Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-17
, FOrtnight's HOrk---Rssums of
congressional Proceedings
Assessments.
s,rsturiaI Debates and Debatsrs---
Nav and Old Rsglms---0ur
Dads Civil Service.
s,ilrOading the Star Routsrs---A
Dueling Reminlscsnce---
Our Next Senator.

WASHINGTON, December 16.-The second
y oFthe second session closes with work
:, Ear advanced in the House that members
=. bsgiunins TO talk more fayorably OF 4
=, DAYS adjournment over the holidays
There is already something ofacontroversy
b,,rseu the two Houses Of Congress on the
S,rbisct the Senate, large proportion OF
xboss members now have permanent
s,,,b!ishments here, preferring to remain
: session during the week intervening be-
tween Christmas and New Year, and only
{. Hou-n over the days mentioned, and
/ he House iayoring an adjournment which
y IN permit majority Of the members to
ii, their holiday turkey and make their
NpE Year calls at home.
This year the House has something the
Il vantage in the argument, having sub.
,.snrislly disposed of three of the apprO-
-iati0n bills and getting its other business
\ I'll in hand, while the Senate has been
.cussing the glittering generalities Of DO
ical assessments and civil service reform.
|rbe first subject has been consigned TO the
\ NIB Of the "apulets by a reference Of
Eecks resolu lion Of enquiry to the Judici-
~. which is expected 10 pigeOn-hOle it for
remainder Of the session, and nothing
mai rs but the second proposition from
/ entucky looking TO the punishment Of
tsople Who solicit contributions or levy as
tsssments upon office,holders, as well as
tgnis ing otiCe.holders who contribute for
Etical purposes.
The bill as proposed is thought too
weeping to be sustained by the courts
ven 81, u.d it be passed by Congress.
Oae Of the clerks in the In
-ior Department, who recently
alksd over the provisions of the bill with
s.s ock. thought, very sensible view Of
be subject 1T is all right" he said, "to
.op this soliciting, or in other words, levy
, o! assessments for campaign purposes
ron people in the departments. As now
uGucted it IS an abuse that falls little
hort Of piracy. But on the other hand, a
an in Office ought not to be debarred Of
e privilege enjoyed By all other citizens
!, contributing 10 aid the success Of the
arty with which he is identified, and no
ut would sustain law that undertook
restrain his right in this respect. After
II they are the class which naturally
0uld be expected to furnish a liberal
Lare Of the funds needed for campaign
purposes. They are more interested in
DE result than outside people who only
axe . theoretical interest in poll
ke losnna unaer - pres-
Int system Of appointments the
nter who has no other interest in the
+esult than 10 see his own political Princi'
les upheld, naturally expects the man
no reaps direct and individual benefit
rom a victory to take on himself liberal
are Of :he outlay necessary to secure 1t,
h system Of civil service regulations
} al :ng ordinary office holding in no wise
Lppendent on political elections were in
! rce the situation might be different but
b long * the present plan of appointment
-eyails, the average voter will hold on tc
bis idea"
Speaking Of civil service reform, this
week sdiscussion Of it in the Senate has a
east sisited some information on the sub
ect Of the antiquity of present customs oi
av pointment and removal, as we'll as illus
lrating the manner in which they have
been carried out in modern times. 1t has
been the prevailing idea that the existing
; an came IN with President Jackson. Ole
HicEory's pithy motto, TO the victor
belong the spoils,' has been quoted as tn,
beginning of that policy which has mad
Thousands of office holders belonging to tn
defeated party mourn and an equal mum
Ger Of appointees on the winning side re
jo;ce senator Brown, OF Georgia, however
in hisrcmarkS on Pendleton's bill, resuI
rectei some letters of Jefferson, which car
ries the doctrine back to an earlier period
"Seek them out" wrote the father of tn
TO one of his faithful ieuteu
ants, who had notified him that some OF hi
opponents were still holding on to the pub
lie teat, mark them well, be sure Of you
gtound. and leave the rest to me-
Mst'rr, of New Y ork, also contributed a
interesting chapter IN referring TO tn
adoption Of the principle in the first Cor
st.tution Of his own State and its retention
ever since in the management of pOlitica
2!El.r. in that commonwealth. \ distir
.guish,d political leader there had one
stated LIS theory on this subject to him i
about this form. TO the party yiCtoriou
M the election belong the SPOils, and to tn
Ior,ion Of the victorious party that sut
Ceeds in controlling the primaries, belon
the Offices" To which he replied that th
Pan might work for a few years, but whe
the rank and file Of the party discoyere
how things were being managed, the di
tnlulsAed leader would soon be saved tn
Nou"!, Il distributing the spoils anon
lae yi,'ors, for there would be no victory
The truth vas that patronage. instead (
NSTtrE,hening a party, weakened and d.
iS'Foyed II, as was demonstrated by the hi
tory Of parties in New Ysrk; and Demt
Gratis who were disposed to object to tn
great measure Of reform, because il Nigh
lessen the chances of their party to wiel
The patronage of the government whe
they come into power should pause an
take warning by the history of other pal
Ates in the past.
lettering sgain to the Senate debate
'.e week, the conviction gains ground tn.
'here has keen a recent marked diminI
uon IN the calibre of the membership ,
that body.
"sFe Is question which goes clear dow
:" Toe foundation Of our government
structure, and may some day effect It's yer
continuance, and yet thus far il has bas
argued mainly on prints of temporary .,
ieu'ency and picayune positions bstt,
~ ''eu ior nominating convention tba
N-e oody supposed to contain our Uiss
-u o'oadest statesmanship. The IA,
'ens l 10 be the Senate is fast filling n
t,;. ;'n r'ch men and mere managing no
, II was no. 50 few years since, ssnat,
- ".' OF Florida, told me few days as
u IN conversation with old H,nnibs
u.'n rI before that old veteran sasbers
~ hls SrnstnrisI ,frs,Gs and -