t can't be
done. These men were full of patriotism a short time ago. They expected
to be servin' their city, but when we tell them that we can't place
them, do you think their patriotism is goin' to last? Not much. They
say: "What's the use of workin' for your country anyhow? There's nothin'
in the game." And what can they do? I don't know, but I'll tell you what
I do know. I know more than one young man in past years who worked for
the ticket and was just overflowin' with patriotism, but when he was
knocked out by the civil service humbug he got to hate his country and
became an Anarchist.

This ain't no exaggeration. I have good reason for sayin' that most
of the Anarchists in this city today are men who ran up against civil
service examinations. Isn't it enough to make a man sour on his country
when he wants to serve it and won't be allowed unless he answers a
lot of fool questions about the number of cubic inches of water in the
Atlantic and the quality of sand in the Sahara desert? There was once a
bright young man in my district who tackled one of these examinations.
The next I heard of him he had settled down in Herr Most's saloon
smokin' and drinkin' beer and talkin' socialism all day. Before that
time he had never drank anything but whisky. I knew what was comm' when
a young Irishman drops whisky and takes to beer and long pipes in a
German saloon. That young man is today one of the wildest Anarchists in
town. And just to think! He might be a patriot but for that cussed civil
service.

Say, did you hear about that Civil Service Reform Association kickin'
because the tax commissioners want to put their fifty-five deputies on
the exempt list, and fire the outfit left to them by Low? That's civil
service for you. Just think! Fifty-five Republicans and mugwumps holdin'
$8000 and $4000 and $5000 jobs in the tax department when 1555 good
Tammany men are ready and willin' to take their places! It's an
outrage! What did the people mean when they voted for Tammany? What
is representative government, anyhow? Is it all a fake that this is a
government of the people, by the people and for the people? If it isn't
a fake, then why isn't the people's voice obeyed and Tammany men put in
all the offices?

When the people elected Tammany, they knew just what they were doin'.
We didn't put up any false pretenses. We didn't go in for humbug
civil service and all that rot. We stood as we have always stood, for
reward--in' the m