Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-19
NO CLEAN SWEEP.
a Significant Debate in the House on
Civil-Service Reform.


REPRESENTATIVE BROWNE DIsCouRAaHs THE
SCRAMBLE FOR oFFICE-AGAISsr MACHINE
POLITICS AND IN FAVOR OF ADMINISTERING THE
GOVERNMENT on True BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
The motion made by Mr.. Cummings in the
House yesterday to strike from the legislative
bill the appropriation for the civil-service
commission was defeated by a vote of 1873 to
%. The motion provoked a very hot discus
sion Mr.. Cummings and Mr.. Spinola did their
best to destroy the power Of the commission.
Mr.. Cummings said that the civil-service
commission was undemocratic. He said he
believed it favored certain voters Of this coun-
t,y at the expense OF other voters, and
that if the rules Of the civil-service com mis-
sion were applied to the members of this
House not seven-eighths of the members
would ever reach the floor again. tIaughter.1
Mr.. Spinola said that every democrat in the
House was in sympathy with Mr.. Cummings
motion. and that three fourths of the re publi-
cans agreed with them.
DEMOCRATIC DISSENT.
Democrats all over the House fastened to
their feet to protest against this broad state
ment, but Mr.. spinola held to it in face Of
their denials
After considerable discussion on the subject
Mr.. Browne. of Indiana. had something to say,
and the House wanted to listen to him because
they believed him TO stand very close to Mr..
Harrison. When his time gave out they ex-
tended IL, and listened with attention.
REPRESENTATIVE BROWNIES SIGNIFICANT RE-
MARKS
He said: 81 am not willing by nv silence to
be ciassed among those who are in favor Of
partisan civil service. At the last presidential
election there were about IL 900 900 votes cast
for one candidate and the other. The plurality
Of the one is perhaps 100000, the democratic
candidate saving received five and one-half
million votes. do not believe that that cleo
ton resulted in DISTINGUISHING the whole demo-
cratic party. They still citizens Of the
United States, pay their taxes, may be called
upon TO bear arms in support of the govern |
ment, share in its burdens and in its response |
bilities. and am not one of those. sir who be- |
Heves that they NAV not furnish their proper |
ton of spittoon-cleaners, of hoor-wipers, of
department messengers, and department clerks, |
their fair proportion of the machinery by |
which the government is conducted. II the
election has established principle in politics |
every man who is opposed to the execution of
that principle in all fairness has been ostraciZed
by the vote. He ought not to be permitted to |
participate in the government mean in any
official relation to the government-or take |
part in shaping the policy of the government if |
one has been indorsed by the election. That |
policy ought to be carried out "a policy that |
has been Endorsed by the majority OF the Ameri- |
can people. Bu, the man that writes at the |
clerks desk. the thousands of women who are
employed in the departments. have no more |
to do with shaping the policy of the admin |
istration than the boy who follows the plow
in yOnder field. than the man who works about |
furnaces. in the shops. or the mills. They
have nothing to do with it. and IL is unfair. ii
l. un-American. it Is bad policy to assume that |
one-hGlf of the American people. bearing the
responsibilities and burden of American citizen
ship. shall not be permitted to enjoy some of
the emoluments of the small Offices that may
be in the gift OF the President of the party
in power. Why sir. if We establish the policy
of Tammany hall what is the result! Our cleo
lions become
A MERE SCRAMBLE FOR sPoILs.
1t is a mere question as TO who shall hold the
offices. who shall be the collectors. the post
masters. and clerks. American politics degene-
rates into a scramble for spoils; and then if there
be corruption to-day in politics-and re-
greet to say there is--it is because of this
infamous greed for the emolume nts of Office.
What are our politics and what are they becom-
ing TO be? We have an exhibition of it at
every session of our American Congress. In
the first place we multiply the Offices. Why?
That We may give places to our henchman and
that We may provide some easy positions for
our aunts. our brOthers-in-law. or our cousins
Having increased the number of Offices we
soon proceed to increase the emoluments of
each. There Is no public demand for either. !
and neither increase the efficiency of the serv
IT. OLucCb are created WHICH LHeTe Is no
necessity. Why. a number OF years ago-I will
not say when it was, but it was since / have
been attempting to represent a constituency
upon this hoor-I have seen
TWO DoORKEEPERs KEEPING A SINGLE DOOR,
each having a string tied to the knob each
sitting on an easy chair reading newspaper
and smoking a cigar. When a Representative
approached the door there was a pull of the
string and he passed through, and then there
I've = .llx H.
shut again. and each of those men was receiy-
ing @i00 a month. Why, Mr.. Chairman. every
body here knows we could abolish half the
places IN connection with this House and with
the departments of the government and have q
more Efficient public service than we now have.
Why j. it not done? Il is because we cannot
bear TO remove friends from those places
We do not dare to do IL; We have not the
courage to do il. / believe in conducting the
government on business principles. Why
should We employ more persons to do a GER
tain service than an individual or q private
corporation would employ? Why do we not
select men because OF their efficiency. as you
would select them in your private interest!
Why do We not do it, Can the gentleman
answer that question? II is because one is
business and the other is politics. That is the
reason | am In favor of civil-service reform,
II You please to call II by that name. / am in
favor of a non-partSan civil service; i am in
favor of applying the Jeffersoniau test: Is the
man honest. Is he capable? Bat would not
ldt me frrtheT question as 10 which of the two
IOiltcs.. parties the nan belongs.
Mr.. Cummings Is ho fOrty-ive years old?''
That Is the question they put.
NR. BROWNE SUNS UP.
Mr.. Browne. of Indiana-I am not defending
the c.vii-service machinery. am not defend
ing the details Of the civil-service rules l am
attempting 70 get American politics above
1alnmany politics. New York politics. machine
politics. partisan politics if you please and to
get the government: administered on true BUSH
ness principles, and indorse everything that
President Cleveland has so well said on this
subject and condemn everything that he and
Lis party have done i'll assuming to execute the
ciyil-seryice law. Laughter and applause on
the republican side.l
TIE CLEAN SWEEP"
j am very glad, Mr.. Springer said, to hear
the distinguished gentleman from Indiana
commenting the civil-service law and giving
assurance (as he can probably give such assur-
ance better than any other gentleman on this
floor because of his being personally and geo.
graphically so near to the President-electl that
during the incoming administration an effort,
at least. will be made to observe the principles
Of tie ciyll-service Law. We have heard much
In the newspapers since the election about the