The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-02-07
RATHER ROUGH HANDLING
SENATOR DANIELS ATTfCh ON
THE CITIL SERTTC r. LAW.
He believes that 1t Was What Caused
CieveIand's Defeat Some Pnngcnt
Comments ON the system,

ute yesterday. Mr.. Cockrell replied
with fervor to Mr.. Hawloy's remarks
approving nm increase in the Commits
sion. Mr. Daniel of Virginia made an
attack on the whole system. Among
other things he said
Nh. President, | shall vote against the
proposed increase In the appropriation for
the benefit Of the Civil Service Commission
because do not wish to embarriss tho In
coming Administration by an extra dose OF
civil service reform. | shall vote against II
also because ! am opposed to that system,
which j lCok upon MS un-American, un-
Republican and unDemocratic. While |
regret the defeat OF the present Administra-
tion In the recent election, should feel that
there was some consolation In II " the in
coming Administration shall manifest no
affection for the machine system OF APP
rointmen,s which has prevailed under the
missioner OF civil service reform.
My objection to the Civil Service Com
mission IL based upon The bedrock prin-
ciple that II is not thing that was ever con-
ttmplated by the fathers Of our Republic,
and was never resorted to except as refuge
from corruption. The Civil Service Com
mission is capitalization OF executive
power without executive responsibility.
Tie Constitution has put executive power
IN the hands OF the President, and in certain
cases to be provided for by Congress tn the
hams of the courts and the Presidents
Cabinet, and the Senate MS the Presidents
adviser, with the President, the courts and
the Cabinet constitute the sole Constitu-
tional repositories OF executive power.
BANKRUPT IN PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.
For the lat twenty-five or thirty years
we have become accustomed In this coun-
try TO see all the great corporations which
had become overloaded with debt and
which had watercd their stock sink under
these grievous loads and pass into the
hands OF receivers. The Executive Depart
mepts OF the Government OF the United
States, bankrupt to certain degree IN the
respect and confidence OF the people, fol-
lowed the example OF the bankrupt corpora
tons that were breaking up around them
aud transferred the executive powers OF
! this Government to three receivers, Who
by politeness are termed Civil Service Com
missioners; and the function to select the
agents Of the people, which the founders of
the Constitution intended to conhie to their
own selected and responsible officers. has
been side-tracked into the hands of trium-
virate who hold no responsibility to the
people and who may exercise their powers
| Just as they please without the correlatlve
power existing in any other functionaries TO
supervise and to correct them.
1.-THE CIVIL SERVICE MACHINE"
| Mr.. President, there is philosophical
reason why this civil service machine could
not be a successful one. The great princi-
pies Of constitutional and Of municipal law
which are the safeguards Of public rights
and Of private privileges, the customs OF
society which bold H. In the tenure of path
ways OF responsibility and honor, the efiquet
of life which makes the law Of the social
circle-all these things are the growth OF
ages and have ripenrd in their time. This
civil service reform statute sprang up In a
night, All unwholesome growth, or rather
not a growth, but device, an invention.
1t was not fruit that ripened out Of pub
lie demand and public experience and q
Just sense of responsibility. 1t was an
evasion Of responsibility, and an attempt to
do in side way what men feared they
could not do directly And, sir, when this
/ Civil Service Commission took charge Of
the patronage OF this Government they
themselves went far beyond what was >con.
templated by Congress In It's establishment.
What right have three men,. sitting III the
city Of Washington, to say to an American
citizen, who is guaranteed all the immunI-
ties Of American citizenship In our Consti-
tuition, that he shall not hold an office II he
is over 45 years of agey And yet three men,
who were put In power without single
vote being cast for them, directly or In
directly, did undertake to amend the Con-
stitution of The United States, to fix a status
OF eligibility to Office of which the people
had never dreamed and to ostracize one
third OF the American people from sharing
the Offices which their taxes sustain
TOO MUCH FOR A GEAR.
Sir, II an emperor or car had done such a
thing 10 that he would have heard the
howl Of the people around his palace; but
IL was done under the decorous name oil
"civilservice REFORM" ana all psrties nave
poweu 10 IL. am giau 10 say, however
ana u is an Item when ought TO go to the
credit OF the retiring, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
uDuer democratic rule 'nird OF the Amer.
lean people nave oeen re-enirancnised and
mat wnen a man gets 10 middle lie, 10 the
maturity OF MS lowers ana IN the iuii tide
Oh MS experience, ne is NOT now prohi0iteu
~ ciVii-serVice reform from holding ONCE.
"CIvIL SERVICE" WAS WHAT DID 1T.
Mr.. President, there is Just one other oh
;.ct;on that bave IN buiId,nr IN ,his svs
tn .,,,,,, =, ,,.,,,,e, ~ ~,
'ein' ihe county VI po"tcai p"r"es' 'n'
common sense OF the people the INST rair
question OF turning out ana Keeping In
1e,u eeS o .ta,m, eh iIe th anu Uet
Mon no civi, ssTvicc statnts In svis,enc.
Whatsoever, IL President Cleveland and hi,
Cabinet and his official advisers had had
full power to remove every officer in thi,
Federal Government. from the highest Il
the lowest, anu to designate also the persor
who would take the place of the person re
moved, | do not think that ther,
would have been anything like .
clean sweep or revolutionary change
Al