The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-02
CONGRESSIONAL.
The House Doorkeeper Charged
with Corruption and NAL
s feasancs In Office.
Chance for Civil Service Reform.
HOUSE.

| de had taken no notice NJ tue llue, pu
when tic gentleman returned with thu
statements in the form Of affidayits, hi
felt that be should be falae to his duty i
ne did not bring the matter to the notice
OF the House. Besides these statement
there we're also others which he woult
present. The first document contained
the names OF sixty.three employees on TIT
rolls Of the Door.keeper in excess Of CHI
number authorized by law. He desirec
to have 1t read.
Mr.. lIunton asked whether il would
not bu better to offer Rolne resolution re-
ferring the whole matter 10 sonie. com
mittec. He was 10 favor Of the inlles
investigation, but no document deroga
tory to the Door-keeper should go befor'
the country before it had been inyesti-
gated fairly and fully. 'u
Mr.. Baker then offered resolution re
citing the charges that John W. Poll
has been guilty OF corruption and NAL
feasance in office; that he has requires
employees to pay 10 other employees par
OF their salaries, and that he ID interested
| in the claims and bills now pending be-
fore Congress, and directing the Commit
tee on Rules to- inquire into The matter
alleged against the Door-keeper and re-
port whether said Door keeper is guilty
ot the alleged charges and II that Office
ought not TO be abolished.
MIR. Mills said he was glad tho other
aide OF the house was awakening 10 The
question Of civil scrvice reform. Several
years ago, at Boston Navy Yard several
thousand men above the number author
lied by law we're employed in order to
bring about the defeat oi the gentleman
from Massachusetts, (Mr. Danks,) and
the officer who had been responsible for
that had never been removed during the
whole time Of that administration.
Mr., Baker then had read at the clerks
desk the afIidaviia referred 10. One was
signed by Ingram Carroll, charging that
Polk was interested In claims before Con
gress, and promited him au interest in
them in consideration OF his resigning
his clerkship. The second was signed by
Mark A. Duffy. assistant superintendent
Of document room, making substantially
the same charges, and declaring that Polk
told HIN lie had corner upon Congress
in the way Of appointments, and that be
could got the committee on accounts 10
do anything for him.
l 80 al ta,t al ~ mnntI ha q |,
most impossible for the committee on
rules to perform tho service, as he him
self knew It was already occupied to the
extent Of its powers, and because such in.
vestigation did not properly come within
the scope OF its duties.
Mr.. Baker suggested that II be referred
10 select committee Of five members.
Mr.. Whitman thought the powers oi
the committee should be enlarged, so as
allow il to investigate the whole system
| Of lobbyism. In regard 10 Polk, he did
not believe he was dishonest or corrupt,
and he should be surprised at any evil
dence 10 that effect. He believed that
gentleman was the victim of deliberate
and foul conspiracy.
Mr.. McMahon, u member OF the Com
mittee on Accounts, defended that com
mittee from the inainuation made against
1t in one Of the affidavits. and said II the
Doorkeeper could get all be wanted from
il he wanted very little, for il had been
the rule OF that committee 10 give moth
ing except what was strictly according to
law. In all his associations with Polk
he had found him perfect gentleman.
He did not believe a select committee
should be appointed, but that the matter
should be referred to the Committee on
Civil Service Reform. Great trouble
was found in a system which allowed
men TO be removed from office without
cause. l.sg
Al the end Of the hour the House re-
fused to second the previous question, SO
the discussion went on.
Mr.. Roberts, chairman OF the Commit
tee on Accounts, in.imated that the gen.
tleman from Indiana Baker)was desirous
OF placing on others the responsibility o
voting an appropriation of S3S. 600, ,00C
nav the extra force on the Doorkeep er't
roll, while he (Baker) was as much re-
sponsible for II as any one. The Commit.
tee on Accounts had made no recommen
datiou in regard 10 It. II this was to be
made a party question he would go back
OF the last Congress and show that under
Republican rule like system prevailed
and that extra employees were paid out oI
the appropriation in bulk for the folding
room. which appropriation had since beer
cut down from $4,000 TO 100000 Il
$4,000. lie trusted that not only th,
Doorkeeper but every member Of thu
Committee on Accounts would be inves
tigated;
the employees was not sufficiently large !
ought 10 be enlarged. He himself hat
one man appointed last October by th'
Doorkeeper 1.-THE only one be had got) ant
this man had been assigned 10 q commit
tee room rs messenger, but because hii
name had not been put on the roll h'
(Wrighp had to pay his compensation
People should not talk about economy
when they robbed The laboring man
Some people believed as matter Of faitl
in what was called purgatory.
Il A member-That has been abolished
4 Mr.. Wight know that Beechel
abolished branch Of II, but | don't un
derstand hell and purgatory as synono
nous. Purgatory Ia where you get the
first blazing, then you come to real fir'
afterwards. That 10 hell. Shouts O
Amember-It is case Of going fur
ther and iaring worse. Laughter
Mr.. Wright-Exaclly. know tha
there IL purgatory Ia the vicinity o
this chamber, and know that Mr.. Poll
has been walking up to his arm pits II
purgatory ever since the opening OF this
Congress. He Is kind induleent man
promising to do much and doing bn
| little. [Laughter.l I do not know why
man earning bic dollar day Is not a
good as man who earns $lS q day. Tht
gentlemen ON the other side will proba-
bly call that demagogism. lido not NEAR
no much my friends opposite rs | do NEAR
lrIooking at the reporters gallery you
men up there who represent the press
Laughter.
The speaker-The gentleman from
Pennsylvania must address the members
Mr.. Wright-I am. addressing th'
members. Twas only switching Of 10 tht