The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-01-07
A VERY LIVELY SPAT.
A Proposition to Abolish the
Utah Commission.
HOAR'S AMENDMENT LOST.
Speeches by Van wyok,. Teller, Nor
gan, Voorhees,, Brown, HOar
and Edmunds on the
Utah Question.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON January 6.-The Chair
laid before the Senate letter from the
Postmaster-Genersl, complying with
the call of the recent Senate resolution
in respect to the appointment of post
masters in Maine, alleged to have been
procured through the influence of S. s.
Brown, chairman of the Democratic
committee of that State The com
munication having been read, Hale
said that before it went to the country,
he desired to say few words, with re-
gard to it. It was every day becoming
the belief OF the people, he said, that
the civil service of government should
not be the reward of party service.
Above all, the country deserved that we
should have pure civil service. There
should be no faint of bargain and sale
about it; all parties had recognized this,
and party rallying cries had been based
on this thought. The rallying cry of
Democrats was "Turn the rascals out,
which could only mean that if the
rascals were in Office they should be
turned out A singular state of affairs,
Hale continued, had arisen in Maine
within six months; there were
few large offices in that State.
There were but thirty-seven Presiden-
tial postofhces. but several hundred
fourth-class ones. No department. OF
governments came so near the people as
the postoffice department. When
President Cleveland came into office the
business was generally well conducted.
He, Hale, made no appeal for the men
that had been turned out, Republicans
had expected to 90 out. The elamor OF
Democrats for Office had been so great
that they expected to go. The admin
istration had taken a Conservative
course and the President, though pres
sed to make a general sweep of post
masters in Maine, had declined, but
the people of many places had walked
up one morning in Maine and found
that persons had been appointed whom
nobody wanted, and nobody recon-
mended. In one case it was found that
the chairman of the Democratic COM
mitteee, S. S. Brown. had given up his
law practice, closed up his Office, and
had come to Washington to superln-
tend the distribution of patronage IN
der the civil service system, when it
was found that this Ore-man power was
the source of the removals. Hale re-
Ceived letters from Democrats and Re-
publicans alike, complaining of the new
State of affairs Hale read several let
tiers, one saying that the people had
sent the PoStmaSter-General petition
signed by eighty-four persons. praying
for the appointment Of per
son, who, however. was not ap-
pointed. When Hale came to
Washington, one of Browns letters
was handed to him (Hale), the letter
which became the basis of the present
inquiry. He had made the inquiry for
the purpose of putting before the Sen
ate full information on the subject. Out
of 100 of the larger post offices in
Maine, it now seemed that Brown had
recommended 81 of the new appoint
ments. Hale acquitted the Postmaster
General of any endorsement of Brown.
Brown had come to Washington, en-
dorsed by the DEMOCRATIC party or its
committees. The Postmaster General
had turned these matters of appoint
ment over to his assistant who relied on
Brown, but the Postmaster-General had
not made complete answer to the re-
solution of the Senate. He had not
stated whether the wishes OF the
people had been respected IN
the new appoinim ants; no eXpianatlon
had been made OF the infamous system
VI WHICH the .OOLn
OF had been based. Hale read what he
termed 1.-The most extraordinary excul-
patorv letter ever heard ola letter OF
Brown to the Portland argus, stating
among other things, that the Demo
cratic committee of Maine and Brown
had arranged that the persons who re-
ceiyed appointments should pay some
thing for the expenses incurred in their
behalf, and also stating that he BROWN
had secured large nUmberof appoint
nients to postoffiCes. Hale referred to
the severe denunQation which on
former occasion had been expressed by
Beck in the Senate, at cir
cuIar issued by the Republican commit
tee chairman, calling merely Tor
voluntary contributions. What was
the issuance OF such q circular
compared to the condition of affairs
shown by the facts in this case? One
NAV have muddled the water, the other
poisoned the fountain. The Republican
party had not always been perfect, but
IN tWenty-fOur years, Hale had never
heard that public offices had become
matters of public sale.
Vest said President Cleveland had
honestly and conscleHtous!y. endeav-
ored TO carry out every particle OF the
pledge made by him to the people OF
the United States before his election
and he (Vest) was aStonIshed that any
complaint of him il that regard snouio
come from Republicans. 1t was certain
that much complaint had come from
Democrats because he had not mace re-
moyais enough.