The Portland daily press., 1890-04-18
YOU'RE ANOTHER.
A Somewhat Personal debate on
the Civil Service Law.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE Senate today
considered the House joint resolution for the ap.
pointment of so medical examiners for the bu
reau of pensions, without reference to the civil
service law.
Mr.. Faulkner spoke against the provision TAX
ing the appointments from the control of the CON-
mission, no exigency demanding it. The eligible
list contained the names of more than 80 men
who had passed examinations for medical exam
lners and appointments should be made from that
list He moved to strike out that provision of the
joint resolution.
Mr.. Cockreli said he had hoped that some mem.
ber of the Republican party, the party of civil
service reform, would have raised his head in the
Senate in defence of that child of the party.
not9a -''O'O' O'''''' ''' -
Mr. Cocllrell-"No it was the product of the
writing on the wall, Meme, meme, tekei, uphar-
SIM"
Mr.. Hoar-"what does that mean?" Laugh
Mr.. Cockrell-"It means you are weighed in the
balance s and found wanting, as the same scene
Senators to tell me the object of this attack the
civil service law and on the civil service commits
sion: Is It because your Republican commission
from the eligible list to be W pension examiners? am
The fact that the bill has been here since the
sixth Of March shos that there Is no great ur-
these examiners is to take, them from The
eligible list. We today behold the beautiful
spectacle Of commissioner of pensions defying
ana
toned by President Harrison. We see the COM
missioner of pensions aided and abetted in this
attempt by the Republican Secretary of the Inte-
rior." Mr.. Cockrell chaIg ged that the object of
the pending measure was to destroy and break
down the civil service law and system. He went
Cn to give the history OF the law and qnoted from
various Republican platforms affirming devotion
to 1t.
Mr. Hale asked him whether the Democratic
platforms had not done the same thlng.
Mr. C0ckrell-"Undoubtedly but am not dis
cussing the record of the Democratic party to-
day."
Mr. Hale-"So understand"
Mr.. Cockrell-"I am trying to bring to the rec
objection and conscience of my Republican
friends the record of the Republican party, not of
MIR. Hale-"I do not believe the government
will live long enough to discuss the record of the
Democratic party;" p nil, a,,o, .,o. :, ,oooy
Mr.. Hale-"You will not discuss it here, L will
Mr. Uockrell-"I will discuss it here when it be-
comes an issue. do not intend the issue in this
case to be turned off on side track"
After long speech, Mr.. Cockrell called for the
yys yeas and nays on Mr.. Faulkner,s amendment
rum. Three Republicans voted in the affirmative.
The roll was called and A Senator's quorum, an
SWered to their names.
Mr.. Hoar moved to amend the amendment by
inserting the words under regulations to be pre-
scribed by the President of the led States :"
proposed by Mr.. Faulkner. for whose amendment
he fad voted If the bill passed amended as he
Mr.. Hoar] proposed. it would bring distinctly to
the notice of the President these particular ap-
pointments, and would require from him new
exercise of his discretion. 1t was said on one
ers were to be appointed only for brief service,
for an emergency. That was the reason why the
general civil service rules should not apply 1t
party, of no President and, he suspected, of no
senator or representative would be found to be
absolutely in accordance with the strict letter of
form.
Mr.. Plumb-"I hope the Senator from Massa-
chusetts will limit; his confessions to himself"
Mr.. Hoar-"I do not believe the record of the
Senator from Kansas is as bad as some of the dec
larations of principle L have heard him make
would have led me to suspect"
Mr.. Plumb-"The Senator may be compelled to
discuss his own record, that is bad enough, and
not to discuss the record Of other senator's"
Mr.. Hoar -"This matter of dlvorcing civil SER
vice from politics is a reform, and like other re-
Of few men Who are its Jealous friends until R the
time comes when political strength or the
strength OF argument and reason are enlisted on
its behalf and IL commands the attention of pOtl-
cal parties. And when those parties make their
declarations of faith the earnest friends of the
form are there to represent one side or the other,
and declarations OF principles are made to which
a large number of men who compose those par
ties have not yet attained. There is no doubt
about that , Thai hal is true Of every reform. The
would be criticized as retrograde step. 1t has
been taken as an affirmation of principle incon-
sistent With the system established by both par
ties"
Mr.. Plumb stated the objects of the bill. Under
1t the President might require all appointments
made In accordance with civil service rules or
could provide some Other. way OF making them.
The bin simply put the whole question of appoint
ments In the Presidents power. The appoint
ments were to be mere temporary ones and could
not last longer, under the bill than the first Of
g9ly next unless S $50 some new provision was made
on civil service reform and had seen the spectacle
of every member of the party which opposed the
civil service law now voting for its application.
The Senator from Missouri Mr.. Cockrell1 who
sage of the civil service law and who was now an
advocate OF civil service reform had labOred more
diligently than any man ia the Senate chamber
during Mr.. Cleyeland's administration to have
every Republican office holder put out for whose
place he could find Mlssourian. AS to Mr..
Hoars confession, Mr.. Plumb said that Senator
had done his fair share in securing the removal
of Democratic officials to put Republicans sin the
pretence of being in favor of that particular kind
of civil service reform or any other kind.
Mr.. Hoar denied, so far as he remembered, that
he had ever advised the removal OF but one Dem
ocratc official In his life and that removal was
advised not on political grounds
Mr.. Hale expressed his conviction that th G
practical outcome of the bill, If it passed as re-
ported, would be that the President would say TO
The Secretary OF the In erior that he desired the
appointments made after civil service .exemina-
: At the close of the discussion, Mr.. Hoar, at Mr.
Faulkner'S suggestion, modified his amendment
to make it read: "The examination for appoint
ment of these medical examiners shall be under
United States" The amendment was agreed to-
yeas, 3S nays, q, Messrs. Frye and Hale voting
In the affirmative.
Without finishigg the bill, the Senate adjourned