f some of the partisans might not hope for tangible rewards for their services？ Many rich men sat in Congress； and the Senate be came； proverbially； a millionaires' club。 But not one of these plutocrats conducted the private business which made him rich by the methods to which he condemned the business administration of the government。 He did not fill his counting…room with shirkers and incompetents； he did not find sinecures for his wife's poor relations； he did not pad his payroll with parasites whose characteristics were an itching palm and an unconquerable aversion to work。 He knew how to select the quickest； cleverest； most industrious assistants； and through them he prospered。
That a man who had sworn to uphold and direct his government to the best of his ability； should have the conscience to treat his country as he did not treat himself； can be easily explained： he had no conscience。 Fashion； like a local anaesthetic； deadens the sensitiveness of conscience in this or that spot； and the prevailing fashion under all governments； autocratic or democratic； has permitted the waste and even the dishonest application of public funds。
These anomalies at last roused the sense of humor of some of our citizens； just as the injustice and dishonesty which the system embodied roused the moral sense of others； and the Reform of the Civil Servicea dream at first； and then a passionate cause which the ethical would not let sleepcame into being。 But to the politicians of the old type； the men of 〃inflooence〃 and 〃pull；〃 the project seemed silly。 They ridiculed it； and they expected to make it ridiculous in the eyes of the American people； by calling it 〃Snivel〃 Service Reform。 Zealots； however； cannot be silenced by mockery。 The contention that fitness should have something to do in the choice of public servants was effectively confirmed by the scientific departments of the government。 The most shameless Senator would not dare to propose his brother's widow to lead an astronomical expedition； or to urge the appointment of the ward Boss of his city as Chairman of the Coast Survey。 So the American people perceived that there were cases in which the Spoils System did not apply。 The reformers pushed ahead； Congress at last took notice； and a law was passed bringing a good many appointees in the Post Office and other departments under the Merit System。 The movement then gained ground slowly and the spoilsmen began to foresee that if it spread to the extent which seemed likely； it would deprive them of much of their clandestine and corrupting power。 Senator Roscoe Conkling； one of the wittiest and most brazen of these； remarked； that when Dr。 Johnson told Boswell that 〃patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel；〃 he had not sounded the possibilities of 〃reform。〃
The first administration of President Cleveland； who was a great； irremovable block of stubbornness in whatever cause he thought right； gave invaluable help to this one。 The overturn of the Republican Party； after it had held power for twenty…four years； entailed many changes in office and in all classes of office…holders。 Cleveland had the opportunity； therefore； of applying the Merit System as far as the law had carried it； and his actions gave Civil Service Reformers much though not complete satisfaction。 The movement was just at the turning…point when Roosevelt was appointed Commissioner in 1 889。 Under listless or timid direction it would have flagged and probably lost much ground； but Roosevelt could never do anything listlessly and whatever he pushed never lost ground。
The Civil Service Commission appointed by President Harrison consisted of three members； of whom the President was C。 R。 Procter； later Charles Lyman； with Roosevelt and Hugh Thompson； an ex…Confederate soldier。 I do not disparage Roosevelt's colleagues when I say that they were worthy persons who did not claim to have an urgent call to reform the Civil Service； or anything else。 They were not of the stuff which leads revolts or reforms； but they were honest and did their duty firmly。 They stood by Roosevelt 〃shoulder to shoulder；〃 and Thompson's mature judgment restrained his impetuosity。 Roosevelt always acknowledged what he owed to the Southern gentleman。 In a very short time the Commission； Congress； and the public learned that it was Roosevelt； the youngest member； just turned thirty years of age； who steered the Commission。 Hostile critics would say； of course； that he usurped the leadership； but I think that this is inaccurate。 It was not his conceit or ambition； it was destiny working through him； which made where he sat the head of the table。 Being tremendously interested in this cause and incomparably abler than Lyman or Thompson； he naturally did most of the work； and his decisions shaped their common policy。 The appeal to his sense of humor and his sense of justice stimulated him； and being a man who already saw what large consequences sometimes flow from small causes he must have been buoyed up by the thought that any of the cases which came before him might set a very important precedent。
