The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-07
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-
The Senate Devotes a Portion of Its Time
to Discussing Browns Methods.
Debate on the Utah Bill, During Which Mr.
Teller Asks that the Mormons Be Treat
ed Tenderly-New Bills in the House.
THE SENATE.
MFR. Brown and the Maine observation-disclosures
ON the Utah Bill.

MFR. Brown and the Maine Postoffices-Debate
ON the Utah Bill.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-The Chair laid before
the Senate letter from the Postmaster general,
complying with the call Of recent Senate reso-
luton in respect to the appointment of postmas-
tiers in Maine alleged to have been procured
through the influence OF S. S. Brown, chairman
Of the Democratic committee Of that State.
The communication having been read, Mr.
Hale said that before it went to the country he
desired to say few words with regard to it. It
was every DAY becoming the belief of the people,
be said, that the civil service of the government
should not be the result of party services.
Above all, the country desired that We should
have a pure civil service. There should be
no faint Of bargain or sale about it.
All parties had recognized this, and party
-allying cries had been based on this thought.
The rallying cry of the Democrats was turn the
rascals out" which could only mean that if ras-
Gals were in Office they should be turned out. A
singular state of affairs, Mr. Hale continued.
had arisen in Maine within the last six months.
There were few large Offices in that State. There
were thirty-seyen presidential postofices and
several hundred fourth-class ones. No depart
ment of the government came so near the people
az the Postofice Department, and no department
was more interested in pure administration.
When President Cleveland came into Office the
business was generally well conducted. He
mr.. Hale] made no appeals for the
men that had been turned out.
The Republicans had expected to go out The
clamor of the Democrats for Offices had been so
great that they expected to go. The aministra-
ton had taken a conservative course, and the
President. though pressed to make general
sweep of the postmasters 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 recommended. In one case it was found
that the chairman of the Democratic committee,
s. S. Brown, had given up his law practice,
closed his Office, and had come to Washington
to attend to the distribution of patronage under
the civil-service system. When it was found
that this one man power was the source of
removals. Mr.. Hale observed Democrats and
Republicans alike complaining of the new state
of affairs. Mr.. Hale read several letters-one
saying that the people had sent the Postmaster
general petition signed by eiShtv-four persons,
praying for the appointment of person who,
however was not appointed When MIR. Hale
came to Washington one Of Mr.. Browns letters
was handed to him Mr.. Halel-the letter which
became the basis of the present inquiry He
had made the inquiry for the purpose of putting
before the Senate full information on the sub
jsct. Out of one hundred Of the larger post
Offices in Maine it now seemed that Mr.. Brown
had recommended eighty seven of the new ap-
pointments. Mr.. Hale acquitted the Postmas-
ter-general of any Endorsement of Mr.
Brown. Brown had come to Washing
ton indorsed by the Democratic party,
or its COMMITTEES. The Postmaster-general
had turned these matters Of appointment over to
his assistant, who relied on Mr.. Brown, but the
Postlnaster-general had not made complete
wer to the resolution of the Senate he had not
stated whether the wishes of the people had
been respected in the new appointments No
explanations had been made of the infamous sys-
tenn on which the proceedings complained of had
been based Mr. Hale read what he termed
1.-THE mos. extraordinary exculpatory letter"
ever heard OLA letter of Mr.. Browns to the
Portland Argus, stating. among other things.
that the Democratic committee of Maine and
Mr.. Brown had arranged that persons who re-
eeiyed appointments should pay something for
the expenses incurred in their behalf, and also
stating that he Mr. Brown had secured large
number of appointments to postoffices. Mr..
Hale referred to the severe denunciation which,
on former occasion, had been expressed by Mr..
Beck. In the Senate. at circular issued by q
Republican committee chairman calling merely
for voluntary contributions. What was the is
suanee Of such circular compared to the condi-
ton of affairs shown by the facts in this easel
The one may have muddied the water--the other
poisoned the fountain. The Republican party
had not always been perfect, but in twenty four
years Mr. Hale had never heard that public of
fees had become matters of public sale. Mr..
Hale had beard from an employee OF the House of
Representatives that there had never been in
the summer season more Democrats in Wash
ington than during the past summer, and that
the Indiana Democrats had not gone home at all.
Mr.. Voorhees, said that when Mr.. Hale WAS
told, he, Mr.. Hale. was keeping company with
a man who did not tell the truth. Mr. Voorhees,
warmly denied the truth of the statement, say
sng of his personal knowledge it was untrue.
Mr.. Hale did not care whether it was true or
not, though if the Senator from Indiana. Mr.
Voorhees, had remained at the suggestion of
his constituents to look after their interests, it
would have not been q case at all IKE that under
consideration. Mr.. Hale believed he spoke for
the honest conservative Democrats of Maine in
denouncing the course pursued by the Demo
cratic committee of Maine and by Mr.. Brown.
Mr.. Vest said that it was impossible that the
administration should know every man who So
icited Office. If Mr.. Vest had his way he would
make iS misdemeanor for any man to solicit
Office. But what was the Postmaster general to
dot 1t had become a sort of common law In both
parties for men to recommend people for office.
Was the Postmaster general to go to Republicans
for recommendations? Mr.. Vest characterized
Mr.. Hales position as mere cant. He Mr. Vest
had before now seen in the departments at
Washington such Endorsements as this: This
man 10 Endorsed by Vest and Coekre y and there
fore the appointments had been refused Yet
the Senator from Maine Mr.. Hale] had discov-
cred what he pretended to be new evil But
Cor the Democratic success of 1882 there would
never have been a civil service law passed by the
Republican party. The civilserviee bill had
been in the Senate for years without attention
until the prospects of Democratic ascendeney be
came clear to the Republicans.
Mr.. Hale said that had nothing to do with the
question under debate.
Mr.. Vest said his colleague Mr.. Cockrell] and
himself. in the course of the Investigations here
totore under Republican administration, had
found unmistakable evidences of the use of
money in the attainment of public offices, and,
though they could not put their fingers let
ter showing any use of money, they co1ld con-
vince the moral sense of any man that money
had been used.
Mr. voorhees, said 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.. Voor-
hees that that simply showed that not as MANY