Shall the civil service law stand and be enforced in good faith, or is it to be unmade and the results that it has attained, utterly destroyed?

This is the one vital, dominating issue of the present mayoralty campaign in Chicago. On other relevant questions involved in the campaign, the statements of the platforms submitted to the voters differ only in their wording. But in regard to civil service reform, there is a radical difference between the Democratic position on the one side and the Republican position, and those of the two independent candidates on the other. Mr. Harrison stands upon a platform expressing hostility to the civil service law now in force. He frankly admits that, if elected, he will undo all that has been done. His appeals to democratic support are based mainly upon this ground, and these appeals never fail to bring down the house. He is the avowed spokesman of the "spoils" democracy; his one aim and that of his followers is to get at the offices. If they are placed in power, the merit system will go down before their wild rush like a fence of straw before a herd of cattle on a stampede.

In the face of this great danger, the forces that want the civil service law preserved and strengthened are split into three competing factions! It is as plain as day-light that the division of forces may carry victory to the enemies of the merit system: the three candidates opposed to Mr. Harrison know this, and the managers of their respective campaigns know it. They all know that Mr. Harrison represents a minority of the people and that but for a division of the majority vote, he could not possibly be elected. And yet we have the split, and some very good people are doing their very best to widen the chasms still more.

Are we fools? Have the gods struck us mad that they may destroy us? Or is our talk about reform nothing but hypocrisy, since we have adopted the only course promising victory for the enemy and defeat for ourselves?

This thing must stop. The division of the reform forces into three camps, all engaged in weakening one another and all meanwhile playing into the hands of the enemy, is the height of folly and rank madness. Two of the three 3candidates must retire. It matters little who retires; they are all good men in whose hands the merit system would be safe. But they cannot all remain in the field. The triple candidacy is plainly a crime against the cause of reform.

Steps should be taken instantly to put an end to this intolerable absurdity. Our Scandinavian group must protest, and loudly; they have helped win issues before, so let them come to the front again. There is no dearth of good, honest, strong men in Chicago who place the welfare of the city above the personal fortunes of a candidate. Let them take action for the purpose of securing the withdrawal of two of the candidates pledged to support the merit system, leaving a clear field and an assured victory for the third. It is their duty to act and to act at once.