Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-12


| dler presented several remolstrances
against the Chicago relief bill. He also
stated that a committee of nine, represent
| ing the lumber interests of the Saganaw
Valley, were on the way to Washington to
protest against the bill. BE moved that it
be referred back, TO give the committee an
opportunity to be heard, but Messrs. Logan
and Trumbul being absent. he did not
press the resolution.
Twelve thousand additional copies of the
census report were ordered printed.
Mr.. Cole introduced bill to provide for
mail service between San Francisco, Ia
haiti and the Marquesas Islands.
Civil Service
At the expiration of the morning hour
the appropriation bill came up. Mr.. Sh6r-
man said the tariff bill was set down for to-
day and he would insist going on with it
when the pending bill was disposed of.
The pending question on the appropria-
ton bill was the amendment apprOpriating
$4,000 to be expended by the President
for the promotion of civil service.
Mr.. Trumbull addressed the Senate on
civil service reform, in reply to remark
made by Mr.. Howe, Friday. BE denies
that be had ever forged political snathemas
against the President, or spoken disrespect-
fully of him. He had neither abused the
President nor fswned upon him.
Mr.. Trumbull then spoke in general
terms Of the corrupt condition of civil ser
vice, and argued. that the bill introduced by
him last year prohibiting recommendations
to office by members Of Congress would be
one important measure of reform.
Mr.. Carpenter asked him to leave gloomy
generalities and come down to details.
Mr.. Trumbull replied there was no lack
of competent witnesses on the subject. He
cited George VIM. Curtis as an infiue ntial
friend of the Administration, and read at
length from the testimony of eX-SecrUtary
Cox as to civil service abuses, specifying
among other things the appointment Of
Incompetent and Immoral Persons
through the influence Of members of Con-
gress, the difficulty of getting such persons
removed and the levying of assessments for
political purposes.
Mr.. Pomeroy said that Secretary Cox
professed to have found great difficulty in
removing incompetent employees in his
Department, but his successor turned out
sixty-eight in four months.
Mr.. Trumbull then replied to Mr.. Nor
toms statement made some weeks since that
be (TTumbull) had recommended 103 per
sons for appointments to Office since the ad-
vent of the present administration. Hav.'
ing often been complained of by his ct9nsti-
tuents for refusing to recommend worthy
persons for appointment and knowing that
since the first year of Lincolns administra-
ton he had very seldom interfe-eu in any
way in reference 10 Office, he had been sur
prised and somewhat indignant at hearing
Mr.. Morton say that he (Trumbull) was
chief among those who had been hanging
around the Departments seeking appoint
ments. Even if the statement was true of
course it would be no argument
against civil service reform,
! but it was not true. After hearing Mr.
| Mortons statement he had written to each
| of the departments asking copies Of all rec
/ concentrations made by him.. and the re-
plies showed that his name did not appear
| at all in connection with any such number
as l03. His name appeared oftener in the
! Postofice Department than in any other,
| but even there it appeared only 80 times,
| although there were about 1000 postmas-
| ters In his State, and in most Of these cases
| he had not recommended the applicants,
| but had merely indOrsed their application
respectfully referred to the Postmaster
General" or respectfully referred for IA
vorable consideration"
In reference to appointments, Mr.. Car
penter said that Mr.. TTumbull's conduct
seemed to be just like his own, and asked
whether lie (Trumbull) thought there was
! ANYTHING wrong or corrupt in il.
Mr.. Trumbull-I do not think there is
anything wrong in what did in reference
to those papers, but this is not whaesI re-
! ferred to. l referred to members of Con-
! gress going TO departments, and by impor-
tunity getting persons appointed to office.
Mr.. Carpenter-Did the Senator himself
! ever do anything Of that kind?
Mr.. Trumbull-NO, sir.
Mr.. Carpenter-Nor did I, nor do l be-
lieve any Senator did.
Mr. Trumbull said there was not clerk
appointed at his request in the Treasury
Department, the Navy Department or the
| Department of Justice, and only one in the
Interior Department, and of those in the
! DEPARTMENTS with whom his name was
connected in any way there was
No Blood Relation
of his, though he had many, and no one re-
lated to him in any way, except pension
agent, who was brother Of his deceased
wife, and brother of hers in the Agricul-
tural Department. So far from worrying
the Departments with applications for ap-
pointments, he had written a letter more
than a wear and half ago in which he had
given express notice that he never asked an
appointment as personal favor.
Mr.. Trumbull then discussedt the ques-
ton of how civil service could be reformed
and advocated the election Of pOstmasters
by the people, the prohibition Of interfer-
ence with appointments by members OF
Congress- and the prohibition of interference
in politics by Government officers and en-
ployees. The President had the power to
Introduce any reform in the civil service he
pleased, the power to elevate patriotism
above party, and
Purity Above PIunder.
Mr. Pratt said he would vO.e for the
pending appropriation because the Presi
dent asked for it, but he doubted Of the
scheme.
Mr.. Scott said it appeared from the blue
book that there were about 5000 offices
appointed with the consent of the Senate
and 5000 appointed absolutely at the pleas
ure of the Executive. When the people
shall have learned that they were them
selves responsible for having had men in
office, then civil service reform would be IL
a great part accomplished.
Mr.. Morton replied to Trumbull and
said that in mentioning TrUmbuli's recon-
mendation to Office he had not said or i'm
piled that there was any wrong in making
them. The wrong was not in making the
recommendations but in first making then
: and then denouncing Others for doing the
sam. thing. The Senator rrumbull) haC
impeached the acts and motives of his iel
low Senators in relation TO appointments
Therefore it was proper that his Ameri
can record should be referred to. He (MOr
toni had also heard that Trumbull haC
personally urged on the President the ap
pointment Of his brother-in-law, DIR. Jayne
as a pension agent in Illinois, although il
} could only be made by removing Gen
: Bloomfield, Union soldier.
Trumbull-I would ike to know thC
Senator's authority.
Morton-Does the Senator deny it?
! Trumbull-If the Senator makes tht
= statement on his own authority l will den!
: it very promptly
: Morton-I was not there, ana did Nc
hear the recommendation, but l heard tina
he had made it from an authority that be
leved was to be implicitly relied on +; ant
j | r,Oyr II II Is not frue tho Senator c3n de