Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-02-23
7 HE REPORTER.
Official County Paper.
Grand Rapids, Feb. %, '82.
THE PAST WEEKS NEWS IN
WASHINGTON,

:
business of the Government is transact
ed with less loss per dollar on the
amount of business done than the
business of any corporation or individ-
ual in the United States. As an
instance of the perfection of the
present civil service of the Govern
ment. The internal revenue bureau
of the treasuary department has COL
lected during the last fiscal year $135, :
900, 900 every cent of which has been
covered into the u. S. Treasury.
Where is there any place for reforms
under such state of facts. The cry
Of civil service reform comes in a
large majority of cases from those who
have failed to secure the desired posi-
ton under the government and there
fore "reform" is absolutely necessary
in order that their desire fer office may
be gratifed Geo. w. Curtis became
'reformer' because President Grant
would not Yield his constitutional
duties to the said Curtis by allowing
Mr.. Curtis to select three men from
one of which the President must
make the appointment. Mr.. Curtis
has not worked at 'referee" without
results as he has FIVE times as many
persons in the employ of the New
York Custom House upon his recon-
| mendation that the much abused ex-
Senator Conkling has.
The tendency of civil service reform
as advocated by its friends is to weaken
the Republican Party by urging a
liberal portion of the Government
positions to the Democrats, who use
the means they thus obtain to over
throw the Republican party which has
been the means of preserving the Gov
eminent and as long as Jeff Davis is
called upon to deliver addresses in
which he is applauded for saying "The
cause is not lost but only sleeping"
there is an absolute necessity for its
continuance.
The Democrats are aware of this
and make CRATE pretensions Of civil
service reform as applied to the Gen.
eral Government but they never carry
it out where they have the power to do
so. They did not apply it to either
branch of Congress where they had
the majority and [ yet fail to learn of
a single state where the Democrats
have majority where they appoint
Republicans to Office. Does any one
doubt what the Democrats would do if
they should obtain control of the
SGHfa eG GSygr4 RRfpRH5dSsRRsst hs o ajE
room for their Democratic friends and
that no one would have just cause to
complain of.
Is there any good reason why the
business of the Government should be
conducted on different principles from
an individual or corporation; Any
business man would be considered
crazy that instead of being governed
! by the recommendation he should
receive for persons fitness to trans
act his business he should cast them
aside and open the situation to a COM
petitive examination open to friend or
foe alike. If a citizen of the United
States present satisfactory vouches
that he is of good moral character Of
temperate and industrious habits,
faithful to the Union and Constitution
of the United States; is in good
physical health and able to write intel
Lightly, and is within the prescribed
limits as to age what more should be
required of him but that he be the
friend and not the foe of the admins
tration.
The following bills and petitions
have been presented this week:
Hon. Angus Cameron to establish
additional post-roads in the State of
Wisconsin.
Hon. Geo. G. Hazelton in relation
to the assignment of United States
deputy surveyors accounts against the
government.
Also petition for the passage of
the bill creating pensions for injuries
incurred in the railway mail, internal
revenue and life saving services.
On motion of Hon. Chas. G. Will
liams the joint resolution TO print H.
900 copies respectively of the eulogies
delivered in Congress upon the late
Fernando Wood, Mathew H. Car
penter and Ambrose E. Burnside. as
passed by the Senate, was taken up
and passed the House.
Hon. E. S. Bragg the following
resolution, Resolved, that the Attorney
General be and he is hereby directed
to report to this House the aggregate
amount of the awards made for
damages against the United States
prior to 1878 by reason of the howage
of lands upon the borders of Lake
Winnebago. Wolf river and Fox river
occasioned by the maintenance of the
dam at Menasha, at the foot of Lake
Winnebago in the State of Wisconsin.
in aid of the government improvement
so called, of the Fox and Wisconsin
rivers.
Also, to report the amount of money
paid out for legal services by the
U. S. in contesting the claims of per-
sons who ailege their lands have been
injured by such fowage. Also, the
number of suits now pending against