New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-18

| The National Civil Service Reform AssOcia-
| ton, which held its annual meeting in New
port the other day does not seem an import
ant body to most of the politicians Never
| tbeless it does give expression to public sem
iiment which is strong enough to compel even
| the Democratic politicians, in their blind and
| laundering way, to court it. Consequently the
! Civil Service Act passed at the last session of
Congress had at the final vote an apparent
majority Of the members present of both par
ties, though nearly all the Democratic men,
bcrs present had just voted TO kill it by refer
ring it back TO the committee, under circum-
stances which, it is well understood. would
prevent its passage. III is vote was so signii-
cant that an examination OF the record is of
especial interest at this time.
| The bill originated with the Civil Service
| Reform Association, and was passed by the
Senate after many votes on amendments, in
which it appeared that nearly all the Repub-
leans were in favor Of it, substantially as it
| passed, and nearly all the Democrats were
anxious to change it essentially. or to defeat it
by indirect methods. On the final vote, however
taken December 2S, there were fourteen Demo
cratic Senators who voted for the BILL though
several asserted that it was a mere political
| cheat and would not accomplish ANYTHING
| OF the twenty-three Democrats remaining, five
voted against the bill, nine were announced as
| paired against it, and nine do not appear on
| the record either way. The previous votes
had shown that the bill had little chance of
passage if il came back so amended as to give
opportunity for ENHANCEMENT, and all its sin
cere friends urged in the House that its passage
without amendment was vital This feeling
was so clear and strong that, in Difference to
| it, the House Committee decided to report it
without even correcting some papabe but
unimporlant mistakes, to which they called
attention. Ii was therefore clearly understood
that changes in the House would be fatal to the
bill And the pressure Tor time, the Tariff bill
and the Appropriation bills being yet to come,
was such hat everybody knew delay would
also be fatal.
The only decisive vote in the House, there
FORE was on the motion to recOmmt and order
amendments, which was made by Democrat
from Kentucky, Mr.. Thompson. This was in
tended to kill the BILL and it was perfectly under
stood that its success would have had that effect.
Out of SO Democrats voting, So voted to kill
the bill in this way, and only against the
motion-Messrs Bliss, Hardenbergh, A. S.
Hewitt, Morse, ScOvie and Speer. One indie
pendent, Mr.. j. H. Burrows, also voted against
the motion. Out of los Republicans voting,
every one voted against the motion, and the
50 yeas embraced 81 Democrats and indie
pendents.
The final vote on the bill then followed
under the previous question, and the force of
public opinion was such that 45 Democrats.
who had not dared to oppose the bill directly
but had just voted to kill it, recorded their votes
in the affirmative. Messrs. Bliss and Harden
bergh, however, voted against the bill, with
81 other Democrats, l Independent and z Re-
publicans. The vote in its favor stood 1913 Re-
publicans, 3 independents and 40 Democrats,
and of the latter. as has been seen, 40 had
voted to kill it indirectly.
This is the measure concerning which the
Civil Service Reform Association unanimously
adopted resolution congratulating the coun-
Try on the passage of the Civil Service Re-
" form bill by Congress, and expressing q
cordial recognition of the action of the Pres
ident, both in the PRONUNCIATION of suitable
"rules for carrying on the work and in the
appointment of Efficient commissioners TO
direct it," Thus it will be seen
that the measure originated by the asso-
citation, and pronounced highly satisfao-
tory in its final shape. was carried through
both houses by Republican votes. that it was