The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent. ]

WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec. 19. 1888
We are having just now a pretty fur
illustration of the sincerity of the politi-
clans of either party on the subject of
civil service reform. Each side is scoring
the other for doing precisely the same
thing. The democrats in the senate
lecture the republican majority for turn
ing out the old officials who are demo
Gratis, while their friends over on the
house side have already made a clean
sweep of the republican officers of the
last congress The senate republicans
put on virtuous air and talked of civil
service reform at first, when in fact those
who were on the inside knew that the
only reason the senate officers were not
changed at once was the tear of trouble
on account Of Gorham and one or two
absentees. So it is. Neither party has
any regard for civil service reform. What
the politicians want is the offices, and
they will have them when they get a
chance. The enactment of the present
law was forced upon them by public
sentiment and they are most heartily
sorry Cor it. In the departments congress
men are not as potent as they once were,
and while few are glad to be relieved to
some extent of the annoyance and pres
sure, others regret the loss of their
influence in this direction. Before the
civil service law went into effect, it was Il
common thing in the departmental circles
to hear a clerk who wished to be promoted,
transferred or appointed in some other
department, say: Well I'll just fix that
when my member of congress returns to
the city" Such remarks are not INDUCED
in now, but treasury official informs
your correspondent that congressman are
daily endeavoring to secure appointments
on individual account as though they
were totally ignorant of the civil service
barrier. OF course those able applicants
are regularly referred to the commi ssion.
and, said my informant, ''if they get
an appointment through without comply
ing with the law it's frigid day. Just
now there is a great deal of scheming
goicg on in congressional circles to evade
the civil service law in the matter of de
partmental appointments. and although
the movement has not yet fully developed
it will become apparent enough after the
holidays, when congress is regularly in
session"
Whether the country will hail with
profound satisfaction the advent of an
other national bankrupt law, depends
some upon what sort of law il is. The
principal bill now before congress simply
revives the act which was repealed by act
of June 7, 1878, the only modification
being that the compensation of the as
sistants in the district courts shall he fixed
salaries instead of by fees. This is a good
amendment. provided the salaries are not
placed too high. twill be remembered
that the fees paid to the court officers
under the old law, constructive and other
wise, generally absorbed the poor debtors
estate, leaving nothing to be divided up
between the creditors. If we are to have
a bankrupt law, this bill is as likely to go
through as any other because it has been
subjected to the courts in all its parts,
and has been the instrument by which
more than one thousand millions of dol
lars has been saved to the debit side of
the business men of the country.
The Democrats in Congress are very
playful, and there is good deal more of
the atmosphere of relaxation about their
cloak rooms than is to be breathed in the
retiring rooms on the Republican side.
When Republican Senator gets tired of
business he goes over to the democratic
side to have some fun. The Democratic
Senators play practical jokes on one an
other, and perhaps the most persistent
joker of that body is Senator Garland.
Not long ago Senator who owed Garland
one for previous pranks, got hold of some
april fool" caramels and placed them
carefully on his desk. Garland spied the
deceptive chocolates. and carelessly saun
tering by, picked up one of them, and
said: What are these, Senator?" They
are caramels. Take one. Thank you, /