The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-02-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Osma Correspondent

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our O,C1l Correspondent
Congress. Speeches Wisconsin Mem
bers.-MT. Williams and japanese
acknowledgements Cicit Ser
0ice Lights.-Impracticobze Reforms.
= Temperance = Failure of the
Liquor Inquiry Bill.
| WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 13, 1882.
The past week has been one of vo-
luminous debate in both Houses. In
the Senate the providing of arrearages,
for which there are anxious creditors
of the Government in waiting, and in
THE House the apportionment of mem
bers, under the last census, furnished
ample themes for the exercise of Con-
gressional debate. Many of the speech
es were able and readable, detailed ac-
counts of which will be found in the
daily newspapers. Probably not all
that was said in the House was design
ed to be particularly pertinent to the
matters at issue. The galleries were
from day to day tolerably well filled,
and as some of the speakers, while adj
dressing the House, occasionally
glanced up to the ladies' gallery, it is
not unreasonable to suspect that fine
rhetorical passages were attempted to
please the congregated beauty and
fashion.
The Wisconsin members apply them
selves to business. Caswell, Hum
lphrey and others are actively engaged
in their respective Committees. Will
liams, whenever he takes matter in
hand, is sure to make his influence
felt. AS chairman on Foreign Affairs,
he made an able report ON the Japa-
nese Indemnity fund. The facts in re-
lation to this fund are in substance as
follows: In 1874 the United States re-
ceived from the government of Japan
| $7S5,000 in gold as an indemnity for
an unprovoked attack on an American
steamer on the coast of Japan. The
damage done was not large, and, all
having been adjusted, it was decided
years ago to return the fund to the
Japanese Government. The matter
has been talked about for years in Con-
gress, but nothing done. If, instead
of Japan, the United States had been
dealing with any of the powerful
nations of Europe, the money would
have been sent back dozen years ago.
The report of Mr.. Williams presents
the case in so clear light, it does not
seem possible for Congress to delay
action before the close Of the present
session.
CIVIL SERVICE LIGHT IN MILWAUKEE.
Senator Sawyer, of Wisconsin, pre-
sented petition from the Milwaukee
Civil Service Reform Association,
praying for law providing for CON-
petitive examinations for Government
service. On no subject has there been
more platform and newspaper wisdom
lavished than this; still the meaning
of civil service remains underlined. A
few years ago George William Curtis
came to the front with code of rules
| for competitive examinations for can.
didates for Office under the Govern
ment. The country seemed delighted
with the promised reform by Curtis:
the secular and religious press were
elated, and talked as if political mil
lenium was at hand. A trial was Civ
en- the Curtis plan, and it proved worse
than failure. At no time for years
were so many characterless and un-
worthy clerks admitted into the De-
partment, as under the working Of
the competitive code contrived by Cur
tbs.
When Boards of Examiners were
criticised for allowing persons of noto-
riously gross immoral practices to pass
their approval, the reply was, that
none of the branches of learning in
which they were examined disclosed
their moral status. Book knowledge
| is important, but the essential fitness
for Office is not reached by the COMPETE
tive method. There are elements,
indispensable, which no amount of
school learning can develope. Perhaps
the Milwaukee Civil Service Associa-
ton, in its wisdom, can devise a set of
questions for competitive eXamina-
tions, by which dozen candidates,
seated at the tables, shall be required
to answer so that the Board can decide
which of them has the least propensity
to steal, lie, cheat, visit gambling dens,
neglect business and violate all the
commands Of the Decalogue. If the
Milwaukee Association, or any other
body of reformers, can invent literary
machinery for competitive tests which
will develope the character of candi-
dates for honesty, integrity, temper
ance, habits of industry, &C., the in
ventors thereof will be entitled each
to a statue in the rotunda of the Ma
tional Capitol.
Should merchants, bankers and bust.
ness men pursue the plan of COMPETE
tive examination for persons in their
employ, they would be charged with
foolery. No sensible business man
would resort to such expedients to OBJ
tain a desirable clerk or agent. Re
Gently the President and students of |
Yale College sent a petition to Con-
gress embodying their views on quail |
fication for Office. OF course these
boys think they know all about it;
fresh from the school, they believe |
they could distance by large per cent. |
the older men of long business expe-
rience. The dozen or two of college
students who were indicted two weeks |
ago for being on rampage, smashing |
street lamps, show windows, and other |
deviltries, would doubtless succeed ad-
mirably in competitive examination.
FAILURE OF LIQUOR INQUIRY BILL.
WHO VOTED FOR IT WHO AGAINST 1T. |
The bill for the appointment of
commission on the alcoholic liquor
traffic was taken up in the House last
week. A vote of tWo-thirds being re-
quired to take the bill from the table,
the ayes and noes were ordered, with I
the following result: Ayes, 112;
noes, 90. Two-thirds not voting in the
affirmative, the bill was lost. The vote
was nearly strict party one. All the
voted for the bill but
three; Mr.. Gunther, member from Wis
consin, was one of the three Republi-
cans who voted no. That he should
have seen fit to separate himself from
his Republican associates, and vote
with tle party whose chief element of
success in many towns and cities is
Whiskey. has provoked considerable