New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-29
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
THE DOINGs OF SOME CIVIL SERVICE RE-
FORMERS.
THE SILENT" MAN IN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
MosorIroFs-" TIE WORLD DO MOVE


MosouIroRs-" THE WORLD DO MOVE.
Washington. July Ga" For ways that arc
dark, the Democratic rcformer certainly "
peculiar lie is strong in theory, but wcah IN
practice. Moreover, | fear that he IS othes-
wise inconsistent at times. Readers OF Inc tribune
OF course remember old friend Gcneral' oparhs'
whose rise decline and fall attracted no nconslderaoe
amount OF public attention. He was "fcloriher
after Ceveland's own heart long as he laid heavy
hands only on poor homestead settlers and branded
nIney per cent Of them as peIiprcrs and seoHDdres
of the deepest dye, but when he insisted on an I'M
friendly construction OF the law against certain rch
corporations he promptly bounced, ai'er Lamar
In the most dramatic schoo!boy style, had exclaimed
"You must resign your Office or I'll resign mine
This Department Is not big enough 10 contain DOM
Of u.s.
/ always regarded Sparks as typica' Democratic
"reformerr and an incident related By congressman
Nichols OF North Carolina, goes far TO confirm this
estimate. 1t occurred at time when the Gcnerai
was bashng in the sunshine OF Executive faVor-ih
fact Just after he persuaded the President TO over
rule some decision of Secretary Lamar Mr. Nichols
who had been elected 10 Congress few weeks before,
called at the General Land Office to try to obtain the
clnstatcmcnt Of a young man from his district VINO
had been dismissed. The young man was hepuo
lIcan. When Mr. Nichols was announced as Rep
rcsentalvc-clect from North Carolina, Gcncrai'
Sparks received him with great afablity, supposihs
that h was Democrat because ne ID d ""'' mum
and halls from North Carolina.
"Wen, what can l do for you, GcneraiF ashcu
" General Sparks I'm patronlzIng manner
ar co,nc IN COO whether --- cannot be rein
stated, General Nichols replied, al felt personal
interest in him as he comes from my district anu DC
longs 10 an excellent family. l am Informed tnal
he has performed his duties well and faithfully, anu
that there arc no charges against him.
"oh. ycs7 responded General Sparks pleasant
what be done" ,
Tho napers were brought by clerk who. as he de-
Ivcrcd them made some remark In an UNDERGONE
General Sparkss cOuntcnanco chanseu as ho iooi'u
over the papers rapidly. When he turned 10 rcSuio
the conversation he looked stern and his tone iahe
cordially as he said:
Il find that this man is Republican ihelo ".o
no charges against him except that ana nc secis "
have been faithful and efficient clerk; but as sad'
no ,s Republican and wo want the place for Demo-
Graf Now General you see how we are emoarrasseu'
We turn out Republican to-day, and to-moiro"
Democratic Senator Congressman VIII COMO hcio anu
ask TO have him reInstated on personal sroui'u'
Yes ami then nc will go away ana complain o''@''
the Administration Keeps Republicans In Office. bow
ever this seems to be an exceptional case anu Will
sec what"
a beg your pardon, Mr.. Commissioner interrupted
the Congressman, but SEQ you do not unders'aiu'
vo, think that I am a Democrat, but am a RepuDii-
can. anil Il would not DO honorable for me to allow
YOU to take any action in this matter, under inc Dc
lief that / a Democrat"
General SPARKS was fairly stunned and for some
time he was speeches. At last he recovered, ana aie
glancing again the papers he said IN fngid tofs
ooh um-sfr Nichols, sec that this Is case III
Avb,cb the appolntment must be made under the Civil
Service rules and can do nothing your ironu "i"'
apply 10 the Civil service Commission"
General SPARKS then busted himself with o'hei
matters and paid no further attention to his vsto
who was General Nichols when Sparks supposed
he was Democrat, but who became plain MI.
Nichols as soon as ho was discovered to be Repuoh
can.
Another "new, Congressman, Republican visited
the head of one Of the Departments in the hope OF ODD
tanning employ ment for person In whom nc lci' a"
interest The place sought was one Wl'mh INC
Jurisdiction Of the Civil Service Commission. Inc
high official I'm the "reform' synod TO whom inc aIr
pcatlon was made fell into the Same mistake thar
Gericrala SPARKS dld-hc thought that no Congress
man except Democrat would ask favor at the
nords ~ a Democratic Administration. lie therefore
remarked
al am sorry Mr., but tho truth Is that nave
no mower TO make the appointment until the applicant
has passed Clvn Service examination ana the NAME
has been certified for appointment
"wcn, the applicant has already passed the eAami-
nation" replied the Congressman
~Ob. that's all right then. You go down to Mt
A. and explain the matter and he will help 1t along
Don't 60 TO Mr. B., for he IS Republican and II would
do moro harm than good'
The Congressman went away, and he saw Mr. b.
AGAINST whom he had been warned, but he VIII MOI
say whether Mr.. b. undertook " TO help It a!onc'
do NOT know whether tho good Bishop oberly know
Of that particular not, but 1t IS notorious
fact that many, very many cases have becn heipn
aongn in the manner suggested TO the RepuDican Con
gresham whom tho head of the Department mistooi
for Democrat
Somebody ought TO write an essay on the influence
of silent men in Congress. stranger who spend :
bafbour in the House gallery usually goes away WIT
the impression that he has heard about TWO huhnreo
men irving to talk at once, and that the man WIN ''
strongest lungs and who speaks the oitehest Is 'h'
greatest statesman and the most influential legislator
That IS all a mistake II the Springers made tht
laws tho country might fare no better than IL does
now when their ideas, as rule get no further than
The Congressional Record" where they are carefully
embalmcd ard rost in innOcuous" obscurity. one
of the "sIlcnp members of the House Is lsaae
ctcnbcnson Of Wisconsin, whom all his friends and
acouaintanccs called :" Ike He was born IN " the
Provinces as Sam Slick would say, nearly Sixty
years ago. but has spent nearly his whole ic IN 'he
United States Since 1915 he has been lumbermar
in Wisconsin and by industry and thrift ne has ac-
cumulatcd large fortune. lie knows all about inc
lumber Industry and the mining and transportation
industries Of Michigan and and Wisconsin. THIS II
hts fifth year in Congress and do not believe he has
delivered a single speech in all that time. "heh th'
nrono.ton 10 transfer lumber to the free list was
u. Ter discussion the Southern frcc-Iradcrs, VINO
Nv ne little about the lumber Industry as they &c
about the mound builders, wcro filling " The Record
with facts7 and Statistics by the yar. stephenson
ddrctcd I'm his seat continually and his counienanc'
bctraycd his inward disgust. Ono day | asked:
@Why do you not get up and tell those people some
thing about lumbcr'
.Wau7 drawlcd Stephenson, "do you think ar
a blank fooll The Democratic lawyers and doctors
know It ALL evcn II they never saw pine tree anc
wouldn't know a saw-log from seascrDcnt They