St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-22

His pet measure, which he introduced and
passed successfully through the civil service
reform committee was ruthlessly slaughtered
to-day, but he enjoys the proud satisfaction
that it received the support of and met with
opposition from members of both political
parties. The best he could muster with her
culean effort was 80 votes in favor OF
suspending the rules and passing the bill,
while 146 votes were registered against the
proposition.
LITTLE TOO OVERWHELMING.
Mr.. Willis did not expect so pronounced
defeat in view of the fact that the civil serY-
ice reform committee unanimously recon-
mended its passage. The bill proposed to
repeal various sections of the statute limit
ing the Office of district attorneys, territorial
judges, surveyors general, registers and re-
ceivers of land offices, collectors, surveyors
and naval officers of custom and postmasters
of presidential appointments to four years,
and to continue them in Office during good
behavior. as the law existed prior to 1920 in
the days of Washington, Adams, jefferson,
Madison and Monroe. So important
a measure could hardly be discussed on both
sides in half an hour, but such is the inexor-
able rule of the house and when Mutchler, of
Pennsylvania, chairman of the civil service
reform committee, took the floor in explana-
ton of the bill so much disorder prevailed
that the speaker begged, appealed and COM
manded almost Intellectually for silence.
NOT A PARTISAN MEASURE.
Mcmillan, of Tennessee, denounced the
measure as creating life term in office, with
which view Dibble concurred, as did also
Holman, of Indiana, and Springer, of
Illinois, while Willis, of Kentucky, Findlay,
of Maryland, Lymon, of Massachusetts,,
and Bayne, of Pennsylvania, contended it
was step in the direction of genuine civil
service reform and would prevent the abuse
of patronage by partisan presidents. Bayne
raised tempest by declaring that any Dem
ocrat or Republican who voted against the
bill thereby committed himself to the in
famous spois system, which had disgraced
American politics for so many years. A
scene Of disorder ensued. Members jumped
up in all directions, shook their fists and
pounded their desks, but the noise was so
great that little could be heard. The
speaker had difficulty in restoring
order, and the previous question
being demanded the roll was called and
peace smiled again upon the conscript faith
ers. Willis states that he will push his
measure as long as he remains in congress.
Had his bill been confined to judicial officers
it doubtless would have passed, but includ-
ing postmasters, collectors and other purely
political officers, the majority of both parties
were unwilling to surrender prospective
chances of controlling patronage.
ADDED AN HOUR.
The house meets hereafter an hour earlier
but this will not materially advance legisla-
ton Complaint is made with great justice
that more than half of the time is consumed
in debating questions of order, which ought
to be promptly decided. This, superaddedto
a mania for speech making, which it is i'm
possible to check, makes it no wonder that
legislation is so much in arrears and it will
always remain in this condition under the
present rules. Nearly five months have
passed and out of 10, 900 bills introduced not
more than thirty have so far become laws by
concurrence of both houses.
IN RE SOLDIERS HEALTH.
1t is to be hoped that the senate will con-
cur in the bill passed by the house to-day,
providing that to obtain pension it shall
not be necessary for soldiers and sailors
whose services were accepted and who served
faithfully during the late war to prove they
were in sound health before enlistment. This
prerequisite has prevented many thousand of
brave soldiers and sailors from obtaining
pension who could not make such proof, al
though wounded and disabled in the service
and honorably discharged Many who were
sound when they enlisted failed to make sat
isfactory proof in this regard, be-
cause friends, relatives and companions,
who knew their condition, had
passed away or scattered in the twenty years
since the close of the war. The pension
rules have been enforced too vigorously here
tofore in this character of proof.
THE BANKRUPTCY BILL.
Although the senate has at last passed a
bill providing for uniform system of bank
ruptcy, it comes too late to receive the con-
currence of the house at the present session.
Had it reached the house two weeks since,
there would have been chance for it. Now
there is none until next December, notwith-
standing the great pressure of boards OF
trades, and mercantile firms tC
secure early action. 1t is
extremely doubtful that in any event, the
bill in the shape it passed the senate will
meet the views of the majority of the houses
The impression prevails that the terms of the
bill favor the creditor to the injury of the
debtor class, and if this be so many members
will contend that the state systems are much
better than any national or uniform system
that can be adopted. Merchants should in.
form themselves concerning the bankruptcy
or assignment laws of the various states be-
fore giving credits.
| THE TARIFF DEBATE.
| Tomorrow will chronicle the resumption
| of the tariff discussion, and since the ways
and means committee have not been able tt
agree where the limit of debate shall bt
fixed, the tide will continue to roll in unit
the sophomores have all spoken and the
house grows weary and wishes itself dead
Mr.. Morrison realizes that horizontal re
duction of the tariff cannot be secured a:
prepared by his BILL but hopes that some
good in the way of tariff reform may come
of it. What he most fears at this juncture ii
the possible success of a motion to strike GU
the enacting clause, which vii
be made as soon as the debat,
is closed. Were vote taken now on strik
ing out the exacting clause, it would fail be
You'd question, but what the next few day
or week may bring forth is an unknown AM
uncertain quantity. Several members VIII
voted against consideration frankly comics