The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-13
THE CIYIL-SERVICE RULES.
The House Continues the Debate on the
Change Proposed by Dir. Randall.
The Speaker Pro Tenn Finally Sustains Point
of Order Against the Proposition, and the
Rules Will Not Be Changed.


to the committee of the whole.
After the reception of various committee re-
ports the House went into committee Of the
whole (Mr Blount in the chair on the legislative
appropriation bill. The rivilservice clause hav-
ing been read. the Chair stated that the pending
question was the point of order raised by Mr..
Morrison. of Illinois, against the provision look
ing to a change of rules of the Commission.
Mr. Holman, of Indiana, briefly antagonized
the point. holding that the provision was merely
a Limitation ON the expenditure of public money.
Mr. Morrison. In support of his point. said that
under the law the duty of adopting regulations
devolved on the Commission and the President.
The purpose of the proposed legislation was
to impose certain conditions which the law did
not impose. and therefore was a change OF law,
in contravention of the rules Of the House
Mr. Reagan, of Texas. laid down the principle
that the House might refuse to appropriate at all
for the Civil-service Commission without viola
ton of the rule, and argued that, such being the
case, it was clearly in order to place limitation
on the expenditure of the appropriation. The
Commission assumed an autocracy which this
bill ought to take away from it.
Mr.. Reed of Maine, promised his argument
with sarcastic apology for interfering in this
affair among brethren, who. however they
might differ as to ways and means, were united
in the cause of real economy and reform. He
knew they were 80 united because they said so.
1t panied him to see that the gentlemen from In
diana and Texas Mr.. Holman and Mr. Reagan !
had to arrive at their age in order to ascertain
tho fact that the House ought not to be limited
in its powers. Both these gentlemen had
for
ing to the House the power to increase
expenditures because they had been opposed to
any increase That had been constitutional and
SUITABLE but the moment the thing went across
their grain it became unconstitutional and
unsuitable limitation. He inquired of Mr.. Hol-
man why he had not employed the leisure which
the House had forced on him in taking five great
bills away from the appropriations committee,
in framing bill regulating salaries and expend-
itures. The gentlemans mind had been active
on other subjects, such as the matter he had
brought in yesterday, to abolish the provision
for paying the Vice president
Mr.. Morrison stated that he had suggested to
Mr.. Holman the propriety of making the change
which had been made.
Mr. Reed expressed his qualification at learn
ing that the Democrats were even temporarily
united. He desired to praise both sides of the
Democratic party, for when they were divided as
they were 1t was impossible for both of them to
be wrong which gave chance for justice and
righteousness to be done, and the country was to
be congratulated. daughter. The Demo
cratic party never showed its patriotism so
thoroughly as when it split it up. Lower organ
izations always multiplied and fructi6ed by split
ting up. He deemed it unfortunate that the point
of order should have been made for it was evident
that the point would have to be sustained. Why
not withdraw the point and let the country see
how many of the patriotic Democrats who had
applauded to the echo the assault made their
brother Democrat from Maryland Mr.. Findlayl
would venture to put their names on the list.
Let the country see how many Democrats de-
sire to stand up and record themselves in favor
of economy and reform as presented by the com
mittee on appropriations. There was the ex-
ecutive an earnest and devoted friend of civil
law interfered WITH but desired to extend to it
the nebulous birds of that hitherto undiscovered
country called Offensive partisanship" and
there was brother Higgins in the Treasury, who,
under the nose of tie President was guillo:ining
every Republican he could reach
Mr.. Reagan raised the point of order that the
the gentleman was not discussing the pending
question.
: Mr. Reed am discussing my constitutional
difficulties. Laughter.
Mr. Reagan-I know the gentleman sneers at
the idea of the Constitution.
Mr.. Keed-No. 1 don't. never sneer at the
idea of the Constitution, but l frequently sheer
the kind of talk brought in here which eternal
IL drags the Constitution of the United States
into the mire of a mans personal desire.
II have not mentioned the Constitution TO-
day. declared Mr.. Reagan, and this disclaimer
caused hearty laugh. while Mr. Reed hailed
the day as the first white day in the history of
the House. Continuing, Mr.. Reed said that the
executive was fortified in the minds of the peo
pie by all manner of virtuous phylactery. while
every subordinate was operating the guillotine
in accordance with his strength and courage
Mr.. Reagan again objected that Mr.. Reed was
not speaking to the point of ORDER and the Chair
sustaining the objection, Mr.. Reed bowed in sub
mission to the decision and resumed his seat
Mr. Willis Of Kentucky. was unwilling to sit
quietly by and have the Democratic party
charged, as it had been charged BY Mr.. Butter
worth, Mr.. Cannon, and others, with seeking
the overthrow of the civiEservice law What
was the provision presented by the committee on
appropriations, one committee out or forty-si
question Of age. He had heard no one Repub-
lican or Democrat, state that there was the
slightest objection to the subject-matter Of this
clause The other clause was as to the certifca-
ton of the whole list of eligibles. He was not
in favor of that change, and gentlemen knew
that the provision could not stand. for one mo-
ment, the scrutiny Of the rules. Gentlemen
knew when they delivered their cam
paign literature that the provision would
not stand, and that the House would not un-
dertake to overthrow the civil-service law
He went on to criticise the conduct Of the Re-
publican party in relation to cv-service re-
FORM and called attention to the fact that from
1873 to 1883 not dollar had been appropriated
to carry out the exlStlnG law on the SUBJECT he
was interrupted with the objection that he was
not addressing himself to the point of order; and
admitting the force of the objection, he obtained
leave to have some of his remarks printed in the
Record.
Debate on the point of order was participated
in by Mr.. Hammond. of Georgia, and Mr.. Long.
of Massachusetts, in support of the point, and
by Mr.. Springer. of Illinois, in opposition there
to; but the decision of the Chair was a fore
gone conclusion, but little interest was taken in
the discussion.
The chairman delivered a careful decision, in
which he reviewed the provisions of the civil
which the point of order was raised, and finally
sustaining the point, ruled the provision out of
the bill
Mr.. Gibson, of Maryland. moved to strike out
the appropriation for the Commission. He would
not inf1ict upon the House any dissertation on
the local politics of his State. save to suggest