The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-25

II Tue hepupAC1u party Ol tDlS country
was pledged to one single thing more than
another, itwas the maintenance OF the civil
service law. Every national platform of
the Republican party for the past twelve
years had declared for a continuance and
enlargement of the merit system. Ii was
only according to the best sentiments of the
Republican party throughout the United
States. Aye. more; it was sustained by the
best sentiment of the whole country alike;
and there was not a man on the floor
that did not know that there was
a party in the country, democrat or repub-
lican, that had the courage to repeal the
law. Now, when the Republican party was
in control of all the branches OF the govern
ment. it was proposed to virtually repeal
this law, when, for four years during the
democratic administration. nobody on the
republican side had the temerity to rise in
his place and ask for the notification of the
law. They thought 1t good enough for
democratic administration, and he said to
his republican friends that it was good
enough for republican administration.
The Republican party must take no back
ward step. The merit system was here and
here to stay.
BUTTERwoRTH STANDS BY M'KINLEY.
Mr.. Butterworth indorsed every word
his colleague had said. Nothing savored
more of monarcial forms than the spoils
system. Could it be that men stood here
not representatives of the people, but repre-
sentatIves of political bummers, who be-
came stronger than free, intelligent mens
Members expected to retain their places not
upheld by the virtue and intelligence of the
constituency they represented, but by gath
ering retainers, packing conventio IS, and
using all the agencies thereunto appertain-
ing. The Republican party had gone out
of n that iacY1a II ne in IN
day because it had passed the civil service
law and had indorsed the merit system.
Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois said that in max
ing this motion the gentleman from Ten
nessee (Mr. Houk) was out Of joint with the
sentiment Of his party as expressed in the
national platform.
AN INDIRECT STAB.
Mr.. Hill of Illinois characterized the mo-
ton to strike out the appropriation as an
effort to do by indirection what neither of
the great political parties had had the desire
or courage to do openly. The House was
not asked TO repeal the civil service law, but
to violate that law. The law requires ap-
pointments to be made under the rule of the
commission, yet it was proposed to deprive
the commission Of the sinews Of war
Repeal the law" exclaimed Mr. Biggs of
California.
"very WE'LL" replied Mr.. Hill, "but bring
in bill to that effect. DO it directly"
Mr.. Spinola charged that bills to repeal
the law had been smothered in committee.
He believed that if they could be brought
before the House, majority of the men,
bers would so far respect the wishes Of the
people, as TO vote for them and condemn
this un-American scheme.
GREENHALGE,A A REraRMER.
Mr.. Greenhalge of Massachusetts, re-
GREETED { hat this discussion had been precie-
itated upon the House at this time, when
the civil servics commission was being
investigated by the House COMMITTEES. He
stood here as a civil service reformer, if he
were only one of dozen in this House. He
had not expected TO be called upon to de-
fend principle in which he believed there
was life, energy and imm )rtality. He had
not expected TO DO called upon to defend
what he supposed had been written into the
political law of the Republican party. He
had not expected to hear attacks from the
other side, when he remembered that the
same principle had been written into the
democratic platform. We're gentlemen to
stand here as mere hypocrites and humbugs
and say that when they wrote this princi-
pie in their party platforms they did not
mean it. That it.was for buncombe, for q
sentimental declarations Unfortunately
for him, he had been placed in such a posi-
tion as to awaken violent political feeling.
but he did not believe that..when the Demo-
cratic party wrote that principle into its
platform they were hypocrites and
liars. He surely did not believe it of the
Republican party. Yet there were men sit
ting here who said it was meant for cum
combe and sound. He could tell why il
was put there. The party put it there be-
cause the politicians attending the conven-
tlon heard the voice of the American people
demanding that it should be put there.
They never put anything there except for
business, and because it was going TO do
some good with the voting people
OF the country. 1t was encouraging
to hear direct and manly attacks
on the principle and on the man
ner in which it was carried out.
He liked to hear charges Of violation under
the last and present administration. 1t
meant the health and salvation of the law.
1t had been written into the political law of
both parties aud upon the statute books.
THE QUESTION AT ISSUE.
The question was whether the law should
be amended, repealed or revised. But let
not men go skulking in assassin fashion to
stab the law and principle in the back. The
gentlemen could not afford to take
that position. Let them stand like
men and defend principles. He believed
the proper thing to do now was TO pass this
appropriation bill and to execute the law as
long as it remained upon the statute books.
[Applausel
Mr.. Coleman of Louisiana was opposed to
civil service reform; and he felt justified in
striking it whenever and wherever ne could.
MR.. BLoUNr's ARGUMENT.
Mr.. Blount of Georgia asserted that the
young men of the countryside stal wart
youth-were not disbarred from public
service by an examination intended to test
their intelligence. The law was enacted by
congress and afterward indorsed by both
political parties in their platforms. There
were gentlemen on his side-witnesses in
number--who knew that President Cleve-
land had enforced the law; they
knew how many republican en-
ployes had been retained in
the government service. The republicans
possessed every means TO give perfect ad-
ministration of the law, yet they proposed
to withdraw the appropriation for the sup
port of the commission. The majority Of
this House would be held responsible.
Mr.. Henderson of Iowa said that there
was truth III Mr.. Blount's declaration that
the republican majority would be response
BILE, but the democrats also had their meas
ure of responsibility. Civil service reform
had come to stay, and the political party
that diverted it would not stay in power,
and ought not. 1t was not
true that this administration had not en-
forced the law. Benjamin Harrison, with
an integrity that no party could dislodge,
with a courage that never yielded in any