Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-12
FOrty-SsCOnd Congress
SECOND SESSION.
sENArE.......w .wAsurraror. March IL


on their way to Washington to prote.
against the bill and moved that it
referred back, to give the eommitte
an OppoTshnity Of being heard, bJ
Senators Logan and Trumbull bein
absent he did not press the motion.
Twelve thousand additional copiC
OF the census report were ordered {
be printed.
Senator Cole introduced a bill {
provide for mail service between Sa
Francisco, Tahiti and the MaTquess
Islands.
Senator Trumbull addressed tn
Senate on civil service reform. In re
ply to a remark made by Senate
Howe on Friday, he denied that b.
had ever forged political ansthems
against the President or spoken dis
respectfully of him. He had neithe
abused the President nor iaWned upoI
him.
He spoke in general terms OF the
corrupt condition of the civil service
and argued that the bill introduced by
him last year, prohibiting recon-
mendatiOns to Office by members o
congress, would be one important
measure OF reform.
Senator Carpenter asked him tC
leave gloomy generalities and come
down to details.
Senator Trumbull replied that there
was no lack Of competent witnesses on
the subject; he cited George William
Curtiss, as an influential friend of the
administration, and read at length
from the testimony of eX Secretary
Cox as to civil service abuses, specify.
ing, among other things, the appoint.
ment of incompetent and immoral
persons through the influence Ol
members Of congress. The diff
Guilty of getting such persons re-
moved, and the levying of as,
sessments for political purposes.
Senator PomerOy said that Secretary
Cox professed to have found great
difficulty in removing incompetent
employees in his department, but his
successor had turned out sixty-eight
In four months.
Senator Trumbull then replied to
Senator Morton's statement. made
some weeks since, that he Trum.
bull had recommended one hundred
and three persons for appointment to
Office since the advent OF the present
administration. Having often been
complained Of by his constituents for
refusing to recommend worthy per-
SONS for appointment to office, and
knowing that since the first year Of
Mr.. Lincoln's administration he had
very seldom interfere in any way in
reference to Office, he had been sur
prised and somewhat indignant at
hearing Senator Morton say that he
I ITrumbull was chief among those
who had been hanging around the
seeking appointments.
Even II the statement were true, of
course it would be no argument
against civil service reform, but it
Wqs not true. After hearing Senator
statement he had written to
each of the departments asking
copies OF all recommendations made
by him and the replies showed that
his name did 1Ot appear at all in con-
1ectiOn with any such number as one
hundred and three. His name ap.
Deared oitener in the pOstof1ce depart
nent than in any other, but even
here it appeared only about thirty
times, although there were nearly
.Wo Thousand pOstmasters in his
State, and in most OF these cases he
lad not recommended applicants, but
lsd merely endorsed their applica-
ions, as, respectfully referred to
general" or respectfully
eferrad for favorable consideration"
Senator Trumbull said that there
yss not q clerk appointed at his re.
uest IN the treasury department., the
Isvy department or the department
f Justice, and only one Ia the interior
and Of those in the de-
,artments with whom his name was
onnected ia any way, there was not
me blood relation of his, though he
lad many, and no one related TO him
n any way except a pension agent
Who was a brother of his deceased
wife, and brother of hers in the agri
ultural department. So far from
the departments with appli-
ations for appointments, he had writ
en- a letter more than a year and
lalf ago in which he had given eX.
,ress notice that he never asked an
.ppointment as personal favor.
ia aoT1rence to appointments, Ssna-
or Carpenter said that Senator 1Tum-
ull's conduct seemed to have been
lst like his own, aud asked whether
Ie TrumbuIll thought there was any
hing wrong or corrupt in 1t.
Senator Trumbull-I do not think |
here is anything wrong in what l
i'd in reference to these papers, but
his Is not what referred to. referred
o members Of congress going to de-
iartments and by Importantly getting
'ersons appointed to Office.
Senator Carpenter Did the senator
limseif ever do anything of that kindS
Senator Trumbull-NO, sir.
Senator Carpenter-Nor did I; nor
10 I believe any senator did.
Senator Trumbull then discussed
he question hoW the civil service
ould be reformed, and advocated the
lection OF pOstmastere by the people,
ne prohibition of interference with
appointments by members OF con-
,ress, and the prohibition OF inter-
erence in politics by government Old
ers and employees. The President |
lad power to Introduce any reform in |
he civil servi' e he pleased-the pow |
r to elevate patriotism above party, |
nd purity above plunder.
Senator Pratt said he would vote for |
he pending appropriation because the |
President asked for it, but doubted |
he scheme.
Senator Scott said it appeared from
he blue-bOok that there we're about |
hree thousand officers appointed with |
he consent Of the senate, and fifty |
housand appointed absolutely st the |
,leasure Of the executive. When the |
,eople shall have learned that they |
we're themselves responsible for the |
'ad men In office, then the eivi-ser-
Tice reform would be In a great part |
Senator Morton replied to Senator |
rrumbull. He said that in mention
nQ Senator Trumbull's recommends |
ions to Office he had not said or i'm |
lied that there was any wrong in |
making them; the wrong was not in |
making recommendations, but in first |
making them, and then denouncing
thers for doing the same thing
he SenstoF Trumbull had i'm
,eached the acts and motives OF
.is fellow senators In relation TO ap-
Therefore IL was proper |
hat his own record should be referred
o, He MortOnl had also heard that
senator Trumb1Il had personally |
Irged on the President the appoint
nent of his brother-in-law, DR.. Jayne,
g pension agent 10 Illinois, although /
t could only be made by removing |
General Bloomfield, 3 Union soldier.
Senator Trumbull-l would Ike to
now the senator's authority.
Senator Morton-DOes the senator
Ieny it?