way of reducing expenses also to the peopie, a valuable service by putting their own employees, excepting perhaps the private secretaries, under the merit system; nor would the judicial branch be injured in dignity or in comfort, by having its employees classified too.

But these are comparatively small matters compared with what has been done, and with what is still to be done. Every administration since the enactment of the civil service law, has signalized itself by some conspicuous advance of the merit system. If the incoming administration wishes to follow this rule, its ambition cannot permit itself to be satisfied with merely adding to the competitive schedule a few more hundreds, or thousands of clerks. It will have to aim much higher. It will have at least to accomplish the solution of the postmaster problem, which is the next in order. Indeed, supported by a strong public opinion in favor of thorough administrative reform, it will have the power, and it may consider it its duty, to complete the work of eliminating the spoils virus from the whole of the national service altogether. Only then will it fully equal the precedents set by its predecessors who, one after another, advanced the merit system in constantly increasing progression. And when the national service stands there purged of the spoils blemish, a living proof of the beneficent effects of civil service reform, me may expect its example presently to become irresistible to those of the State and municipal governments that are now lagging behind the onward march.

What I said of the dangers still besetting our cause may have shown you that I underestimate neither the strength nor the cunning of our opponents. But I am nevertheless convinced that their striving will be in vain. They may fight skillfully and stubbornly, but already their cause is morally ost. The question is only, if they fight on, how many dead and wounded they will leave on the field, and how many captives in our lines. Civil service reform has carried position after position, at first against apparently overwhelming odds, and with each advance its force has grown stronger and the resistance weaker. But yesterday we were only a handful, ridiculed and neglected. To-day we count well-nigh the whole intelligence and moral sense of the nation as an earnest ally of our cause. I do not say that the contest is already ended,

but I do say that it is no longer doubtful. There were nearly two years between Gettysburg and Appomattox. But after Gettysburg, Appomattox was sure to come. Thanks to the executive order of the 6th of May, 1896, our cause won its Gettysburg under the leadership of President Cleveland. We have reason to hope that it will win its Appomattox under the leadership of President McKinley. If the opponents of civil service reform, instead of saving time and trouble by a speedy surrender, continue their hostile efforts, it may mean to its friends a longer struggle but none the less a certain victory.

MEETING OF THE LEAGUE.

HOTEL WALTON, December 11, 1896,

10.30 A. M.

The President opened the meeting, and called Mr. Henry Hitchcock of St. Louis to the chair.

The Secretary called the roll of delegates.

The first business in order being the election of a President and Vice-Presidents for the ensuing year, the Chairman called for the report of the Committee on Nominations, appointed by the General Committee. Mr. R. Francis Wood of Philadelphia, for the Committee, submitted a report placing in nomination the following:

For President: - Hon. Carl Schurz of New York.

For Vice-Presidents :-Charles Francis Adams of Boston, Henry Hitchcock of St. Louis, Henry Charles Lea of Philadelphia, Augustus R. Macdonough of New York, Franklin MacVeagh of Chicago, J. Hall Pleasants of Baltimore, Rt. Rev. Henry C. Potter of New York, William Potts of New York, and Rt. Rev. P. J. Ryan of Philadelphia.

Mr. Bonaparte of Baltimore moved that the Secretary be directed to cast one ballot for the election of the gentlemen named, and the motion was carried unanimously. The Secretary cast the ballot and the nominees were declared duly elected.

Mr. Collins for the Auditing Committee, appointed by the General Committee, submitted the following:

We have examined the accounts of the Treasurer, comparing them with the vouchers, and find them correct; the amount to the credit of the League being $171.97, and to the GOOD GOVERNMENT account, $164.87.

(Signed) CHARLES COLLINS, WM. A. AIKEN.

On motion, the report was accepted and ordered filed.* The Secretary made a verbal report, outlining the extensions of the Federal classified service during the year, and the extensions that may still be made, substantially as follows:

Since our annual meeting of 1895, President Cleveland has added to the classified service approximately 35,000 positions, the greater propor* Page 46.

tion of these having been brought in by the Executive order of May 6. There are now in the Executive civil service 178,717 officers and employees, and of these 87,117 are in the classified service; 79,212 are subject to competive examination, 5,063 are employees in the Navy Yards, selected through the registration system, 2,061 are Indians employed in the Indian service, for whom non-competitive examinations are allowed, and 781, only, of whom 592 are Assistant Postmasters, are on the excepted list.

