The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-09-08
NO. 18

hc hou Uceh uOOTheeper OF Ine cOuIr1
crate Senate.
We all remember the scene here a;
the opening of this Congress With dis
gust. Why, in fact, Mr.. Speaker, II
was the first time the confederate
forces ever captured Washington in an
, organized form. Taking that scene as
a criterion, what may we expect in the
way of reform il Tilden should be in
augurated on the 18th of March next
Why, Mr.. Speaker, the ravages of the
grasshoppers in the western country
would be fair comparison of the raw
ages to be inflicted upon the country
by the hungry crowd of office seekers
that would come here in that event.
| Men were here on that occasion
claiming to be democrats of the reform
order, giving as evidence thereof the
fact that they had served four years in
the rebel army, and therefore their
democracy could not be questioned.
How did this reform party act then?
The officers of the House men of
known capacity were turned out to
make room for the greedy horde who
came up here from the by-ways of the
South. Union soldiers were driven out
OF their places, to be filed by men who
served in the confederate army, Our
new journal clerk was compelled to re-
sign; our Doorkeeper expelled from
Office. \ clerk to the Ways and Means
Committee was selected because he
named son after the assassin Wilkes
Booth. If he had any other qualifica-
ton | have not heard of it. / will ac-
quit the honorable chairman of the
committee with any knowledge of the
character of this clerk.
In short, Mr.. Speaker, in proportion
to the number of employees, the dis
grace and scandal to this reform House
is infinitely greater than to any or all
of the Departments of the Government
even after putting the worst construc-
ton upon them, as is done by all of
the reports of your committees. So
far as practical legislation is concerned
this House has been an utter, absolute
failure. You have sought to make
reputation by showing the deformIties
of republican officials, not for :he
public good, but simply in the hope
of partisan benefit. In many instances
they have been conducted in the
most shameless manner. They have
sought to bring before them per
SONS discharged from Government EN-
ploy for dishonest practices; they have
hunted up from the slums of the coun-
try all the dead beats they could
find who would Cc2ae here to testify to
f,isoIOods for the fees they get. They
have investigated in secret and with
out the knowledge of the accused or
of the minorities of the committee.
: No mans reputation was safe. Even
the Speaker of the House was accused
of selling an Office for money, with
nothing but his known good character
to rebut it. If the same charge had
been made by the same witness against
republican of equally good standing
! he would have been reported a seoun-
drel.
While the cost of making these investiga
tions will amount to perhaps half million
dollars and is much more than has been ol
will be saved to the treasury, upon the whole
= 1 do not regret them. Upon the whole theJ
have done good. In admitting this remem.
, ber that il was the policy of the Republican
J party itself to investigate wrong dOers, ant
! whenever a committee finds and points out
wrongs In government officers Ii has render
ed a genuine service to the country.
In concluding this portion of my remarks
permit me to advert TO the case OF Schumak
er and King. two members OF this House
\ proven To have been in corrupt connection
|, with the Pacific Mail steamship subsidy bill
i before they were members. The evidence o
D their corrupt connection with the passage o
= this bill was referred to this by the las
House. No notice has been taken of IL
o Does any iairminded man believe that l
4 one of these gentlemen had not been n Dem
ocrat we would nave hal report recon-
e mending their eXpulsiony
N Mr. LAWRENCE. The Committee on tn
a.
Ing 'I:e House had no Jurisdiction over tn
y parties charged with crime did not cOncu
n in that report. but did unite in the views o
ID the minority asserting such jurisdiction
e Mr.. FOSTER. Have they reported to tn
House:
Mr., LAWRENCE. suppose that that tn
z repotL has been made to the House.
e Mr.. MCCREARf- II has been made to TN
~ House.
MrFOSTER. accept the correction.
II II King, the Republican. had been alone
m he would have been expelled long ago. Tn
vengeance of this virtuous reform Hous
q would not have permitted him 10 hold sea
D. a week after the opening of Congress.
read from the New York Times careful
ly prepared statement of the reform: practice
q of this House. Its general accuracy canno
y be questioned, while possibly there may b
an occasional error OF minor detail:
DEMOCRAT REFORM.
( Union soldiers remOUed TO make rOoL
is for rebels-Whdt the Democracy hd
p already accomPlished-DisG6le'
J. Union soldiers turned ont and COZ
# federateS Of udriOuS grades Of incOH
n petence pat il their ptGces-A earn
a cal ofignOrdnce and imbecility an
II @ f0retaste Of tChdt eCe mag cape
10 under IildeH.
ic From our own correspondent.l
I WASHINGTON, Saturday, July29, 1876.
II The declaration of the St Lou
10 platform, made and repeated with fr
10 nuent reiteration that "refOrm is ne
> essary,' - is well illustrated and sustain
ed by the manner in which the civ
n offices under control of the RepreseI
,s tatives have been filed and adrnini
r. tered during the present session. I'll
/ same facts will perhaps suggest ths
n the reform which is necessary will nc
m be secured in the civil service by II
10 trusting the administration TO th
m democratic party. At least there
40 nothing in the record of the House
m the eight months since the beginning {
- December last to prove conclusivel
m that the democratic party is, as part!
40 devoted to pure, high toned, efiicien
10 well conducted civil service. III civ
a service reform, however, means ii
90 turning out of all persons now III offic'
\ the replacing of Union soldiers wit
go soldiers of the confederacy, in putin
no into good places men who have faile
pd 20 secure appointment in the past, an
o. who for the reason have joined Il
at democracy, and Others who have be-
ey dismissed for cause and have natural
~ gone to the opposition; in giving plac
eli of responsibility, filled by trained al
Ia- experienced men, to the new, inexpe
n fenced, and incompetent; in general
Inc ignoring the requirements OF efficien,
,is and capacity in the interests of par
"a sanship and personal services til
he is the kind of reform contemplated
=, the ST. Louis I LlatforIn, there has be,
a fair display of it by the democrat
House. and the country may We
-. nronerIy be called upon TO look at
- and determine whether the same thil
of which the House holds up an exaI
pIe is desirable to be introduc
,5 throughout the administration duri
10 four years.
sd The House organized by electiny
in Speaker, Clerk, Doorkeeper. Postns
is ter and Sergeant alarms. The impo
ON ant appointments are in the CIerI
les Office. The largest number are with I
Or Doorkeeper, and the smallest with I
,xI Sergeantat Arms. The Speaker b
Tvs no patronage to dispense save that
try is allowed private clerk, appoint
5 a by the Clerk of the House, who Ieay
Is the selection to the Speaker. II
ms clerk appointed to Mr.. Kerr is an ,
ms confederate. The Postmaster has
his few, but important, assistants. Ea
ne committee has CLERK as genel
his rule, the exceptions this year bel
of very few. He is appointed by vote
20 the committee in some cases, but ofts