The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-10
'FORTY.NINTH CONGRESS-.
INTERESTING CIVIL SERVICE DE.
BATE In THE HOUSE.
President CleVelaRd's Administra.
tiOn the Most Non Partisan Since
George WashingtOn's.

resolution directing the Secretary OF
War to report whether the right of
drainage into the Louisville and Port
land canal should he conceded to the
City Of Louisville, Ky. Adopted.
The House then went into commit
tee of the whole (Mr. Blount [Gs. ],
in the chair on the legislative, exc
outive and judicial appropriation
bill.
Mr.. Compton Nd. I, did not propose
to answer the sDe.ch VI i'll omen made
by his colleage Mr.. McOomas). Time
would show thai the prophecy made by
that gentleman was not c3rfeCt. When
the administ alton had dor its duty,
and when the House had done It's
duty, it would be seen that the figures
presented by his colleague were not
correct. He proposed to address him
self 10 the civil service reform proyis-
ion Of the bill, and he EXPIRE sed his
admiration for the courage of the
Committee ON Appropriations in
placing the provision on the pend
ing bill. In announcing his opposi-
ton 10 the rules adopted by the Civil
Service Commission, he gave voice to
the sentiments OF the people he rep
resented.
He yielded 10 no man, high or low,
in office or out OF Office, in the enter
tainment Of an honest, earnest and
siucere desire for the thorough
economical and honest administration
of the civil service Of the Govern
ment, but this, he argued, was not ac-
complished by the existing civil SER
vice law. The law had been case OF
'heads | win, tails you lose" Ia case
OF Republican success, that party was
to have the law and the Offices; in case
of u mocrAt c success, that party was
TO have the law without the offices,
That law was, he commended, uncon-
stitutional, and he protested against
it as an anti.DemoCTatic and anti
Republican usurpation of the peoples
right. He was right against the law
as it stood, radically and irrecon-
cilably.
Mr.. Hit TIL. commented on what
he termed the extraordinary provision
which had been forced upon an ap-
preparation bill to nullify the civil
service law, II it were not ruled out
on a point of order, he hoped that
the House, representing the country
and the advanced thought of the day,
would defeat it with square vote.
The law had been tried; it was no
longer speculation, and it had, upon
the most thorough trial, been found to
be conducive to efficiency, honesty
and purity Of the civil service. The
Committee on Appropriation did not
refuse TO appropriate for the Civil Ser
vice Commission. but it coupled the
appropriation with a proviso which
broke down the barrier which pre-
vented spoilsmen from appointing
their workers TO Office. He believed
tina. the respopse of the country to
the provision would prove quietus
to the attacks upon the civil service
system. He reviewed what he asserted
to be direct violation of the law by
the Postmsster-General and the Com
missioner of Pensions, and COM
mended the more direct course pur-
sued by the Secretary of the Treasury
in the appointment of Higgins. He
also criticised the sotion OF the Presi-
dent in appointing Mr.. Oberly as Civil
Service Commissioner, declaring that
that gentleman was the very type OF a
party boss.
Mr.. Bayne, EP. J. protested against
the prov sion aud called atten-
ton to the fact that the change
proposed to be made could be made
by the President. To put this propo-
sition in the bill was to vote want of
confidence in the President and bis
Cabinet. He believed that the Presi-
dent was doing his best to carry out
civil service reform and that most, il
not all, of his Cabinet were endesvor-
ing in good faith to exc cute the law.
The only gentlemen who were COM
planning OF the civil service rules
were the members of the Kitchen cab.
met, 'Who they were he did not know.
Mr.. Price Wis. criticised many
tems of the appropriation as being
Etravagant 10 every place you put
our finger there was rottenness; pet
Y larceny in every provision and
:, and larceny in the aggregate.
Hr. Springer I'LL defended the
20 mmissloner OF Pensions from the
ina ggs OF having violated the civil
Ter, ice law, and declared that every
mn, Rintment made by that officer had
peer | strictly in accordance with the
cite r.and spirit OF the law. He went
IN show7that many of the special
Exam iners appointed had been Re-
nubli, sans, and called attention to the
iact n at Commissioner Black had re-
aimed eight Republican holders OF di-
visions VINO were unprotected by the
nivil sc rvice law.
Mr.. h aed Me- while douotlng the
norrectn ess of this statement, sug-
Uested Il Ht Mr. Springer would make
Mr.. Bla or very unpopular with the
Democra bic party if he continued his
speech.
Mr.. Spr niger asserted that among
the emplo. yes oil the pension ONCE not
protected / &Ithe law half of themsvere
Republicar g. The printing Office was
still preside dover by Mr.. Pounds, with
$500 emplo, US not protected by the
law His.ol " wonld show and the
facts would demonstrate that Mr..
CIevelaud's administration was the
most non-p. Tsti:an administration
since that George Washington.
The President Asd endeavorcd faith
fully and hone Why TO execute the CIVIL
service law. TIE Democratic party
was in favor of the execution Of the
law in letter and in spirit, but the law
was not intended 10 put it in the
hands of cabal 10 regulate appoint
ments to office.
Mr.. BuSterworth 70. said the gen.
tlemau from Illinois seemed happy
that the Commissioner of Pensions
could point to a few spared monu-
ments Of his political party. Gentle
men on the other side conceived il to
be a mistake 70 have spared any one.
TIE provision in the bill was an at.
tempt, neither wise nor manly, to
nullifv absolutely thelaw which mem
hers we're swoI1 10 observe and en-
force
Mr.. Springer While you were
Commissioner OF Patents did you sp.
point any Democrats?
Mr.. Butterworth did. / never
knew the politics or religion of any
individual appointed to office when
Commissioner Of Patents; aud / say,