Omaha daily bee., 1882-12-22

other entirely irrelevant inquiry. He
wa in favor of real reform, but ht
would not vote for this littls sham,
for the same reason that he declined
TO vote at the last session for that
other sham, the little event bill.
This bill proposed y system of com.
petitive examinations for the lowe,
Offices, a SORT of sausage s%tutfer,
through which each man must pass
before he could get into the general
string. Laughter. There was a
great DEAF of nonsense talked about
civil service reform. Real reform
would consist in putting decent ano.
honest men in high places and letting
them briog back the government OF
the republic to principles and prac.
tices CT it's earlier and bstter days.
He would like to sec tho democratic
member of compress who would 20
back to his constituents and tell them
he had voted to mako the tenure Of
the present ofice.holders permanent
in order to keep his friends from being
tempted into o~aise.seeking. Laugh.
teri, How many votes would that
magnetiz,2 Why, he would be
hooted; people think, and I do too,
that whichever party is in power has
the right to put its friends in office.
As for this poor little thing that is be.
fore us, I don't think it amounts to
anything; "old Hickory" jackson
would put his foot upon it in q min.
ute. [Lsughter] / don't think II
would tbe law if we passed it; yet 1t
might bother us a little when we come
In, and I don't want any distractions
In u way. [Laughter The only
way to reform is to select On honest
president in 1884, turn on hose, give
him q big hickory broom and tell him
to sweep the platter clean. Laugh.
teri.
The amendment proposed by Pen.
dleton striking out the provision that
entrance to the service shall be at the
lowest grade and substitution of one
that appointments al all be apportioned
as nearly az possible among the states
and territories II district If Coluln-
bia upon the basis of population was
agreed to.
Senator Cocktail made an argument
to show that this bill, If passed, would
not give the president or head of the
department any more power to reform
or purify the service than they had
already under existing laws. The re.
publican party had had full power for
years to enforce these laws and to
pass others if these wera not sufficient,
but they had not done it because they
had had no real desire for reform.
The efficacy of this bill would de.
pend upon the executive, and he did
not believe that under u republican
administration it would accomplish
anything in any way of reform. In q
administration it would,
but a democratic administration would
r,form the service without any such
law. Although he he had no faith in
the value of this as a reformatory
measure, he would vote for It because
the republicans wished to have 1t, and
he was willing to give them one more
opportunity to reform the great
abuses for which they were rs'ponsi.
BILE. In speaking of the assessments,
skns ! IS fa Gsnsaa i'l 5afsfs Is 81 s Violating ting
the law against 1t.
Senator Hawley said he wished to
do Justice to honorable and brave
men. General Curtis was treasurer
OF the state committee against his
will and protested against assessments.
BE was only technically guilty. In
spirit he was against these assess.
ments and when he controlled men
himself he told them not to pay as
easements unless they desired to do
Senator Cockrell said he wal glad
to find General Curtis did not levy
assessments of his free will, but he
was sorry the republican machine was
60 strong that an honest man could
not Withstand it's pressure aud that,
therefore, General Curtis had to vio-
late his own conviction of right
and make these collections. He
then went on to quoce from
the republican campaign text book for
1882, when he was interrupted by
Senator Hoar, who stated that the
second Hubbell circular and the Cam.
paign Hand Book were the act of one
man chairman of the congressional
committee, 1t Ia true), binding no per-
son but himself.
Senator Hawley--Lst ma add that
especially in the matter OF Chinese i'm
migration and in various other things
I repudisted the Hand Book.
Senator Cockrell was glad the sena-
tors had an opportunity to make their
explanations. He did not desire to
cast any reflections on any senator
who was opposed to those raids. In
the course of his remarks, Senator
Cookrell quoted from a letter from
David Davis to a gentleman in Wash.
ington, declaring that the govern.
ment, which had long been In the
hands of the republican party, needed
new blood.
Senator Conger inquired whether il
was in good taste to quote the letterof
the gentleman from Illinois in his
absence?
Senator Vest said he was response
BILE for bringing that document, hav.
ing read 1t yesterday In the presence
of tho gentleman from Illinois.
Senator Conger said in that the
senator showed good taste.
Senator Vest replied that he would
not allow the senator from Michigan
to determine that question for him,
A senator who had said the language
of his colleagues was worthy Of shoe
blacks, could not teach him good
taste.
Senator Conger-I would never AT
tempt that.
Senator Vest-I think not.
Senator C%onger-If the gentleman
has waited "a hours to make that hit