In the unclassified service there are 4,815 officers appointed subject to confirmation by the Senate, 8,854 common laborers below classification, 66,725 fourth class Postmasters, and 11,206 miscellaneous employees, excluded from classification under the rules, the greater number of whom clerks at unclassified post-offices, or persons receiving less than $300 annually, in other departments.

These figures do not include the members and employees of either the Legislative or Judicial branches of the government, the Diplomatic and Consular Service or the municipal service of the District of Columbia.

The extensions of the merit system in the Federal service still to be effected will be discussed during this session, and it may be of use to have them mentioned briefly at the outset. The principal extensions for which the League will now contend would seem to be as follows:

(1) The further reduction of the excepted list by the transfer of all Assistant Postmasters to the competitive class.

(2) The repeal of the laws limiting to four years the terms of officers appointed subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(3) The reorganization of the Consular Service on a competitive basis, and under permanent rules.

(4) The development of the plan of consolidating fourth class postoffices with larger free-delivery offices, thereby bringing fourth class postmasters and their clerks within the classified service.

(5) The classification of certain branches excluded under the new rules, including particularly the force of the new Congressional Library.

(6) The application of the civil service rules to the Municipal Service of the District of Columbia.

(7) The application of the rules to the employees of the Legislative and Judicial branches of the Government.

With these things accomplished, exceptions to the operation of the rules would be confined to those officers having to do with the political policies of the government, and the establishment of the merit system would be complete.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Hon. John R. Procter, President of the United States Civil Service Commission, addressed the League, reviewing the extensions mentioned in the Secretary's report, and adding much interesting information respecting the practical working of the merit system, in

the departments to which it is now applied, and its effect on the efficiency and economy of administration.

In response to questions, Mr. Procter stated his belief that the employees of the new Congressional Library are properly within the Executive Service and subject to classification. He added that their classification would probably be effected before the new force is organized.*

The Chairman then announced that reports would be received from representatives of States and localities where local movements for civil service reform are in progress.

Mr. Wilby, of Cincinnati, reported for Ohio as follows: In responding for Ohio I regret that I cannot report more substantial progress. Among the first local Associations to be organized was that of Cincinnati, but after the passage of the Federal law its members seemed to think that their work had been finished and the Association remained dormant until 1895. In that year, Mr. Roosevelt gave us the benefit of his inspiring presence, and under the influence of an address which he delivered in Cincinnati the Association was revived, and a bill prepared by its executive committee was introduced in the Ohio Legislature. It was drawn on the lines of the Illinois law, applying the merit system to the largest five cities of the State after a vote in its favor by the people of either of those cities. This plan was adopted because it was feared the country members could not be convinced that the economy of the system would offset the expenses of a State Commission. The bill was endorsed by the Chambers of Commerce of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo, and by other non-political associations in cluding the leading labor organization of Cincinnati, the President of which appeared with other representative citizens before the Committee to which the bill had been referred. To the surprise of the spoilsmen the bill passed the Senate, but was subsequently reconsidered and defeated through the efforts of a henchman of our Cincinnati boss who has since been rewarded for this and other misdeeds by an election to Congress. Another bill will be introduced at the next legislative session.

Mr. Cushing, of Cleveland, supplemented Mr. Wilby's report as follows:

There are many signs that the importance of the merit system and the need of its adoption are felt in Ohio to-day more generally than ever before. Our Legislature is not to meet again until 1898, and in the interval the friends of the reform will have an opportunity, which they mean to improve, to agree upon a bill to be presented at that session, and we have many grounds for hope that it will pass.

Rev. W. R. Lord, of St. Paul, read a letter addressed to the League by Senator Ozmun, of Minnesota, reviewing the movement for civil service reform in that State.

* Page 98.