Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, December 15.-Sens
ators Pendleton and Sherman
presented a memorial of the tobacco
board of trade of Cincinnati, asking
the modification or repeal of the
tax upon tobacco. Referred to the
committee on finance.
Senator Butler presented a me-
mortal of the Charleston board of
health. Referred to the committee
on epidemic diseases.
Senator Anthony, from the com
miltee on printing, reported house
amendment to the resolution pro-
viding for printing the report of the
tariff commission, and its was agreed
to.
Al the close of the morning hour
the consideration of the French
spoliation bill was resumed. An
amendment offered by Senator Har-
rison was adopted, providing that
the report of the Court Of Claims
shall be merely advisory as to law
and facts, and shall not conclude
either the claimants or Congress.
The bill, as amended, was passed.
Senator Blair offered resolution,
which was agreed to, directing the
Secretary of the Interior to furnish
the latest and fullest information in
possession of the bureau of educa-
ton in relation to technical educa>
ton in schools endowed in whole or
in part by the government, and also
in certain other schools.
Senator Pugh presented the cre~
dentials of his colleague, Morgan,
reelected, which were read.
At 2 o'clock the Senate resumed
consideration of the Pendleton civil
service bill
Senator Miller, of New York, con-
tinued his remarks begun yesterday.
Senator George thought the
passage of this bill would inaugurate
the most important and necessary
reform, for the evils which it sought
to remedy were of most momen>
tous character, affecting chiefly the
purity of our governmental adminA
istration and even threatening tn =
stability of our institutions. It pro-
posed to overthrow the dangerous
and corrupt system which had for
its motto. ''To the victor belong the
spoils;' which held, as Webster said,
''by the right of conquest" the pub
lie offices created by the people for
the common good, and treated the
defeated party, often one half of the
American people, as unworthy to
participate IN the government of
their country.
Senator George read extracts from
the report made by Calhoun to the
Senate in 1885, setting forth the
evils and dangers resulting from the
abuse of political patronage, and
from Webster's speech at the Wor
cester convention in 1882, to the
same effect Those evils had con-
tinued to grow, and at last the peo-
pie had tired of them, and had de-
mand reform. This demand was
made in no doubtful tone, and the
man or party who could not under-
stand the meaning of the recent
popular upheaval, must be blind in>
deed. The Democratic party at
least, ought not, and could
not resist the peoples
will. If anybody imagined that the
people, tired of republican corrup-
ton and profigacy, overthrow the
Republican party merely TO give the
Democrats an opportunity to prac-
tice the same methods, he was most
seriously in error, the Republican
Senators seemed to understand the
peoples meaning, and he (Mr.
George) was glad to see the change
that had come over the spirit of their
dreams on this subject, for whatever
might be the cause of it the change
was most salutary, still the change
was remarkable. Last session the
civil service reform was sneered at.
and the Senator from Ohio Pendle-
ton) was regarded as insincere
or visionary in pressing it
upon public attention while
political assessments were defended
as justifable means of gaining and
retaining power, but now the
general opinion seemed to be that
political assessments were crime,
or even worse, in the politicians
creed-a serious blunder-and that
the monopoly of office by right OF
conquest" was not the surest means
of retaining power. The Republi-
cans were now SO thoroughly con-
scious of their guilt of political as
sessments that they came to Con-
gress on the first day of the session.
| and, by their President, asked the
speedy passage of law to pre-
| vent than frnm rolansinO irtr