Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-04-26
CIVIL SERVICE
Sustained BY a Vote of 1870 to 81
in the National House.
f Decidedly Bitter Feeling
Against 1t Manifested.

Over q Score of Speeches Pro and Con
Delivered Under the Five Minute Rule.
Bill to Amend aud Supplement- Elee-
tiOl Laws, and to Provide for Their
More Efficient Enforcement. ..i.5. .
WASHINGTON. April 26.-There was a
lively debate in the house on civil SER
vice reform, which finally ended in the
defeat of a motion made by Houk, of
Tennessee, to strike out the appropria-
ton for the commission. The vote was
81 yeas to 1870 nays, but the spirit of op"
position breathed against the law was
hostile in the extreme. The tide was
turned by McComas of Maryland, and
Mckinley and Butterworth, who pointed
out the unfairness of attempting to re-
peal law by indirection, to which the
Republican party was pledged in its
platform, and which had been faithfully
observed by the present administration.
Mr.. McComas characterized the attack
under the circumstances as cowardly,
while Mr. Mckinley called attention to
the fact that no one had offered bill for
the repeal of the law which he supported
as declaration of Republican policy.
Mr.. Butterworth charged that those who
fought civil service reform were men
who sought the aid of political bummers
In preference to the support of intelli-
gent people. Mr.. Grosvenor thought ID
unfortunate that the language Coward
ly and dishonorable" should be applied
to the action of men on the floor because
they differed with certain gentlemen on
a public question. He was as much in
favor of reform in the civil service as
any other gentleman, but he was OPP
posed to the present civil service law.
Ms. Moore, of New Hampshire, an
nounced himself as a civil service re-
former, and defied anyone to point to
him in the constitution any authority
for the house TO interfere In the distri-
button of patronage Biggs, OF Cali
fornia, an old time Democrat, gathered
the best part of the house around him
while he made a denunciation of civil
service reform and told how he had ad-
vised Cleveland, as friend, to construe
the law literally. He had lady con-
stituent from California in Washington
who passed the required examination
and, after waiting at her own expense
for eleven months and twenty days, had
been informed there was no show fol-
her to get place. That was a sample.
Mr.. Mckinley, of Ohio, earnestly op'
posed the motion to sJrike out the ap.
bropriation. His only regret was that
the appropriation committee did moi
give to the civil service commission al
the appropriation it asked, for the en-
largement of civil service If the Re
publican party of this country was
pledged to one single thing. more thar
another, 1t was the maintainence of the
civil service law. 1t was not only ac
cording to the tenets of the Republican
party, but according 30 the best senti
ments of the Republican party through
out the United States Now when thu
Republican party was in control of al
the branches of the government, it wa
proposed to virtually repeal this law
when for four years, during a Demo
cratic administration, nobody on thu
Republican side had the termerity t.
rise in his place and ask for the MULTI
cation of the law. They thought /
good enough for Democratic admins
tration, and he said to his Republican
friends that 1t was good enough for
Republican administration. The Re
publican party must take no backward
step. The merit system was here anC
here to stay. -...
There were over twenty speeches deliv
cred under the flve-minute rule, som
denunciatory and some defensive, bu
the general agreement was upon tn
point that the appropriation bill was no
the place nor this the time to abolish 0
cripple the commission. When the re
port of the committee which has bee
Investigating the commission is mad
there will be another outbreak agains
the law and the looked-for bill for il
repeal may then make its appearance.