The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-03
CREAM OF THE PRESS.
Current Topics C".:ed From the Leading
Papers or the Country.

The long-threatened assault upon the
Civil Service Commission was made In the
House a week ago. and proved a complete
failure. The spOilsmen IN both parties were
yociierOus in denunciaiion Of civil service
reform. and in abuse of the commissioners.
seven Republicans and seven Democrats
taking the floor ON that side Of the question
and among those representing the majority
were Grosvcnor, one Of the most prominent
Republican members from OhOs llouk.
of Tennessee. the leading Southern Re-
publican; puuneil. Of Minnesota, and Per-
kins. of Kansas. The Democrats who SUD
ported lI0uk's motion 10 ''star,c OUT the
commission, by striking from the Apprc-
prltion Bill the item providing for it, sup
port. were Of the type fifty represented by
~pinOla, the Iammauy statesman Of this
city, and Biggs, an old fogy from California.
Mr.. BiOunt. one Of the ahlcst Democrats
from the South, and Mr.. Tracy, from the
Albany district in this state. sustained the
law and the Commission, ~ did also several
members on the Republican side. notably
Mr.. Moore of New Hampshire and Mcssrs
Mckinley and ButtcrwOrlh OF Ohio. Mr..
Mckinley pressed home upon his party col
leagues the iaithies ~ncss 70 their platoon
pledges involved in the ll0uk proposition.
and told them plainly that "the merit sys-
TEN was here, and here 90 stay" When
vote was finally reached. 81 Representatives,
voted 10 strike ont the apprOpria-
ti0n for the commission, while 100
favored It's retention. Unfortunately. the
vote was taken i'm Committee Of the W Whole,
where the roll is not called, so that il is inn
possible 10 place the responsibility Tor the
affirmative outside OF those who made
speeches ON that side. The 1rbuno's CORE
spond-nt estimates that the affirmative was
about evenly divided between the two par
ties. while the negative was made up of
about eighty Republicans and forty Demo
Gratis 50 faras the discussion went. how
ever the Republicans made a poorer show
ing. as the men who sustained the "starY-
ing-0ut" scheme on that side Of the cham
Der were far more prominent than the
Democrats who champi0ned the cause Of
the spoilsmen.
The Five sisters of Moscow.
Atlanta constitutional
The deliberate suicide Of five sisters in
Moscow 10 escape arrest viii emphasize as
nothing else could the courage and devotion
Of the Nihiist-.
Suspected. ana aware Of their danger
these girls, the youngest only nineteen. care
fully burned all the Spapcrs in their posses
sion that would iniure ihcir cause. and then
All over Russia there are men and women
just as brave and equally ready TO sacrifice
themselves. They are increasing IN number
imprisonment, exile. death have no terrors
for them. They are determined a. compass
the death of the Car and make the people
free.
Against such fanatics the government can
make no hcadWay. sooner or later the oath
bound comrades of the five sisters VIII d'
their appointed work.
There is only one hope for imperialism. \
foreign war would. perhaps, unite the p'o-
pie. The dream of conquest is always all
Turing. and the Russians are fighters 0I
nothing. 4 successful war might paciit
the misses, and gradually the government
might be reformed without being over
thrown by "a revolution.
War outside may prevent or delay thC
threatened danger within. While bee is sur
rounded hy people ike The i've sisters q"
Moscow. tle Cars life Is not worth iht
smallest coin that ever came from his mint
The Copyright struggle.
Washington Post.
Tboueh fnvyelrs have elapsed since thl
first international copyright bin was intro
durod by Henry CLAY. the House of Repre-
-entativc- viii to-day Vote on the mea-ur,
for tine first time. 10 may bee well 90 recall
two or three facts regarding 10.
Copyright j. granted % foreign authors
hv every civilized nation except the United
states. and honorable Americans feel
kcrny The diS-racciu prominence oi
their country iu this regard. THE present
measure is urged by almost every living
American writer. great and small. u i-
advocated by almost every publisher OF c'-
cry sort iu the ni,cd States. The cAeal