The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-01
THE FORTY NINTH CONGRESS-
Senator HOar Attacks the Presidents
CiviI-Service Reform Methods.
Senator Beck Is Net Proud Of the Record Made
by the House-The House Completes Con-
sideration Of the Sundry Civil Bill.
THE SENATE.
Senator Hoar Attacks the President on the
Civil-service Reform Issue.

Senator Hoar Attacks the President on the
Ciyii-Service Reform Issue.
WASHINGTON, June 30-The chairman laid
before the Senate resolutions of the Portland
lOre.) Boavd OF Trade, to the effect that the
previous resolutions of that body protesting
against the forfeiture of the Northern Pacific
land grant for the uncompleted portion Of the
Cascade branch were inconsiderate and illegal,
and should be expunged from the record of the
board
this action of the Board of Trade, he and his col
leagues were still in favor of the building of the
Cascade branch as competing line,
The Senate Proceeded y consideration of the
resolution for public executive sessions, and
and speech of Mr.. Morrill, against the proposed
change was read by Mr. Henderson.
Mr.. Hoar also addressed the Senate in oppo
sition to the proposed change. The charge had
been made he said. that Republican Senate
sought to embarrass the present administration.
This was not so. No President of the United
States not even Washington, had been treated
by his countrymen with an indulgence like that
which had been extended to Mr. Cleveland.
This, too, while his competitor for the great of
flee of the presidency, with his brilliant record
of public service for twenty years. idollzed by
such large numbers of his countrymen. who be-
lieved that had the peoples will had its lawful
and constitutional expression. he would DO
in the seat which is of right his had been pur-
sued even to his retirement with q malignity un-
surpassed in political warfare Abiding to civil
service reform. Mr. Hoar did not find that the
executive had kept or had attempted to keep the
pledges which preceded and followed
his election. In very few local
tiles, where the Democratic party needed
the votes OF civil-service reformers for any hope
of success, some slight concession was made to
this sentiment while the doctrine ito the victor
belong the spells" was in force for the rest of the
country. The appointing power was bestowed
upon the President by the Constitution. There
was no constitutional warrant for its exercise on
one principle in Boston and another in Balti-
more. What kind of reform was that which was
good for the pcstoffice In New York and not good
for the Register of Deeds in Washington: or
which was sound where it would not hurt the
Democratic party and unsound where it would
hurt the Democratic partyl What new oath of
Office that which bound chief magistrate
to reform, where, and only whore, the Demo
cratic party would not deem itself injureds The
Presidert of the United States proclaimed that
political Office should not be The reward of party
service, and that officers whose duties have no
relation to political opinion should remain unds-
turbed. That the text. He then
demanded the resignation OF Frederick Douglass
from the Office of Recorder of Deeds that he
might have place with which he might reward
jealous active Democratic politician for poiiti-
cal services. That was the application. This
was the Presidents own direct act No evil
counsel deceived him. The President who did
that would, in his Judgment, never rescue the
civil service from the evil spirit of party The
two persons from whese character the theory
and practice of any administration in the matter
of true civil service could be best judged were
the chairman Of the Civil service Commission
ard the. appointment clerk in the Treasury. The
latter was Mr. Higgins, of Maryland. The
former Mr.. Oberly, of Illinois, was of those
two most efficient Democratic machine poilti-
clans who. as chairman and secretary of the
Democratic State executive committee of lii
nOis furnished the country an example OF the
Democratic ideal of dvorcing Office holding and
politics President Cleveland might as well
make Dennis Kearney his Secretary of the
Treasury, and therefore, avow a belief in public
credit or honest money. as expect to be further
counted. as civil-service reformer. with Mr..
Higgins appointment clerk. The President who
declared within two years that he was chosen ito
represent the plans, purposes and policy of the
Democratic party now says at the beginning of
his reign, like the young King Henry:
Presume not that am the thing was,
For heaven doth know, shall the world perceive.
That have turned away my former self;
So will those that kept me company
The conference report on the consular and
Diplomatic appropriation bill was submitted by
Mr. Allison and agreed to.
The Chair lard before the Senate the joint
eresolution extending the appropriations for ten
DAYS
MIR. Edmunds objected to the second reading
of the JOINT resolution, for reasons which he said
he would state tomorrow.
The Senate proceeded to consideration of the
legislative appropriation bill. In the course of
discussion on amendments increasing the cleri-
cal force of some of the departments, Mr.. Beck
declared that he felt humiliated by the fact that
many of the appropriations we're diminished so
that members of the House might be able to go
to the country and say how economical they
were and how extravagant the Senate was. He
also criticised the House for its delay in passing
the appropriation bills. He was not proud of
the record
Mr. Plumb said that the House took all the
time it needed and then it launched the appro-
priation bills OH the Senate without giving the
Senate time to consider them. The legislative
bill should have had much more consideration
than the Senate appropriations committe had
been able to give it. 1t had to take many things
blindly. He thought it would be good idea for
the Senate and House to remain in session till
September. October or November. until every
item in the appropriation bills had been fully
scrutinized.
After an executive session the Senate took a
recess until P. NJ.
AT the evening session the Senate resumed
consideration of the legislative appropriation
bill, but took no final action upon it. Much of
the evening was consumed IN desultory discus
sion over the proposed reduction of force in the
surgeon generals Office, and the reduction was
finally rejected. The Senate then, at 1l25, ad-
iourned.