Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1882-12-23
7 Ell { G R AP HIC
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
An Interesting Debate on the
subject.


to understand the reasons which mad
the Republican Senators so earnest i
their desire to advance the public bus
ness at this time. They were taunte
| by the Senators on the other side i
language st only for shoeblacks, an
had been told that the people had coz
demned their past action. He woull
admit that the people must certainly b.
| in a strange and angry state Of mine
if they could contemplate setting aside
even temporarily the Republican party,
which saved the country, aud entrust
ing the government to the hands of tn {
Democracy. daughter He had seer
with intense sympathy the woebe gone
expression of the Senator from Ohio
fpendleton) as he stood in the camp o!
the enemy iaughter and begged his
fellow Democrats in vain to let the
Senate proceed to act on his Civil Ser
VICE bill. There was something heroic
iii the attitude of that Senator in stand
Ing there trying to save the country
from his political friends. Laughter. !
Bat the Senator from Georgia Brown
also occupied heroic position when he
declared it no time to pass civil ser.
vice bIi which would keep Republicans
In office and Democrats out. Laugh.
ter. That Senator was logical, and the
Senator from Ohio (Pendletop) could
not well answer him. Indeed, the
Senator from Ohio himself was now
carried forward in support Of his Civil
Service bill By the momentum which
he acquired in his past efforts for its
massage, at a time when be did not
dream that there was any prospect OF
his own party coming into power and
having chance to fill these Offices.
Laughter.
Williams (Dem.) OF Kentucky, op-
posed the Civil Service bill as imprac.
ticable and worthless, The only prac-
ticai attempt he had seen made to re-
form the service was the proposition OF
his colleague Beck TO inquire into the
abuses perpetrated by Republican off.
Gals in the last campaign, and that was
smothered by coupling with it another
entirely irrelevant inquiry. He was in
favor of reform, but wodId not vote for
this little sham. For the same reason
he had declined to vote at the last ses-
slon for that other sham little revenue
bill. This bill proposed & system of
examination for the lower
offices sort of sausage stuHer through
which each man must pass before he
could get into the general strings.
Laug ghter. There was great deal OF
talked about civil service re-
form. Real reform would consist in
putting decent and honest men in high
places and letting them bring back the
government OF the Republic to the
principles and practices OF It's earlier
and bstter days. He would like to see
a Democratic member of Congress who
would go back to his constituents and
tell them that he had voted to make
the tenure OF the present ottceholders
in order to keep his friends
from being tempted into Office seeking
Laughter.i How many votes would |
mat mau get: Why, he would be
hoosed. 1.-The people think, and | do
.oo, said Williams, "that whichever |
party is in power has right 10 put Its
friends in office. As for this poor little
hing before US, don't think 1t samounts
% anything. Old Hickory Jackson
would have put his foo: upon it in a
minute. laughter l don't think it
would be law that could be enforced
f passed. Yet it might bother Us
little when We come on, and | don't
want any distractions in our way.
Laughter. The only way to reform
he civil service is to elect an honest
President in 1854, who will turn on the
lose. Give him big hickory broom
nd tell him to sweep clean" Laugh
er.
The amendment proposed by Pen.
Teton striking out the provision that
ntrance 20 the service shall be at the
owest grade. and substituting one pro-
iding that appointments shall be ap.
as nearly as possible among
he States aud Territories and the Dis
rlct Of Columbia upon the basis of pop
lasion, was agreed to.
Cock7til made an argument to show
nat the bill if passed wonld not give
1e President or heads of Departments
ny more power to reform or purify the
,rvice than they had already under ex-
ting laws. The Republican party
ad had full power for years to enforce
,e=e laws and pass others if these
ere not sufficient, but they had not
one it because they had no desire for
form. The efficacy Of this bill would
epend upon the executive and, ne did
Dt believe that under Republican ad.
it would accomplish any.
ling in the way of reform. A Demo-
'a.ic administration would refurm the
rvics without auy such law. But,
though he had no faith in the value
this bill as reformatory measure,
3 would vote for it, becaase the Re-
lblicaus wished to have it, and he was
illing to give them one more oppor-
unity to reform the great abuses for
hich they are responsible. In speak.
e OF political assessments Cockrell
luded to the conviction of General
urtis for violating the law against
lem.
Hawley said he wished to do justice
, an honorable and brave man. Gen.
ral Curtis was elected Treasurer of the
'ew York State Committee against his
ill, and protested against assessments.
[e was Oaly technically guilty. In
oirit he was against these assessments,