Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-08-18

reaSOn 10 nope LnaG new era OF CIVIL ser
vice had dawned upon the Capitol. But
what performance has followed his high
sounding proclamation2 No sooner did
this reforming party take possession Of this
House, than It began the most wholesale,
sweeping changes of officials from the high
est to the humblest employees Of the House,
that has been known in our history. Many
of these officers had come to us from our
Democratic predecessors but they were
almost ali dismissed to give place to hungry
partisena Sixty-seven Union soldiers, who
were faithfully doing their duties here, were
turned ont, and among those who filed their
places were forty.seveH rebel soldiers.
Mr.. WILLIS. May inquire of the
gentleman how many Union soldiers were
put In Office?
Mr.. GARFIELD. I do not know the
precise number.
Mr.. WILLIS. If the gentleman will in
/ stitute a comparison he will find that it is
30 far as patriotism and fayoritism 10 Union
soldiers is concerned.
Mr.. GARFIELD. The facts do not bear
the gentleman out in bis statement. This
is the practice which followed your pro-
fessions Of civil service reform.
Mr.. HOLMAN. As a matter Of Justice
and fair play the gentleman from Ohio Ger
tainly knows and should admit that large
number of disabled soldiers wbe are Repub-
licans are still holding offices in this House.
/ Mr.. CONGER. object to the gentle
man from Indiana iuterrupting the gentle
man from Ohio. Let the gentlemen oppo-
site give our side an opportunity to be heard
for once.
Mr.. GARFIELD. am almost through
and will soon yield the floor.
In answer to the gentleman from Indi-
ana, understand that considerable num-
Der of Democratic Union soldiers were
appointed but was discussing civil-ser-
vice reform and the declaration of the
gentleman from Mississippi Mr.. LAMAR
that appointments to office should not be
used as party rewards.
! desire 10 glance for moment now at
the career of this House at what they have
done and ommitted to do. Passing BY their
treatment of contested election cases, their
| appointment of officers, employees, and
committee-clerks who have reelected no
credit upon the House, l desire 20 ask what
valuable work of general legislation has
this House accomplished? ?
We had hardly been here month, when,
among the first things demanded was that,
In disregard of the deep feelings of the
northern people, it was proposed to crown
Jefferson Davis with full and free amnesty,
notwithstanding he had contemporary
declared he never would ask for It; and
this was to be done, or no amnesty was 10
be granted to any one. And when We OBJ
/ jected because he was the author of the un-
utterable atrocities of Libby and Anderson
vile prisons, the debate which followed
Disclosed the spirit and temper Of the domi-
nant party.
We were hardly in our seats when the
| gentleman from Virginia Mr.. TUCKERl
brought in bill to repeal statute of 1866
which no Democrat had before that pro-
posed to disturb, 50 far as know; a sta
| tute which provided that no man who
voluntarily went into the rebellion against
i the Union should ever hold q commission
in our Army or Navy. And Democrat
| from my own State, Mr.. BANNING, the
chairman of the Committee on Military
Affairs became the champion of that bill /;
and this House passed it
Again, we had passed law TO protect the
sanetity and safety Of the ballot IN national
elections, so that the horrors Of the Ku-
Klux and the white-linism should not run
riot at the polls, and among the earliest acts
Of this House was clause added to one OF
the appreciation bills te repeal the election
law; and to effect that repeal they kept up
the struggle lately under the fierce rays o.
the dog-sEar. They have been compelled
by Republican Senate to abandon the
attempt.
Again, what have they neglected Early
in the session, indeed in the first days Of it
proposition was made, introduced by the
gentleman from Maine, Mr.. BLAI g, 80 "a
amend the Constitution as to remove for
ever from the party politics Of the country
the vexed and dangerous questions of church
and state by preventing the use Of the school
funds for secterian purposes. That amend
ment was sent to the Committee on the
Judiciary to sleep, perhaps to die; for it is
said to have been three times voted down
in that committee
Again, the Secretary Of the Treasury
officially informed US that his power was
exhausted further to refund the debt and
that If we would give him the requisite su.
tkority he could refund four or FIVE hundred
millions more at 50 favorable a rate as to
save to the Treasury at least per cent. per
annum of the whole amount The Senate
passed the. bill more than six month sago,
/ but this House has taken no action upon 1t.
Our revenues have been threatened with a
deficit and our industries have been shaken
with alarm by bills reported to the House
but never been brought to vote; for exam
pie, the tariff bill, floating lazily upon the
stsgDant waters of the House.
| AS idle as a painted ship
Upon painted ocean.
a promise to free-traders, threat Of danger
to manufacturers, but with no prospect or
purpose Of acting upon it.
And the Government has been crippled
by the Withholding of necessary appropris-
tions; withheld, as 1 do not hesitate to say,
for the purpose of making political capital
at the coming election, in which the gentle
man from Mississippi desires his party to
succeed in the name of honesty and reform.
His colleague was frank enough TO- declare
that he wanted to reduce the general appro-
priations, so as to have money enough to
devote to some scheme for bis section, such
as the cotton claims and the Southern Pa
cifc Railroad.
But party necessity has held many wait
/ ing schemes and claims in leash. They are
anchored in the lobbies and committee
rooms OF this House, till the election Is
over. There is the bill to refund the cotton
tax 70 the amount of S6O,O1O,00O, waiting
to be launched, when the election is over.