Omaha daily bee., 1891-02-13
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
The Legislative Appropriation Bill Con-
sidered by the House,
COOPER MAKES AN ATTACK UPON RAUM.
He Also Objects the Pension Build
ing Being Utilized as a store
house for Potatoes -Doings
in the Senate.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12-The house went
into committee of the whole on the legislative
appropriation bill.
Mr.. Grosvcnor of Ohio sent to the clerk s
desk with his hearty endorsement an ac-
count of the meeting at Cooper union last
night and Grover Cleveland's letter on free
coinage. Mr. Grosvenor said he thus placed
this important document in the permanent
record to the end that in the coming cam
paign it should be available under the frank
OF members of the next congress to be used
in disseminating Information throughout the
country. [Republican laughter.
Mr. Kerr also commented upon the Clove-
land letter
In speaking to the pension Office para
graph Mr. Cooper of Indiana made
an attack upon the superintendent of
the pension building, asserting that
he had stored several hundred bushels of po-
tatoes III the pension Office and sold them to
employees thus turning government depart
ment into q huckstericg establishment
Mr. Enloe of Tennessee attacked the ad-
ministration of the pension Office and offered
an amendment reducing to $1,000 the salary
Of the commissioner.
MIR. Perkins of Kansas defended Commis-
sioner Raum, and after some debate Mr.
Enloe withdrew his amendment.
The reading of the bill concluded the COM
mittee required to the consideration Of tho
clause making an appropriation for the civil
service commission.
Mr. MrGrOsveuorraised a point of order against
1t so far as it refers to the commissioners
chief examiner and secretary on the ground
that 1t violates an existing law. The statute
designed that clerks should be divided into
four classes and that none be appointed until
they were found qualified by board of three
examiners, Under the law establishing the
commission it was provided that clerks
should be assigned from one of the depart
ments. Now it was proposed to appropriate
for them under the head of the civil service
commission, and therein the bill was in vio-
lation of the law.
The chair sustained tho point of order as to
the secretary (hecause his salary was raised
S40O) and as to all clerks and employees except
one messenger and one laborer
MIR. McComas of Maryland appealed from
the decision. Considerable debate ensued.
Mr.. Tracey of New York said this was an
effort to carry out the policy followed bv the
present administration to represent to the
people that it was trying to reform the civil
service, while at the same time it was making
every effort to cripple the commission in an
underhand way.
Mr.. Cameron denied that it was the intent
TO cripple the commission.
The decision of the chair was sustained
ll9 10 3O-and the clause as to the clerical
force OF the commission was stricken out.
Speaking to u verbal amendment Mr.
Hoover of Mississippi referred to printing
Cleveland's letter in the Record. He wished
to say that there was no man in the country,
whether he had held distinguished position
or whether he had an ambition to hold the
highest position within the gift of the Ameri-
can people (be he Of one party or another)
who could lay down the law to the great
masses of this country who thought for
themselves. Whatever might be the opinion
of any one man. he had no right to speak for
tue great laboring interests of the country,
which stood back and behind his constitution
and the law. He believed the constituents
wanted the free coinage of both metals.
Mr. Cannon-I would like to ask the gen.
tleman whether he is III favor of MIR. Clcve-
land for the next president.
Mr. Hooker-I will say that do not think
that man on the continent of America will
ever be the candidate of the democratic party
for president of the United States who is OPP
posed to the free coinage of silver.
Without disposing of the bill the commit
tee rose and the house adjourned.