Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-26
THE NATIONS CAPITOL
Free Education and Free Relig-
ion to be Insured.
Senator Blair Introduces an I'm
pOrtant Constitutional Amend
ment Relating
Thereto.
McCOmaS Of the House Wants to Increase
the Clerical Force Of the Civil
Service Commission.
Reed Makes Some Witty and Cutting
Remarks on the Administrators
Reform Policy.
WASHINGTON, May 35.
Senate.

Senate.
Mr.. Blair introduced a joint resolution pro-
posing an amendment to the constitution to
the effect that no State shall ever make or
maintain any law respecting the abolishing
of religion or prohibiting free exercise there.
of and that every State shall establish and
maintain a system of free public schools,
but that no money raised by taxation shall
ever be appropriated, applied or given for
any school, institution, corporation or per-
son, whereby instruction is given in any doc
trine, tenets, beliefs, ceremonals, or obser-
vations of religious sect.
1t was laid on the table at Mr.. Blair's re-
quest.
resolution was adopted instructing the
committee on Indian affairs to examine into
the condition of the State bonds held by the
United States in trust for the Indians.
Mr.. Turpie introduced bill for the max
ing and printing of register of labor, being
modification of the amendment offered by
him the other day to the bill for depart
ment of labor. Referred.
The Senate next considered the House bill
making an appropriation to supply the def
cheney in the appropriation for the expenses
of collecting the revenue from the customs.
An amendment was reported by the commit
tee on appropriations, to strike out the clause
repeating the law making permanent annu-
al appropriation of So, 900 for the ex-
penses of collecting revenue from the Gus
toms. 1t was agreed to. Other amendments
were reported which were also agreed to.
and the bill was passed.
The Senate then proceeded to executive
business. The Senate continued in secret
session till $40 and then adjourned till Mon
day.
Private business having been set aside, the
House went into a committee of the whole
with Mr.. Blount of Georgia, in the chair,
on the legislative and judicial appropriation
bill, which was read by paragraphs for
amendment.
An amendment offered by Mr. Taylor of
Ohio, to increase the salary of the chaplain
of the House from $500 to 81 200 was re-
jected.
The greater part of the afternoon was con-
sumed in a dreary discussion upon the pro-
posed increase of salary for the House en-
ployes and tedious debate on points of or
der No material changes were made in the
bill.
Mr.. McComas of Maryland offered an
amendment increasing the clerical force of
the civil service commission. He declared
that in a whole century there had never been
such a clean sweep of general officials as un-
der Cleveland. Now this sweep was made
under the guse of the most colossal hypoc
risy that ever graced the Office of lord high
executioner. He declared that the demo-
Gratis would deceive nobody but the morally
dyspeptic mugwumps who for free trade had
dickered away civil service reform
Mr. Hopkins, of H., assailed and com
mented on the assertion that throughout the
United States Cleveland's federal office hold
ers had captured the democratic State Con-
ventons and elected delegates to St. Louis,
regardless of the wishes of the people.
Mr. Reed, of Maine, said he could remem-
ber how the gentlemen on the other side, i'll
season and out of season, used to point out
the melancholy spectacle of the federal of
fee holders participating in nominat-
ing conventions. He remembered that
they used language of the most violent
reprobation at the appointment and removal
of men for political purposes, and formerly
declared that if they ever came into power
they would end that thing. They declared
it was to the interest of the republic that it
should end. Following out the ideas declar-
ed in this virtuOus oratory, President Cleve-
land at the beginning of his term proclaimed
that he intended to stop federal office hold
ers participating in nominating conventions,
not having his prophetic eyes perhaps on
the recent Pennsylvania convention or the
New York convention. (Laughter.) What
the republicans pointed out was that the gen
tlemen on the other side after all
their virtuous oratory as soon as they got
into power did precisely the same thing about
which they were SO indignant before they
got into power. They retorted by saying,
You did it," That was just what they said
before election; that was precisely the
gravamen of their charge that was precisely
the fault they were going to correct, and
now when they committed this fault them
selves they reiterated what they had said be-
fore election, forgetting that conditions had
changed. The accusation made against
the gentlemen was (and he hoped he was
not supplementary that their conduct, COM
pared with their previous declarations, SAVIOR
ed of hypocrisy. Laughter.
MIR. Lodge of Massachusetts,, said that the
providing of additional clerical force for the
committee was simply statement on the part
of Congress that the civil service law should
be extended and maintained.
After further debate, pending vote upon
Mr.. McComas' amendment, the committee
rose and the House took a recess until p.
NJ.