Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-19


vice reformis not to be abandoned, but IS TO be
pursued; but, having given the best attention l
could TO tine senator's remarks, certainly I'M
derstood them TO be devoted almost entirely to
the rules and regulations which it is now said
will not work and are to be changed. | shall
take up no time in attempting to de-
tend those rules or the system Of competitive
examination; butt am certainly in favor Of civil
service reform, a reform that shall save tins
government from heing plundeTed under sys-
TEN which wastes One-tOurth OF the entire reve-
nue. of the country; and il Is sad TO me TO reflect
that the senator from Wisconsin now takes
position, not against particuariules, but against
a system which would correct it; that he stands
here, in the face OF an official document, pre-
pared by careful and cOnsiderate friends OF the
administration, by its best friends which states
that Oue-fOurth of your entire revenue, more
than ninety millions of dollars, is wasted, in
consequence of a system the correction OF which
the senator from Wisconsin now opposes"
Mr.. Shermau-"What document is thatg
MIR. Trumbull-"lt il the official statement
made by this civil service commission"
Mr.. Carpenter-'T have no desire to become
special champion of that board, but what they
do say is, that about Oucquarter of the revenue
is wasted and they do not know how much of
that is chargeable to the civil service"
Mr.. Trumbull-"Wel, we will see what they
do say. am willing TO have it read, and the
whole of it, unlike the senator from Wisconsin,
who had read part of an opinion of the attor-
ney general given upon another question alto
gether, which sustains his argument, and left
unread the conclusion, which condemns the
whole of it"
Mr. Trumbull here read from the report, as
follows:
at is not easy to compute in figures the exact
economical difference between good and bad
system of civil service. 1t is necessarily mat
ter of Inference and of comparison between the
probable operation of a careless and careful
r,at hn1 Ilu# 90 AZ ,1.Ea al I,v 41,npa ,,N
have made a careful study of all the facts, that
one-lourth of the revenues OF the United States
are annually lost in the collection, aud for
large part Of that loss system of the service
which is fatally unsound may reasonably be
held responsible"
whether he knows that the whole expense Of
collecting revenue, internal and external, is less
than live per cent"
Mr. Trumhull-'If the senator from Ohio
will devote his attention to the investigation
now going on in New York, think he will find
how great deal of the revenue is lost"
MIR. Sherman-"I will inform tine senator that
| have not only gwen attention to that invest
igaTiOn, but have Joined in reporting a bill, to
which hope to call the attention OF the senate
in a few days, and which will entirely cure the
abuses which have occurred at New York"
Mr.. Trumbull-"l shall be very happy to con-
cur with the senator in the passage OF that bill,
which is to correct all abuses. The senator
from Wisconsin passed high eulogium upon
the character of the president, and, at the same
time, informed us that the president had
put these theories as he calls them into opera
| ton for the purpose of rendering them OdOus,
| i'll expectation that the people will soon cry
| enough | think better of the chief maeiS-
trate OF the United States than to suppose that,
under the authority given him to adopt rules
and regulations for the reform of the civil SER
| wee, he has adopted such rules as will bring
| n
Mr.. TrumDul contrOveried MIR. Carpenter
| views, rs to the extent OF the presidents powers
| under the conSti uton. twas true. he sad, the
| appointing power belonged to the executive,
and the great evil was that members OF the leo
| iSative department of the government had grad
| ually usurped the power aud assumed TO dictate
| appointments; and the great aim of the civil ser
| wee reform was to restore TO the executive his
| constitutional power Of appointment instead
| taking it away. Does not the senator from Wis
consin know that, although the constitution aud
| law vest the appointing power in the executive,
and in the heads Of departments, yet, virtually,
thar power is not exercised bv them, but is con-
| trolled by senators and representatives in con-
| gresS?
Mr.. CarpCnter-1 know nothing about the
patronage OF Illinois, bu as to that part of Wis.
| consin OF which ! have any knowledge answer
that l do not know that to be tact"
Mr. Ifumbull-"Well, | cannot speak as tC
| the rule in Wisconsin, but this report states
that this is The general practice, and the pres
| dent endorses this report. The trouble is not III
the want of scholarship OF public officers; il
arises from appointments being controlled b.
| congressman, and ] introduced a bill some time
| ago designed to correct that evil.
| This report is the work of gentlemen Of
high character, great industry and lab rious re-
| search, who have inquired into the evils that eX
| ist under the present system, and have set them
| forth here with great clearness and force. ThesC
| are the evils, and, if they cannot be corrected
| by competitive examination system, let us ap
| ply some other system; but let them certainl,
| be corrected"
Mr. Edmunds announced that on Monday
he would speak in reply to Mr.. Carpenter.
Adjourned till MOndav.
| HOUSE.
The speaker, Owinl 70 the illness of one OF his
| Children vacated the char, and appointed Mr.
| Dawes of Massachusetts, speaker pro tenn.
A large number of bills were reported and
passed.
Mr.. Conner of Texas wanted the passage of a
| resolution to investigate mail contracts in Texas.
but as the subject had already been referred to
the post office committee, the resolution was nor
entertained.
The house adjourned at two O'clock num-
her Of resolutions had been previously offered,
but unanimous consent could not be obtained
tOr their consideration.