
ney general.
THE failures of the criminal law" he
said, Ito convict the powerful criminal
rich have fostered class hate and wild,
vengeful political movements. The cause
Of these failures is due principally to
political appointments to judicial and
legal positions
stimson Barred Politics.
Continuing, Mr. Denison said:
Mr.. Stimson's prosecution of rebates,
sugar frauds and bank wreckers never
could have succeeded II he had made ap-
pointments in his Office in accordance with
demands Of politicians. The New York
politicians had even protested to Attor-
ney General Bonaparte that Stimson was
assistants, which had the effect Of caus-
ing them to neglect legal work for the
republican organization of New York,
which they wanted done at public ex-
pense.''
"A law officer Of the government, and
especially a criminal prosecutor, ought
not to know a republican from a demo-
craft" said Mr.. DenisOn.
Taft's Course Proper.
President Taft and Attorney General
Wickersham had eliminated political con-
sideration from all appointments under
Attorney General, except in a few isolat-
ed cases, he continued. and as the result
Of his experience in the prosecuting
branch of the government, he said, he had
come to believe that all assistant attor-
neys general and all United States attor-
neyS could best be selected by promotion
on a competitive basis. and all positions
below assistant district attorney by COM
petitive oral and other examinations
practice which had been adopted by Mr..
Stimson.
Mr.. Denison's address followed the cleo
ton of officers. Dr.. Charles w. Eliot,
president emeritus Of Harvard university,
was reelected president, as were all the
vice presidents, with the addition Of DR..
Jersey.
Recommendations Of Committee.
The report of the committee on resolu-
tons recommends, with other things:
The extension by executive order Of the
competitive classification of fourth-class
postmasters. in view Of its successful OPP
Grafton in the territory wherein it is now
applied.
The extension of the merit system to
the municipal service of the District of
Columbia.
Legislation giving the appointment Of
first second and third class postmasters
to the President alone. or to the Post
master General. without confirmation by
the Senate. as necessary preliminary
to classification under the civil service
law.
Legislation which, in accordance with
the recommendation of the President,
shall bring within the merit system the
appointment and promotion Of all fed
eral employees, excepting only officers re-
sponsible for the policy of the admins
sistants or deputies.
The extension Of the merit system Of
appointment and promotion to employees
Of legislative assemblies, national, state
and municipal.
Efficiency in Government.
That the Brandeis idea Of efficiency in
railroading can be applied to municipal
business by means of efficiency experts
working under civil service commissions
was the proposition advanced by Robert
Catherwood, president Of the Civil Service
Reform Association of Chicago. Mr. Cath
erwo0d read a paper on the Chicago city
civil service commissions experience dur
ing the past year in introducing an eff
cheney division.
He expressed the conviction that this
work had been so promising as to war
rant a 1911 appropriation for the eff
cheney division twice as large as the 1910
appropriation, which was $4,000. He
showed. with other savings, how $1,000
was saved by carrying out such recon-
mendations Of the division as the re-
routing Of city teams in the bureau of
streets.