The Press., 1883-12-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Early this week when the senate pro- ceeded to the election of officers, namely, secretary, chief clerk, executive clerk, chaplain, and sergeant at arms, democratic senatorial breasts were suddenly fired with zeal for civil service reform. The attack was, of course, intermittent, or else, last week, when sosle of the elective of foes of the house were taken from efficient, faithful republican incumbents and given to untried- democrats, Senators Pendleton, Beck and Salisbury would have wrestled with their brethren of the house, in tears, iii fasting and in prayer, to have induced a retention of the old officials. When the nominee for the first office was named, Senator Pendleton, of civil seryi.e reform fame, moved an amendment striking out the name and inserting that of the present Incumbent, which was not agreed to. MT. Pendleton proceeded similarly through the list of nominees, simply, he said, as an ex- dance in the officers elected two years ago. When Dr. Huntley, the new chaplain, was cleo ed, Senator Salisbury of Delaware twitted the republicans on their disregard of the civil service act which they once thought so highly of and voted for, while now they were taking all the salaried of ices even to the chaplaincy. The election If new sergeant at arms brought Senator Beck of Kentucky to his feet, saying 1t was clear the civil service idea was considered a humbug by the republicans when it in- terfered with them. A resolution having been adopted in caucus to retain the wounded soldiers on the rolls of the senate in their positions, the senate next went in- to executive session to consider the new rules.
 There was spirited debate in the house 1 Thursday on the enfranchisement of wo-
 men; MT. Keller having offered resolu- ton, by direction of the committee on rules, to appoint committee on woman suffrage Mir. Reagan of Texas warmly 1 opposed the bill, setting forth the oft re- 1 peated horrors of wives, mothers and sis
 ters forsaking their firesides and domestic
 interests for the voting precinct. Messrs. 1 Keller and Belford of Colorado supported 1 the resolution which was finally voted down.
 MT. Horr of Michigan caused some
 amusement in hls opposition to division i )f the work of the commerce committee i by the establishment of committee on .ivers and harbors. He said it would have
 been better to have divided the overwork 1 d committee on ways and means into two -one on ways and one on means. There could then be given to one committee all bills which tend to build up home indus 1 try, and to the other all tending to tear il
 down, and thereby both wings of the dem, 1 cratic party could have a committee.
 Five members of the present congress have died since their election, but Hon Dudley Haskell of the second Kansas dis
 trict, who died Hast Sunday, is the first
 member taken from his post of duty. He
 vas the leading representative from his l >wn state, and has served three successive tArms in the house. In politics he was an ardent republican protectionist, and while he tariff bill was pending devoted his whole time to it, after having conference, 1t late hours of the night, to which over work is attributed the illzhealth that ended his life Confined to his bed when con
 gress was organized and desirous of intro
 ducing measures ill behalf of his constitu
 snts, through members from his state, hi request was efused because he had not been sworn in. He then asked the speak CT to come to his room and administer tn
 oath of office. There is no record of tht oath having been administered elsewhere
 than in the hall of the house. MT. Flask ell's request was the. first of the kind evel known to have been made, and Speake Carlisle intended last Monday to have laiG 1 this new question in parliamentary law be 1 fore the house for decision, both for tn,
 accommodation of the invalid, and the es
 tablishment of precedent. MT. Haskel
 was man of fine physique, over six fee 1 tIl, broad shouldered deep chested, O
 marked ability and great ambition. Al news of his death the flag on the house o1
 representatives was set at half mast, anc Speaker Carlisle appointed committee o |congressmen to accompany his remains tc ! Kansas