Roosevelt acted on the principle that the office holder who swears to carry out a law must do this without hesitation or demur。 If the law is good； enforcing it will make its goodness apparent to everybody； if it is bad； it will become the more quickly odious and need to be repealed。 Roosevelt enforced the Civil Service Law with the utmost rigor。 It called for the examination of candidates for office； and the examiners paid some heed to their moral fitness。 Its opponents tried to stir up public opinion against it by circulating what purported to be some of its examination papers。 Why； they asked； should a man who wished to be a letter…carrier in Keokuk； be required to give a list of the Presidents of the United States？ Or what was the shortest route for a letter going from Bombay to Yokohama？ By these and similar spurious questions the spoilsmen hoped to get rid of the reformers。 But 〃shrewd slander；〃 as Roosevelt called it； could not move him。 Two specimen cases will suffice to show how he reduced shrewd slanderers to confusion。 The first was Charles Henry Grosvenor； an influential Republican Congressman from Ohio； familiarly known as the 〃Gentle Shepherd of Ohio；〃 because of his efforts to raise the tariff on wool for the benefit of the owners of the few thousand sheep in that State。 A Congressional Committee was investigating the Civil Service Commission and Roosevelt asked that Grosvenor； who had attacked it； might be summoned。 Grosvenor； however； did not appear； but when he learned that Roosevelt was going to his Dakota ranch for a vacation； he sent word that he would come。 Nevertheless； this gallant act failed to save him； for Roosevelt canceled his ticket West； and confronted Grosvenor at the investigation。 The Gentle Shepherd protested that he had never said that he wished to repeal the Civil Service Law； whereupon Roosevelt read this extract from one of his speeches： 〃I will vote not only to strike out this provision； but I will vote to repeal the whole law。〃 When Roosevelt pointed out the inconsistency of the two statements； Grosvenor declared that they meant the same thing。
Being caught thus by one foot in Roosevelt's mantrap； he quickly proceeded to be caught by the other。 He declared that Rufus P。 Putnam； one of the candidates in dispute； had never lived in Grosvenor's Congressional district； or even in Ohio。 Then Mr。 Roosevelt quoted from a letter written by Grosvenor： 〃Mr。 Rufus P。 Putnam is a legal resident of my district； and has relatives living there now。〃 With both feet caught in the man…trap； the Gentle Shepherd was suffering much pain； but Truth is so great a stranger to spoilsmen that he found difficulty in getting within speaking distance of her。 For he protested； first； that he never wrote the letter； next； that he had forgotten that he wrote it； and finally； that he was misinformed when he wrote it。 So far as appears； he never risked a tilt with the smiling young Commissioner again； but returned to his muttons and their fleeces。
A still more distinguished personage fell before the enthusiastic Commissioner。 This was Arthur Pue Gorman； a Senator from Maryland； a Democrat； one of the most pertinacious agents of the Big Interests in the United States Congress。 Evidently； also； he served them well； as they kept him in the Senate for nearly twenty…five years； until his death。 They employed Democrats as well as Republicans； just as they subscribed to both Democratic and Republican campaign funds。 For； 〃in politics there is no politics。〃 Gorman； who knew that the Spoils System was almost indispensable to the running of a political machine； waited for a chance to attack the Civil Service Commission。 Thinking that the propitious moment had come； he inveighed against it in the Senate。 He 〃described with moving pathos；〃 as Roosevelt tells the story； 〃how a friend of his； 'a bright young man from Baltimore；' a Sunday…School scholar； well recommended by his pastor； wished to be a letter…carrier；〃 but the cruel examiners floored him by asking the shortest route from Baltimore to China； to which he replied that； as he never wished to go to China； he hadn't looked up the route。 Then； Senator Gorman asserted； the examiners quizzed him about all the steamship lines from the United States to Europe； branched off into geology and chemistry； and 〃turned him down。〃
Gorman was unaware that the Commissioners kept records of all their examinations； and when Roosevelt wrote him a polite note inquiring the name of the 〃bright young man from Baltimore；〃 Gorman did not reply。 Roosevelt also asked him； in case he shrank from giving the name of his informant； to give the date when the alleged examination took place。 He even offered to open the files to any representative the Senator chose to send。 Gorman； however； 〃not hitherto known as a sensitive soul；〃 as Roosevelt remarks； 〃expressed himself as so shocked at the thought that the veracity of the bright young man should be doubted； that he could not bring himself to answer my letter。〃 Accordingly； Roosevelt made a public statement that the Commissioners had never asked the questions which Gorman alleged。 Gorman waited until the next session of Congress and