Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-14
THE SENATE.

WASHINGTON, December Is. - McSSrS
MaXcy, Vest, GrUOme and Ferry presented
petitions for the prohibition of unj uSt dis
elimination in railroad charges.
Mr.. llOar, from the Committee on Rules.
reported back the resolution for n select
committee OF seven, to he appointed by
the chair. on the extension Ul suffrage TO
women "r removal Of their legal diSabili-
ties. H. asked unanimous consent for tine
present consideration Oi the resolution.
Mr.. Vest objected.
Mr.. Ransom submitted resolution con-
>titutiug Il select committee "t five to in
uuire and report aS to the condition OF the
Potomac river in front OF the city OF Wash
ingtun. the navigahility of said river, effect
OF bridges across the same upon navigation,
floods and the health OF the city, and what
action ought 10 be taken in the premises,
etc. Adopted, and McSSr~ Ransom and
Jones. OF Nevada. Kellogg, Congcr and
Vest. were constituted the committee.
Mir Pcndlctun spoke at length ON the
civil service reform bill, and WAS replied t"
by Senator Davis. who objected To the fea-
turr which established Board Oi EXImin-
crS
senator Hill said in h.~ Judgment the
difficulties were not in The want uf lrgi>la-
tiuu. and therefore il va, very difficult 10
see how the remedy WAS To be applied by
legislation. one great difficulty, he
thought, was that while everybody was
preaching very earnestly, on civil service
reform, nobody WAS practicing II; and 1t
did not seem 10 make any difference II the
people whether their representatives were
plaCtiCing ii or not.
While the country was weeping over the
tragic end OF the late President. Il federal
Judge was tuiliug his ermiuc 10y inditlng
d. Ill.
one who, by reason OF the corrupt civil
service explained of, had succeeded to
the office appealing to him to make APP
pOintmcntS for the purpose, i'll the choice
language ut that Judge, ""t Cemcnting our
coalition in Virginia, 70 control the State
election.
What was that coalition? 1t was 10 secure
10 the Republicans the officers of the State.
The Senator from Ohio had said that much,
but had not told the country that the
President, t. whom that letter was ad-
dressed. while yet the mourning SObs OF
the people were cching aronnd him, sat
which that Judge had designated
aS "ccmcmting our coalition and
then, perhaps with the same ink,
had written homily ON civil service re-
FORM To- be introduced into his message 10
Congress.
This was the way We We're practising civil
service reform. Was the President 10 he
blamed Tor this? Had he not right To as
sumo" Everybody in this country who
talked about civil service reform was mere
ly playing with tn" people.
Were there not scores OF men
now present in the Senate
who had heard rcad from that very desk of
the Clerk, communication from the
Secretary ui the Treasury and former Pres
idrnt Of the United States, insisting upon
the removal from the New York Custom
House the very man VIII" was now that
very President SUCr' >~ur. upon the ground
that he had made il the headquarters ut
a political party and that his re-
muyal was necessary Ia secure an non
c,t administration of the public OF
fticc. Yrt tha. very man, who
was removed from the New York Custom
House on the ground that an honest all
miuistratiun of his office required his re-
mUvAl, was the Iuau who was nominated
for the next highest office i'll tn" gift Of the
pCuplc. and the men by whom thcs" com
munic.tions were sent to the Senate took
the stump for hi, election. This wa> Civil
Service reform H. PraCticcd by the LEADERS
f the Republican party, and why should
not such things to- done:
Did not everybody know that every man,
Elgn or low, biH'h oT NHIltr "'I' "'I'
charged with connection with the return
i'm, board frauds a; -, receive office from
the administration which obtained the
Presidency by virtue ut those frauds?
Had not the members now before hin
heard witnesses testify under oath in rcla-
ton to that matter. that they had pur-
pu>ely committed perjury for the sake Of
Obt;u ming office.
The senator from Massachusetts Dawes,
uttered one great truth when he said trouble
IN all this was with the people. Ii the pco-
rle would visit their condemnation upon
political party or members Of that party
that thus degraded and drhauChed the civil
service. the abuses would soon cease.