Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-10
OUR SOLONS.
Democratic Caucus Called to Con-
slider Important Measures.
Figures Which Show How Rigidly Pres
ldent Cleveland Has Adhered to
the Civil Service Law.
The Bills Proposing the Admission of New
States Sure of Consideration but
Not OF Passage.
Hara'ison's CirR Service Policy.


Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-The question
of Harrison civil service policy is most
intesting to the Democrats now in office.
If Harrison is one-half as magnauimous
rs Cleveland has been in retaining Re-
publicans Ill office very fair percentage
of Democrats will still hang on to their
places under the next administration
Touching this matter of government en-
ployeS, there are some curious and inter-
eSting facts well worth while to point
out. A member of the cabinet had
list made up Of the number
of employees and their political
faith in all the departments here, which
shows how rigidly Clev Gland has adhered
to the spirit and letter of civil service
law. When Mr.. Cleveland came i'll there
were i'll all the departments outside of
the district government, IL ,221 employees,
of which ninety-eight per cent. were Re-
publicans, and two per cent. Democrats.
Since Cleveland IS term began there have
been $500 appointments to places i'll the
departments. 1t is thus easy to see that
the Republicans still have two
thirds of the places. The greater
portion of the $500 Demo-
Gratis now i'll office who came in under
Cleveland are civil service appointments.
Thus it appears that the hold-over Re-
publicans will feel the pressure greatest,
as they represent two-thirds of those now
composing the government employees in
Washington.
The intimation has already been made
from Indianapolis by Harrison Cor rather
III his organ, the Journal, by his private
secretary, Mr.. Halford y that the decap-
itation broom will not be put into
vigorous operation. The curses from
professional spokesman will never drive
him to connive at multiplying the civil SER
vice law. Said a prominent Republican
official to-day:
elf u 900 200 American people go to
the polls every four years, simply to vote
for wholesale upheaval of civil en-
plOyes in the government service, they
might as well stay home, so far as the
general welfare of the country is con-
cerned. The radical civil service REFORM
ers who have advocated permanent tenure
for all Offices are but handful and to-
day they are further off from the realiZa-
ton of their chimerical objective point
than ever before. There is nothing
practical in it. But you can set it down
as a fact that the offices exempted by
statute and regulations from wholesale
change will, as a rule, remain undis-
turbed. The 'cleansweepers' have got
to come to this at last, if indications from
Indianapolis mean anything ~
PROBABLE LEGISLATION.
1t seems to be generally conceded that
the only thing congress will accomplish
this session will be the passage of the ap-
preparation bills. There is a bare proba-
bility that the senate tariff bill may be
passed by the senate without many
changes from its present form. This Will
simply be done as an act of good faith
on the part OF the Republicans, but of
course the house will not pass the senate
bill i'll its present form The bills propos-
ing the admission of new states will
also be considered, but whether. any of
them will pass is an open question. The
only certain thing is that they will re-
ceive consideration. Considerable OPP
position to the Oklahoma bill has devel-
oped The Republicans insist upon di-
viding Dakota and they are opposed to
admitting New Mexico. The Democrats
are willing to admit Dakota as two states
and want New Mexico to come
in. The Pacific Railroad fund
ing bill has poor chance
in the house, although it will
pass the senate. Nearly two-thirds of
the house are opposed to it, and its con-
sideration will be defeated there. 1t is
more than likely the direct tax bill Will
pass both houses, but the president-Tiu
probably veto it.