Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-31
PITFALLS BEFORE THE DEMO.
Gratis.
Where Their Danger Lies.

VIEWS OF A DEMOCRATIC coNGREssNAN-HE
THINKS THEIR ONLY SALVATION Is THROUGH
CLEVELAND-AND THEY HAD BETTER NOT
NEEDLE WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
The legislative appropriation bill is likely TO
give the democrats considerable trouble. There
VIII be bitter fight on the anti-civil service
reform features when IL comes up this week,
and they are in dancer of falling into an error
mat may have very serious political results.
The republicans will do nothing to prevent
THIS, after they have fixed the responsibility
where IL belongs. The provision alta med TO the
appropriation for the civil service commission
providing that the money shall not be avail
able until the rules have been so changed as to
permit the head of department to select his
appointee from the whole list of eligibles is
clearly in violation of the rule OF the House
against legislation upon appropriation bills.
Yet II seems quite likely that this Is Dot
going To be allowed to operate against IT. Mr..
Springer, as chairman of the COMMITTEES of the
whole house. has made several rulings, which,
though covering points not quite so broad as
TINS. furnish a sort OF precedent for Its admis-
Sion and IL may be that IL he is In tie chair he
VIII hold that the provision l. not a violation OF
the rules What Is more likely, however, is
that the House will be called upon TO decide the
point of order for ITSELF In this the provis-
Ion would doubtless stand.
we are going TO get ourselves into trou BILE
over TINS matter said prominent den ocratic
member 10 STAR reporter. THE democrats,
II they are not careful. will rush blindly into a
Tight on the civ II service law, and there is no
telling where ii will land them. The bill is full
OF snags that may be very annoying to the
party in the future. The republicans see IL and
Will help them into trouble. The point OF order
against this civil service clause WILL i'm all prob
ability, be referred TO the House. 1t i easy TO
see what the result will be. The democrats had
in the platform on which they elected a Presi-
dent-tariff and civil service reforms. Reform!
That was the issue. But they haven't reformed,
and won't lfthey don't look out they Will find
that they have repudiated all their promises.
1t Is the fault OF the party managers that the
complained that the republicans We're
making the government pay their political,
and even private debts, by the use Of patron,
scandal and a disgrace. Wen, We have not cor.
rected this and these men do not want to cor
rect it. The Tact is that they have been paying
their debts In the same way. My attention is
called to examples of IL In the department.
And look at all the postmaster and customs
and revenue officers!
Mr.. Cleveland has not been able to hold the
party in check. They have already distributed
The cream of the offices to pay their political
He catches it on both sides. There have been
some eleven thousand democratic poStmasters
ad ppt nue. about 2,oVo by the presi-
True, this is only about one out Of ten, but the
other Line are not worth having. As rule,
nobody wants them The democrats have TAX en-
the cream Of all the offices, and when they conn.,
plain they are not sincere. can't give you the
figures oif-hand, but the Blue Book shows that
the democrats now get the largest share OF the
money appropriated for the expenses OF the
government. Members and Senators complain
about the administration, but they would not
like to come out anti-administration men.
They are still asking favors and trying to skim
deeper. am not at all sure that the party will
stay at the head OF affairs. If are saved it,
will be 10y Cleveland, but l am not at all conf
dent. The party managers are ready to fall into
any sort of pit-iall that lays in front OF them,
and IL Is they WHO stand in the way of the re-
forms Mr.. Cleveland would ipaugurate. They
had better be C reiul how they NEEDLE with the
civil service law"