The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-18
OFFICES AS PARTY SPOILS.
The Senate Takes a Turn at Civil
Service Reform.

Hoar Takes UP the Changes in the
Laws Repeal Bill Taken Up.
Washington, Jan. II. 49, Only three
democratic and dozen republican sena-
tors were in their seats this morning
when the journal was read.
After the presentation of the usual
number of remontrsnces against the Will
son tariff bill, private bill for the re-
funding of small amount wrongfully
collected for the internal revenue tax in
1865 engaged attention for nearly half an
hour and was finally placed on the calen-
dar
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr..
Gail for an examination into the condi-
tjon Of the civil service of the United
States and as to the expediency of its
retrenchment or its Increase, was laid
before the Senate, and Mr.. Berry ex-
pressed his hostility to any further ex-
tension of the civil service, characterizing
the whole business as great humbug. He
was told by Mr.. Call that the resolution
had nothing whatever to do with party
politics. 1t was simply as to the question
OF the apportionment of civil employees
among the states in proportion to pOpula-
tiOn.
OFFICES NOT BRIDES.
Mr. Hoar said that whatever might be
the difficulty in the way of the complete
application of the principles of civil SER
vice reform, he did not see how anybody
could desire to continue the system which
has prevailed since the time of Andrew
jackson, if not before, of using the Of
fees of the United States to bride the
people to activity in the service of politi-
cal parties. He did not think any APP
plause could be got anywhere for such
talk as that of the senator from Arkan-
sas, except from office-holders or Office
Sc ekers.
MIR Allen asked Mr.. Hoar whether the
civil service law as now administered had
not tendency to throw upon the country
distinct class of office-holders entirely
apart from their merit.
THE CHANGES IN CoNsULsHIPs.
Mr.. Hoar said that he did not think so.
Such a motive for political activity as the
obtaining of public offices was degrading
and debasing. He did not think it good
thing when the present administration
came into power TO have all the foreign
consulships suddenly changed. The
newspaper expression of footing
the consul lships" was hardly an ex-
travagant statement. He stated that the
scandals had grown up under republican
admins trations In the past and that Pres
ident Cleveland although he had, in
many respects, failed 70 como up to his
own professionalism, on the whole, set
an example better than that set by the
early republican Presidents. He did
not think it a good thing that every for
eign consulship and minister should be
changed at every change of administra-
tion. The blame of the recent changes in
the ocnsulships had been Attem pied to be
placed on well-known gentleman of his
own state, Josiah Quincy. That was an
unjust proceeding. Mr.. Quincy was made
a scapegoat
The general subject of the civil service
was taken up by several senator's and was
under discussion when the morning hour
expired at 2. p. m. The resolution went
over without action.
THE FEDERAL ELECTION LAWS.
The House bill to repeal the federal
election laws was taken up as the un-
finished business.
Mr. Chandler offered an amendment as
an additional section, giving party candi-
dates for congress the right to appoint a
watcher at the polls in each precinct,
and argued in favor of it.
Mr.. German declared the position of the
| democratic side to be that there should be
| no federal supervision of elections what
| ever. Those of US, he said, who are
in favor of reresling the federal election
| laws are content to leave the entire su-
| pervision of the elections to the people
| and to the laws of the state. If they are
not competent to do it, then popular gov
| eminent is failure"
Mr.. Chandler resumed and continued
| his argument He was asked by Mr.
Allen, pop, of Nebraska, if it was not a
| notorious fact that in the cities where the
! federal election laws were enforced, the
| deputy supervisors were "thugs," and
were appointed on account of their noto-
riously bad and desperate character.
| CHANDLER RAISES A LAUGH.
| Mr.. Chandler replied in The negative,
and said that Mr. Allen had got hold of
some democratic lie which had been ex-
| ploded for nineteen years. laughter
What then Mr.. Allen asked lis the
character of those personsw
| Excellent, as a whole" Mr.. Chandler
replied. LAS good as the character Of
election officers generally"
| The impression created on my mind -
Mr.. Allen said, has been that these fed
eral election laws have been used to per-
| petuate in power the party in power when
| the election is held
MIR. Palmer laid it down as his theory
| that the people, in every state, township
ana election district mad the right them
selves to control and regulate and con-
duct their own elections. The people
| were peaceful; they were intelligent
they loved liberty; they loved law and
order, and they appreciated the value of
free government. Hence there was no
occasion for invoking the federal power.
REGULATED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
! Mr.. Hoar suggested the query. what
| right the states had at all in the election
| of members of congress in intimating
that the constitution gave coRtrol in that
matter to congress.
InrespOnse to MIR. Grays Equestion as
to when a final voteon this bill should be
| taken. Mr. Chandler said he was unwill-
| ing to go on with the debate in the alb
sence of the senior senator from New
| York, the cause of whose absence the
! democrats probably knew. When he
/ returned. Mr.. Chandler said, he would
! proceed with the debate and let it come
! to vote at the earliest possible moment
| Mr.. Gray evidently abandoned his idea
| of getting au answer to his question as
| to when a vote could be expected and
| without pressing it further, at 4:05
! O'Clock, the Senate, upon his motion went
| luto executive session and at 5 Is o'clock
adjourned until tomorrow.
Detailed to Lake City.
Washington Ian II First ieut