Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1886-06-16
BOTH WILLING TOOWN Up
A LITTLE STORY APPLICABLE TO
BOTH PARTIES.

Il
Army Appropriation Bill Passed by the
Senste-Notes.
/ WASHINGTON CITY, June 1.-THE debate
in the house Friday on the legislative bill
was exceedingly interesting and there were
times of laughter and excitement all through
it. Allen OF Mississippi offered an amend
ment prohibiting the funeral of congressman
at government expense; the amendment was
rejected, and Allen said his leadership
might not be adopted, but, like the grand
old man on the other side of the water, he
would appeal to the country. daughter.
He criticised the action of the Democratic
side in the matter of appropriations, and il
lustrated the position of both
sides Of the house by relating the
story of an individual in his district,
who, after vigorously denouncing the
Grant third-tsrm movement, served two
terms as county treasurer and became q
candidate for reelection Then, declaring
that he had been perfectly honest in his
former position, he said that he had reflected
over the matter and had come to the conclu-
! sion that he had been wrong, and he thanked
| God that he had the manhood to acknowl-
edge it. [Laughter-l The Republicans, after
| rejecting over their former practices in the
matter Of appropriations, admitted that
they had the manhood to acknowledge it.
| The Democrats, after reflection admitted that
| the practices which they had condemned in
! che Republicans were not so wrong after
| all, and thanked God that they had the
manhood to acknowledge it [Laughter.l ]
| Democrats had made their contests for con-
gress on the idea that the Republican party
was wasteful and extravagant party, and
If the Democrats did not correct some of
these wasteful extrayagances they would
stand confessed of having obtained control
of the government under false pretenseS
Their constituents would be much better
satisfied this fall with some evidence of re-
trenchment than with any stump speeches
on this floor accusing the Republican party
of misdeeds in days gone by.
Then Bayne tried to get the amendment
making the payment OF the presidents sal
ary contingent on his adopting the change
in the civil service rules proposed by the
appropriation committee A point of order
was made against it, and the point was sus-
tanned, but a long debate took place first.
Findlay of Maryland championed civil
service reform. He said that if it were not
SO serious a subject a man might sit down
and laugh at this old party, preserving its
succession in tradition and name, if not in
policy and principles, through half CEN
tury of conflict and varying fortune, fight
ing battles for twenty-five years only to
lose them, without one break in the long
chain of reverses, and then at last, after all
this long postponement, disappointment,
modification, and defeat, when party vic
tory had brushed aside the black cloud of dis
aster and revealed the silver lining to its raw
ished gaze whether intoxicated by the spec
tacle, or mad from excess of joy, the grand
old party, unequal to the task of deliberate
contemplation of its own splendid achieve
ments, asked to be dismissed in the very
moment of its triumph, and on the very
spot where it had achieved it It had voted
down an honest dollar, and it now proposed
to tear away a safeguard to the most valu-
able law on the statute book. Let no gem
tleman deceive himself. That the effect of
the amendment requiring the certifcation
of the full list of the eligibles to the ap-
pointing power would be to give partisan
and not a non partisan service was not a
mere matter of conjectural speculation, but
it was matter Of experience demonstrated,
boasted of, and gloated over by Baltimore
postmaster. This ingenious young man
had got the whole list of eligible into his
hands.
A Voice-What is he?
Findlay-He is a Democrat He was a
Democrat in Office He was appointed by
the present president of the United States.
That fixes his Democracy l suppose, though
that is a question of some doubt. Laughter
and applause He got the list of eligibles
into his own hands, and what use did he
make Of it! According to his own state
ment before an examiner of the civil service
commission, who was in Baltimore, he made
such good use Of it that in less space than a
year he had turned out every Republican
in that Office and had put a Democrat in his
place.
While Findlay was delivering his speech,
members from both sides of the house
crowded around him, and his last sentence
was received with burst of mingled Misses
and applause the applause being partly In
tended for the sentiments expressed by |
Findlay, and partly in appreciation of the |
action Of the Baltimore postmaster.
Turning defiantly toward the Democratic |
side, Mr.. Findlay explained: "When you ap- |
plaud the effect Of this amendment then |
you mean to say that the certification of
all the eligibles will result in what you
have applauded. Then you mean to say
the object of this amenment is to give q
partisan and not non-partisan service.
Applaud just as long as you please Neither
Kisses nor applause will deter me from the |
discharge of what consider duty" Zap !
plause.
EThere was no man in this house who did
not know what the effect of the provision
would be. The establishment of civil serv-
ice reform in England had had its origin in
the revolt of the commons against the ap-
pointments by aristocracy. That state Of
affairs had its exact counterpart in what
was called free America. There were no
dukes or marquises here, but there were
their exact counterparts in the shape of
political ward FOUNDERS and heelers
Though America had no aristocracy
which appointed to Office, it had a
sort of feudal system. 1t had one
tenant In capite and the whole system run
ming down to the remotest dependents No
man could get an Office unless he was recon-
mended by some of those politicians who
had control of the machine Now, he asked,
which was the more democratic Of the two
the system which permitted every man
and woman in the country to apply for
office, and, if qualified to fill it, to get into
Office, with influence or without influence,
or the system under which he could not get
into office unless he came bowling and beg
ging under the wing Of some political
scoundrel to whom he was. under such OBJ
legations as must cut his very manhood to
the bone. [Applause1
Saturday after the reception of several
committee reports, the house went into COM
mittee of the whole on the legislative, exec
utive and judicial appropriation bill The
civil service clause being read, the chair
stated that the pending question was the
point Of order raised by Morrison against
the provision looking to a change in the
rules Of the civil service commission.
Holman argued against the point of or
Her, contending that the provision was
merely d limitation on the expenditure of
public money.
Morrison supported his point and said
hat, under the law, the duty of making
regulations rested with the commission and.
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