is Conservative.
Rodeuborg idea of "practical politics. "
The reform needs friends , not enemies ,
in its chief administrative officers. The
civil service commissioners , and Pen
sion Commissioner Evans likewise , have
justified their appointments by execut
ing laws , rules and regulations. The
civil service commission have , there
fore , incurred the inveterate dislike of
the most relentless and malignant of
all "good haters , " the disappointed and
disqualified place-hunters. There is
good ground for the belief that Roden-
berg will eventually become the head of
the commission. In the assault of the
spoilsmen upon the civil service regula
tions the securing of the appointment
of one of their kind to the defence of
the citadel ; probably later to its chief
command , is a master stroke of strategy.
The republican party stands pledged
to the preservation of the civil service
laws and to the maintenance of the
"efficiency of civil service rules. " The
appointment of Rodenberg flies in the
face of this doctrine. It is totally irre
concilable with the president's own
record when , as a member of congress ,
he took a position with respect to an
appropriation for the salaries and ex
penses of the commission diametrically
in opposition to that taken by Rodenberg
a year ago. On April 24 , 1890 , Mr. McKinley -
Kinley , in speaking on a motion made
in the house to strike out the appropria
tion for said salaries and expenses , said ,
with fervor :
"If the republican party of this
country is pledged to any one tiling more
than another , it is the maintenance of
the civil service law and its efficient
execution. The law that stands upon
our statute book today was put there by
republican votes. It was a republican
measure. Every national platform of
the republican party since its enactment
has declared not only in favor of its
continuance in full vigor , but in favor of
its enlargement so as to apply more
generally to the public service. * * *
For four years under a democratic
administration nobody on this side of
the house had the temerity to rise in his
place and make a motion similar to the
one now pending for the nullification of
this law. We thought it was good then ,
good enough for a democratic adminis
tration , and I say to my republican
associates it is good enough for a repub
lican administration. * * * Mr.
Chairman , the republican party must
take no backward step. The merit
system is here , and it is hero to stay , and
we may just as well understand and
accept it now and give our attention to
correcting abuses , if any exist , and im
proving the law whenever it can be done
to the advantage of the public service. "
By what perversion of language or
gloss of comment can it be made to
appear that Mr. Rodenberg's elevation
to the commissionership squares with
the republican doctrine , which the
president himself so eloquently and so
forcibly applied and defended in the
foregoing extract ? Philadelphia Public
Ledger.
$
THE
s
CONTINENTAL
NATIONAL BANK , s
CHICAGO.
Capital $2,000,000
s
Surplus and Profits $750,000
GENERAL BANKING
AND
FOREIGN EXCHANGE BUSINESS
Bank , Personal and Business Accounts
Solicited.
We f urnish Travelers and Commercial Credits s
Available in all parts of the world.
OFFICERS.
JOHN C. BLACK , President.
ISAAC N. PERRY , Vice President.
QEO. M. REYNOLDS , Cashier.
IRA P. BOWEN , Asst. Cashier.
BENJ. S.MAYER , Asst. Cashier.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
JOHN O. BLACK , WILLIAM C. SEIPP ,
ALBEIIT J. EARLINQ , J. OQDEN ARMOUR ,
s HENRY BOTSFORD , WILLIAM G. HIBBARD ,
JAMES H. DOLE , ISAAC N. PERRY ,
\ BERTnOLD LOEWENTHAL.
POPULAR UNIVERSITIES IN FRANCE.
It lias escaped general attention that
the university extension movement has
recently commenced to make more
rapid progress in France than in any
other country. Over there they call it
the "Popular University , and the per
sons who are taking advantage of the
new opportunities are the working people
ple of both sexes and of the lower and
middle 'classes. It was not until 1900
that this movement was started , but
already Paris has twenty of the popular <
universities and there are nearly twice
that number in the provinces. A new
movement of this sort always has a
leader , and the originator of the present
praiseworthy enterprise in France is
George Deherme , a former typesetter
and a self-taught man. Members of the
Paris University and prominent literary
men have given it cordial support , and
scores of professors are lecturing in the
recently established People's Universities
or "People's Houses , " as they are some
times called. Almost all fields of
knowledge , including politics , econom
ics , medicine , hygiene , architecture ,
astronomy , and chemistry , are covered
by the courses given. The universities
have associate members who pay $2 a
year , while the workingmen pay only
the small sum of 10 cents a week to
enjoy the advantages afforded. It is
believed that one of the great benefits
of this sudden progress in popular edu
cation in France will be to obliterate
at least partially the class lines and to
promote a friendly spirit which will
greatly strengthen the republic. Oak
land Enquirer.
Commercial National Bank
CHICAGO , ILLINOIS.
ESTABLISHED 1864.
CAPITAL , $1,000,000
SURPLUS , 1,000,000
OFFICERS :
JAMES H. ECKELS , D. VEBNON ,
President. 2d Vice-President.
JOHN O. MoKEON , JOSEPH T. TALBERT ,
Vice-President. Cashier.
N. R. LOSOH ,
Assistant Cashier.
DIRECTORS :
FRANKLIN MOVEAGH , JESSE SPALDING ,
WM. J. CHALMERS , N. K. FAIRBANK ,
ROBERT T. LINCOLN , JAMES H. ECKELS ,
JOHN O. MOKEON.
Letters of Credit issued. Foreign drafts and specie
bought and sold. Postal remittances and cable
transfers made to all parts of the world.
