Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-23
POLITICS IN THE HOUSE.

A Debate In winch quay, C1Vit service
Appropriations and Civil Service Re.
form All Figured-Ailen, the Humorisl
as Poet.
| WASHINGTON, April 22-The House to-day
went into colnmitte OF the whole. Mr.
| Payson, of Illinois, in the chair, on the legis
| lative appropriation bill. Mr.. Butterworth. OF
Ohio, in brief explanation of the bill, said
that in some Of the bureaus of the depart
ments there was substantially civil pension
list 1t consisted of a number of old persons
who had faithfully served the Government in
the past but who were no longer able to perform
their duties. They were carried on the rolls,
but were of no service to the Government. The
Committee on Appropriations had allowed an
increase in the clerical force of the Civil Ser
vice Commission, substantially as requested by
the commission.
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, criticised certain
features of the bill, especially the increase
made in the number Of Government employees.
The bill provided for the appointment of 14l
new officers at cost of Sl6l,5O0. He did not
say that all of this increase was unnecessary,
but in many instances it should not have been
made at this time. Referring TO the civil pen
sion list he said that hurried examination
had shown the fact that in the departments
there were employed 397 persons who were
wholly or partially inefficient, but who drew
salaries amounting to S450000. He believed
that if there was new blood in the departments
l 500 clerks could be dischatged at a saving to
the taxpayers of 81, 500 900 a year. He called
abe attention OF the Committee on Civil Service
Reform to this fact. Instead of carrying on an
Improbable investigation let the committee
take into consideration the subject of the in
efficiency Of the clerical force Of the depart
ments.
Ideas of the Southern Humorisr.
Nh. ALLEN. of Mississippi, confessed that he
was somewhat disappointed in the bill. He
quoted from speech delivered by Mr.. Cannon,
and used as a campaign document, declaring
that the Republican party was devoted to the
country, and would, if it came into power, ad-
minister the Government with greater economy
and greatly reduce expenditures. It was this
promise which accounted for his disappoint-
ment He failed to find that there was any re-
duction in this bill Now and then he liked to
meet his Republican friends on the street and
chat with them, but after the 4th of March,
1889. it was impossible for him to keep up with
them in their wild rush to the departments to
get offices and show their devotion to their
country. (Laughter.1
He then quoted from the civil service plank
Of the Republican party and from President
Harrison's letter OF acceptance. But the Re-
publican party had gone back on its promises
and he wanted to call the attention of the
country to the civil service pretensions of the
administration. He had some respect for the
man who acknowledged himself a spokesman,
but man who obtained office under hypo-
critical guise would never get the respect of the
people, He told q story of Senator Ingalls, 60
ing to the White House to secure an office. On
the way he met with friend, who told him be
would not get it as Harrison had friend in
Kansas that he was going to appoint The
Senator scratched his head moment and said:
THAT is right if he IS sure of it: but l am
pretty well acquainted with that State, and if
he has friend there don't know it" Laugh
teri
Running to Poetry Again.
a MOTHER story Mr.. Allen recalled as showing
the Republican opinion Of the administra-
tion was to the effect that, meeting Republi-
can and asking him what he thought of it, he
received the following reply:
Wanny runs the Sunday school;
Levi runs the bar;
Baby runs the White House,
And 1t, here we are.
Mr.. Bland, Of Missouri, addressed himself to
a discussion of the monetary question. He
had never regarded this question as a party
one; but from the fact that the Republicans
were holding caucus after caucus. 1t would
seem they were going to make it one. Let the
the bill be brought in as any other business bill
would be brought in. not under the gag law of
a caucus. H e then proceeded to speak in favor
of the unlimited coinage Of silver, and charac-
terized the Window bill as demonetzing
measure. He wanted to raise this question
q
bring it before the House. If it was not
brought before the House let the responsibility
rest where it Delonged-on the Secretary of the
Treasury, who assumedpto frame bill and to
tell the country that unless that bill were
passed there would be no silver legislation.
Mr.. Kerr, Of Iowa, suggested that when the
Democrats controlled the House in the
Fiftleth Congress it had not passed an un-
limited coinage bill. The zeal of the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Bland) would have been
better if it had been shown when he had some
D4Fz
Mr.. Aliens remarks he said that the gentle
man had tried to make some cheap capital out
of the Presidents affection for his grandson.
The gentleman ought to be ashamed Of him
self.
Somo Republican Doctrine.
MIR. CANNON, of Illinois, replied to Mr..
Dockery's criticism of the bill. In view of
the record of the last Congress it seemed the
gentleman had swallowed camel then and was
straining at gnat to-day. He reviewed In
detail the increases of offices and salaries and
justified the Committee on Appropriations in
having reported them. In the Fiftieth Congress
there were created 985 offices with an aggregate
expenditure of 81, $4,000. The increase of sal
aries made by the pending bill was only 5000;
the increase OF salaries made in the Fifsieth
Congress was ST. 200 600. He denied a charge
made by Mr.. Allen to the effect that many of
the Federal appointees in Mississippi were men
of bad character. When the gentleman was
making that charge, he (Mr. Cannon) could
not help thinking that while there were thous-
ands of postmasters to be appointed in each
State, there was but one State Treasurer to be
elected. (Laughter.l He then proceeded to
read, with comments and amid laughter, the
list of defaulting State Treasurers of the
Southern States.
Mr.. Williams, of Illinois, criticised the Re-
publicans of the House for not bringing in
bill for the settlement OF the silver question,
and thus relieving the oppressed people of the
country.
Not Civil Service Reformer.
MIR. GRosvENoR- of Ohio. SAID that at the
NA proper time the Republican side of the
House would see to it that the country under
stood the character of the present administra-
ton. The anxiety manifested on the Demo-
cratic side in regard to the popularity and sue
cess of the administration was the best sign that
the Republican side ought to be satisfied with
the administration; and for one, he was. AT the
proper time the Republican side would bringin
a silver bill which would be satisfactory to the
people. Speaking of the civil service system he
said that he did not believe that the law and Its
administration was approved by one-fifth of the
members of either House of Congress. He be-
lieyed that if each member of the House would
vote his deliberate opinion he would declare
that the whole system was founded on mis-
take and its administration on a false prin.
ciple It's detrimental to the very purpose
it was aimed to accomplish [Applausel
indorsed by the Chicago convention?
Mr.. Grosvenor-To turn Democrats out and
nut Republicans in. [Laughter.1 Continuing,
Mr. Grosvenor said that not only would he vote
against increasing the force of the commission,
but he would vote here and everywhere for the
repeal of the whole law. [Applause.l 1t was
a fraud on the people of the country. He was
told that to-day there were on the eligible list
enough young men AID women to fill the places
for IS years to come. Yet the young men and
women of his district were cajoled and urged
to spend time and money in being examined
when the men who issued the invitation knew