The Washington herald., 1913-01-23

now constituted, declaring that. al.
though IL concerned more intimately
than any other feature Of government
the business life Of the nation, '.the
Post-ofice Department of the United
States is organised in defiance of every
business in the United States" and is
largely creature of the spoils sys-
tenn.
'The appointees," he said, "are not
appointed primarily to transact the
business of the postal service. but are
recognized, primarily, to do political
work. They are not required to. be
! and are not, expert in the work for
which they are paid; political service
is the only work in which they have
been or are expert" DR.. Eliot applied
this also to the lighthouse and inter-
4 nal revenue service.
Career Based on Merit.
"A career for young Americans from
early life. to late life." based upon merit,
was what DR.. Eliot hoped for the gov.
| ernment service
THE early job for this association is
to undertake to rectify the extraordinary
miscarriage Of the civil service of the
higher grades" he declared. He COM
pared our system of civil service with
that of Switzerland and other European
countries, declaring that the necessity OF
first educating the people to a realiza-
ton of existing evils, a necessary feature
of truly democratic form OF govern
, ment prevented leaders who discerned
these evils years ago from remedyins
them.
Not all is good that liberty brings. 4"
he declared in extenuation OF this situa-
ton. but do We not all hold that liberty
Is the greatest influence for the develop
ment OF mankind? Liberty is the foun-
dation of American life, and IL remains
sc in spite of these great evils"
Reverting again to these evils. how
ever, DR.. Eliot declared:
Government of the people. for the
people. and by the people is a business
matter when we get the proper concep-
tion of government. Government has
ceased to be by the graoe of God Gov
eminent has come to be looked upon as
utilitarian affair: it is a question OF
efficiency and honesty, a question of
merit"
Purpose Not Lobbying.
In introducing the President. Mr.
Wheeler said:
This organization owes the call that
gave II life to the present administra-
ton. and il is to be considered part of
the constructive work Of the present ad-
ministration.''
He denied that the influencing of Con-
gress in legislative matters was the pur-
pose Of the organization. He said the
purpose was not lobbying, but the presen-
tation OF the feeling of its members on
given subjects to Congress. and that,
having ascertained that feeling by .
referendum vote, the work of the cham
ber of Congress OF the United States
ceased after Congress had been apprised
of that feeling.
Mr. Wheeler said that President Tafts
measures, whether succeeding or falling,
had marked an advance in the thought
of this nation and its relations with
other countries.
Il voice the sentiment here tonight
that the organization has stood for
progressive principles and that the pres
ments.
Il know that our guest Of honor is
satisfied to leave to history the work of
his administration which to my mind has
been so filled with constructive legisla-
ton as to be one OF the most creditable
that this country has ever known"
The dinner itself was unusually elab-
crate and enjoyable, including an or
chestral programme which AIDED ma
terially to this feature OF the evening.
The arrangement of the affair was the
work of Groyesnor Dawer, of this city.
The non-partisan and non-political COM
plexion and policy OF the organization
was emphasized in the arrangement of
places at the speakers table.
Present at Banquet.
4he following were present at the BAN
quet:
The President of the United States.
Hon. Charles NageI, Secretary of Com
merce and Labor.
Hon. Walter L. Fisher. Secretary Of the
Interior.
Hon. Henry L. Stimson. Secretary Of
war.
Hon. George Won L. Meyer. Secretary
of the Navy.
Hon. Franklin Macveash. Secretary Of
the Treasury.
Hon. Champ Clark. Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
Senator George E Chamberlain.
DR.. Charles W. Eliot. president of the
National Civil Service Reform League.
Hon. Joseph E. Ransdell. president Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors Congress.
Hon. James w. Graham, Representative
from Illinois.
Hon. Henry D. Clayton. chairman of
House Committee on Judiciary.
merce.
Hon. Francis G. Newlands. Senator
from Nevada.
Mr.. A. II. Baldwin, chief OF Bureau OF
Foreign and Domestic Commerce.
Mr. John Barrett, director Of the Pan
American Union.
Mr.. Charles S. Barrett. national presi-
dent OF Farmers Union.
Mr.. Samuel Gompers, president Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor.
f. A F'ilene, George a. lost, John Joy
Edison, John II. Fahey, Hon. J. Francis
Burke, Hon. Oscar Straus, Harry A.
Wheeler, David R. Forgan, A. B. Far
quhar. ]. Kirby, jr., H. z. Miles, Mai.
Rhoads.
z. l.. Adams, D. T. Ackerly, T. II.
Henry J. Allen. James NJ. Allen,
Mrs. James NJ. Allen, VI. w. Amberg.
Garnett Andrews, J. p Amin, John J.
Arnold, Samuel. P. Arnot. c. w. Ash
craft, Mrs. Ashcraft, John Aspegren,
Mrs John Aspegren.