Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-07
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
First Session,
sen ATE.
Mr.. Hale on Chairman 5. S. Brown.

Mr.. Hale on Chairman :. 5. Brown.
WARRINGTON, Jan. 6.
Senator Hale laid before the Senate, We'd
nesday, the Postmaster Generals reply to the
resolutions regarding Chairman Browns office
brokerage. 1t shows four presidential and
eighty-seven fourth class postmssters which
were among the most important in Maine and
Browns endorsement, but he claims that all
had strong endorsements besides. The SEN
ator, in his remarks showed the falsity of
this claim Mr.. Hale urged that most were
changed contrary to the wishes of the patrons
of the office.
Mr.. Hale read what he termed the most
extraordinary exculpatory letter" ever heard
of-the letter of Mr.. Brown to the Portland
Argus, stating among other things that the
democratic party of Maine and Brown had
arranged that persons who should receive sp-
pointments should pay something for the ex-
penses incurred in their behalf, and also
stating that he (Brown) had secured large
number of appointments to post offices. Mr..
Hale referred to the severe denunciation
which, on a former occasion, had been ex-
pressed by Mr.. Beck in the Senate at the
circular issued by the republican committee
chairman calling merely for voluntary con-
tributions. What was the assurance Of such
circular compared to the condition of af-
fairs shown by the facts IN this case. One
may have mudded the water, the other
poisoned the fountain. The republican
party had not always been perfect, but in "a
years Mr.. Hale had never heard that public
offices had become mattsrs of public sale
Mr.. Hale had heard from an employee of
the house that there never had been in the
summer season more democrats in Washing
ton than during the past summer and that
Indiana democrats had not gone home at all.
MIR. Voorhees, remarkeI that when Mr..
Hale was so told he (HsleJ was keeping
company who didn't tell the truth. Mr..
VOORHEES, warmly denied the truth of the
statement, saying that of his personal knowl-
edge it was untrue.
Mr. Hale did not care whether it was true
or not, though if the senator from Indiana
(Voorhees) hal remained here at the sug-
gestiou of his constituents to look after their
interests it would not have been a case at all
like that under consideration. Mr. Hale be-
leved that he spoke for the honest conserva-
tive democrats of Main in denouncing the
course pursued by the democratic committee
OF Maine and by Mr.. Brown.
MIR. Vest said it was impossible that the
administration should know every man who
solicited office If he (Vest) had his way he
would make it a misdeameanor for any man
to solicit Office. 1t has become sort of
common law" in both parties for men to
recommend people for Office. Was the
postmaster general to go to republicans for
recommendations? MIR. Vest characterized
Mr. Hale's position as mere can't But for
the democratic successes of 1882 there never
would have been civil service law passed
by the republican party. The civil service
hn1 ,,,t tl,n fnr H.
attention until the prospects of democratic
ascendancy became obvious to republicans.
MIR. Hale said that he had nothing to do
with the question under debate.
Mr.. VOORHEES, said that the facts seemed to
be that three presidential postmasters and
some other minor postmasters had been
changed by the present administration. 1t
seemed to Mr.. Voorhees, that it simply showed
that not as many changes had been made in
the post offices of Maine as the people by
their votes last fall intended should be made
by the administration. Mr.. (Voorhees) sym
pathized with the republican postmasters who
had been turned out. They would get used
to it after a while, as the democrats had got
used to it. Voorhees, was not here to defend
Brown. He thought that Mr., Hale had done
a service to the democracy by exposing such
a man, but did Mr.. Hale suppose that he
could make the impression on the country
that the democracy of the United States
favored the course pursued by Brown! Mr.
Voorhees, differed from Mr. Vest in one
thing. He (Voorhees) was willing to put in
power and office men who had helped elect
democrats. He believed it to have been the
intention of the trainers of the constitution
that the government should be administered
by friends of the administration, which the
people should place in power.
Mr.. Vest said that the Senate had heen,
and for part of the time every committee was
in the hands of republicans.
Mr.. Hoar did not wish to claim that up to
the time stated either party was specially in
favor of the civil service bill. The civil SER
vice was the growth of the democratic plat
form on which Cleveland had been elected
and had declared for that cause.
Mr.. Vest said that President Cleveland had
honestly and conscien,iously endeavored to
carry out every particle of the pledge made
by him to the people of the United State
before his election, and he Vest was aston
ished that any complaint of him in that re-
gard should come from republicans. 1t was
certain that much complaint had come from
democrats because he had not made removals
enough Debate then closed, and on motion
of Mr.. Hale, the communication of the Post
master General was referred to the committee
on civil service reform.
Mr.. Gray called up Mr.. Becks recent res
olution of inquiry regarding the payment of
customs duties in coin and in the application
of that fund to the purposes of a sinking fund
etc. The resolution having been read, Mr.
Gray said that he would vote for it, but for
reasons very different from those which actu
ated Mr.. Beck snd those who thought with
him. Reviewing the history of our coin leg
islation, the act of 1873, Mr.. Gray said that
it was tentative, 1t was based on the idea
that silver would shortly reach an interna-
tionsl ratio with gold. 1t was the hope of the
attainment of this international ratio that
actuated many in voting for the bill. This
hope hiss been disappointed. The object of
this bill had been defeated, and dollar
worth 95 cents in 1878 was now worth less
than 80 cents. passionate invective on
the part of the silver men would not enhance
the value of the silver dollar. The true is
sue in the question was whether the true re-
lation of gold and silver could be reached BY
the continuance of the present plan OF silver
coinage. He asserted this couldn't be done
Bi-metslism could not be reached by any one
country alone. France long ago stopped
silver coinage, and shonld we, by our present
course, drive out of the country several hun
dred millions of gold coin? If we do we
should have contraction indeed
The act of 1873, having failed to raise the
value of silver, persistence in any present