Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-19

cording to the civil service reform doctrine,
it ought to have left those offices in posses
sion of the old occupants; but if it had
done so, how different would have been the
history OF those years.
Mr.. Carpenter read an extract from the
report of the Committee, charging that un-
der the present system the appointing power
is often subjected to the threats and bland
ishments of personal solicitation, and he
said it was base and malignant libel on the
leading members of the Republican party in
Congress. He had been told by high au-
thOrity that only two persons had demand
ed appointments in terms that could be
called insulting or disrespectful; that those
two were in high legislative departments of
the Government, and that having their ap-
plication refused on account of unfitness, the
candidates I'M both case being relations of
the applicants, were now high champions Of
civil service reform.
Referring to the competitive examination
system, be said he did not mean to decry
learning. He thought that persons who
had not the advantages of an education in
their youth were more likely than others to
appreciate its advantages fully, and he be-
longed to that class. Why, said he; if l
were a candidate for the position of copying
clerk in one of the departments, and should
60 before an examining board of a chemical
turn of mind, should certainly be rejected.
Although | write a fair hand and can copy
papers with great speed and accuracy, /
know no more of chemistry than know of
the peariy gates and golden streets Of
heaven, Qaughter), and / never expect to.
! mean l never expect to know chemistry.
l do expect to know more of the pearly
gates and golden streets, for | understand
that admittance there does not depend upon
a competitive examination. Laughter
In conclusion Mr.. Carpenter said there
was special reason why the scheme ought
not to be adopted at this time. At the
breaking out of the war patriotic fathers
sent their sons to the army, while others
less patriotic sent theirs to school, and now
if this system were adopted the sons of the
first class who were fighting for their coun-
try while the others were remaining at
school or college viii be excluded from
public Office, because they did not know all
all about the fluctuations of the tides or
how near the moon comes to the earth, or
the names Of the four principal rivers that
flow into the Caspian sea. Laughter.l
Trum5uII.
Mr.. Trumbull said'he wished to say a
few words on this subject, but not in behalf
Of the competitive examination system
which the Senator from Wisconsin (Carpen-
terl said had been suspended, and against
which, therefore, It was remarkable he
should have directed so much of his speech.
Mr.. Carpenter denied having said that
the system was not to 60 into operation.
What lie said was that the rules and regu-
lations were to be revised so as to carry it
into operation more efiectually. In other
words, the administration had merely let 60
to get.a better hold. Uaughter.)
Mr.. Trumbull-I certainly hope the civil
iservice reform will not be abandoned, but
is to be pursued. Having giving the best
attention | could to the Senator'S remarks,
certainly understood them to be devoted
almost entirely to rules and regulations
which it is now said are not at work and
are TO be changed. | shall take up no time
in attempting to defend those rules or the
system Of competitive examination, but l
favor a civil service refOrm-a reform
that shall save this government from
beng plundered under a system which
wastes one fourth of the entire revenue of
the country, and it is sad to me to reflect
that the Senator now takes position not
against these particular rules, but against a
system which would correct it. He stands
up here in the face of an official document
prepared by careful and consderate friends
of the Administration, by its best friends,
which states that one-fOurth of your entire
revenue, more than ninety millions of dol
lars is wasted in consequence of a system
the correction Of which the Senator from
Wisconsin (Carpenter,) now opposes.
Mr. Sherman-What document is that?
Mr.. Trumbuu-It is the official state
ment made by this Civil Service Commit
tee.
Mr.. CarpenteT-I have no desire to be-
come the special champion of that board,
but what they do say is, that about one
quarter revenue, and they do not know how
much of that is chargeable to Civil Service.
Mr.. lsumbull-Well, we will see what
theydO say. am willing to have it read,and
the whole of it, unlike the Senator from
who had read a part of the
opinion of the Attorney General given upon
another question altogether such as sus-
tains his argument, and left unread the con-
clusion which condemns the whole of it.
Mr.. Trumbull here read from report.
Mr.. SheTman-I wish to ask the Senator
whether he knows that the whole expense
of collecting revenue internal and external
is less than five per cent.
Mr.. Trumbull-If the Senator from Ohio
will devote his attention to the investigation
now going on in New York, he viii find
how a great deal Of revenue is lost.
Mr.. Sherman-I will inform the Senator
that have not only given attention to that
but have joined in reporting a
bill, which hope to call the attention Of
the Senate in a few days, and which viii
entirely cure the abuses which have OCcuTr-
ed at New York.
Mr.. Trumbull-I shall be happy to concur
with the Senator in the passage of that bill
whichis to correct all abuses. The Senator
from Wisconsin (Carpenter) passed his
euIogium upon the character of the Presi-
dent, and at the same time informed us that
the President had put these theories, as be
calls them, into operation for the purpose
of rendering them Odious, in the expectation
that the people will soon cry ''enOugh."
think better of the Chief Magistrate of the
United States than to suppose that under the
given him to adopt rules and reg
ulatiOns for a reform in the civil service, he
has adopted such rules as will bring civil
service reform into contempt.
Mr.. TTumbull here CUntroverted Mr..
Carpenters views as to the extent and i'm
portance of the Presidents powers under
the Constitution.
Frelinghuysen.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen called the attention
of Mr.. Trumbull to the fact that the Presi-
dent could not he held responsible for all
the statements of the report, as in his mes
sage transmitting it be said he was desir-
Gus of bringing out the facts to the attention
of Congress before recess, and that he had
not sufficiently examined the report to sug-
gest requisite legislation.
Morton.
Mr.. Morton said he did not desire to dis
cuss at this time the merits Of this system
of civil service reform. So far as | am con-
what the President proposes shall
have a fair trial. The Senator from Ohio
has in part anticipated what l
intended to say. intended to challenge
the statement made on the floor of the
Senate this afternoon, and l believe read
from the report of this Commission, to the
effect that one fourth of the entire revenue
of the United States is annually lost in col
lection. l desire to challenge that state
ment. don't call in question the sincerity
of the Board who make the statement, but
| SIIbmit IN the Senate and tba country