Carl Schurz

“ I believe, and have always believed, that whenever such agreement on essential points ceases, and whenever a citizen becomes conscientiously convinced that he will serve the public welfare best by making, either temporarily or permanently, a change of party relations, it is not only his moral right, but his duty to make it. ”

“ But if those independent citizens are conscientious in their opinions and their conduct, you have to respect them all the more as they follow their course, being well aware that it ordinarily excludes them from the so-called rewards of political activity. And the “practical politician” of your stamp does respect them in spite of himself; for, whenever an important election approaches, the practical politician in dulcet tones appeals to “the high-minded citizens who put country above party” for support. ”

“ The Civil Service Reform League is a non-partisan organization. There are men in it who have always been Democrats, others that have always been and now are Republicans, and still others who are Independents, but most of them have voted the Republican ticket more frequently than the Democratic. Why did they do so? Take the last election. They voted for McKinley and Hobart because the Republican Party had declared itself emphatically for honest money and for civil service reform. Was not that “voting the Republican ticket as a matter of political principle?” ”

“ I mean a very large and constantly increasing number of citizens who care more for the public good than for any political organization and who therefore have helped now one party and then another as in their honest opinion the public interest demanded. ”

“ It has been reiterated with the utmost positiveness in every Republican platform since the enactment of the civil service law, the reiteration being no less regular and emphatic than that with which the protective tariff was indorsed. Upon what ground, then, would you call one pledge less sacred and binding than the other? On the binding force of the civil service pledge you may take lessons from President McKinley.
I know you assert that in some respects the civil service law does not work well. ”

“ After the election you may abuse them, because you are not able to command them; but you will appeal to them in the same sweet way anew when their aid is again needed. Now, if you call the conduct of such men “treason,” all I can say is, in the language of Patrick Henry, that you are at liberty to “make the most of it.” ”