The Indianapolis journal., 1896-12-23
The Assault Led by Mr. Baker. Who
Wanted Political Influence to Con-
troll i'm Certain Cases.
WARM DEBATE IN THE HOUSE
THAT ENDED IN DECISION 10
MAKE NO CHANGES IN THE LAW.
Few Representatives willing 10 Go
on Record Against the Act-Defense
of the "Poor White Trash,
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON Dec. 22.-The friends NJ
civil service tremble every time II is pro-
posed TO make important changes i'm the
law. The system is defective i'm many re-
spects. but il so happens that i'm four cases
out or five. when attempts are made to
tinker with il under cover OF Improving
H. the real motive is to add 10 the de-
fects Instead of furnishing a remedy The
law was bitterly attacked to-day in the
House under the leadership OF Mr. Baker.
of New Hampshire, who wants a provision
under which discharged clerks who have
no charges against them may be put on
the eligible list for reappointment without
having to go through a new examination.
1t is explained that the object of this is
TO enable those who have been displaced
Tor political reasons to get back on the
pay roll through the old method OF ''infiu-
ence." Mr.. Baker showed by facts fur
nished by the reports OF the Civi-service
Commission itself that il is a very easy
matter for the heads of departments 10
weed out clerks of the opposite political
faith and to replace them with their own
| partisans. and also t. give their partisan
friends promotions and reduce opponents
In rank and pay regardless OF merit. The
attack was both bitter and insidous; IL
went right to the foundation OF the sys-
tenn, and the friends of civil service on
| the floor found it difficult TO answer many
OF the facts and arguments advanced. IL
| is the Democrats this time who are the
| most ardent admirers of the civil service,
and they are earnestly fighting against
| any change. The departments as a rule
| have been plugged full OF Democrats DUR
ing the last four years. and they want to
stay in Many bureaus, it is true have
majority Of Republicans on the rolls, no.
| tably so i'm the Department of Justice In
| ternal Revenue Bureau. Office OF the United
| States treasurer controller of the currency.
Patent Office, Pension Office and some of
the bureaus where expert service and long
experience furnishes defense against re-
moval. If the members were not afraid OF
| the effect at home a decided majority
against the law as it now stands would
| develop In both branches OF Congress. AS
| 1T is. however it is only necessary to have
! yea and nay vote on the square issue
10 make opponents of the system run to
| cover. Out OF any twenty congressman
| who are against civil service and who talk
| against il not five would dare go on record
as voting that way. There will be consider
able more discussion this question be-
| fore the end Of the session, and the de-
bate will be watched with great interest.
The Debate i'm DetniI.
| WASHINGTON. Dec. 22.-The House to-
day passed the legislative. executive and jU-
| dicial appropriation bill and then adjourned
| for the holiday recess. This is the first time
i'm the history OF Congress that the legisla-
| tive bill has been passed before the holi-
| days. The day was devoted TO the annual
| debate of the cvil-service law and as usual
the attempt to strike out the provision for
| the commission was Overwhelmingly de-
feated. There was a good deal OF threshing
over old straw and sparring for political
points. Mr.. Brosius chairman OF the civil
service commmittee. defended the law
| Others who participated i'm the debate were
| Messrs. Baker tRep.. New Hampshire):
Walker tRep Massachusettsl; Williams
! tDem.. MississippD; Bowers tRep.. Califor-
nia). and Nell CDem.. Arkansas.) Mr.. Set
! tie Oaep., North Carolina) made the motion
;, TO strike , out the % %paragraPh relating to the
The bill as passed carried $2 .669. .02. being
SS6,2lS more than the current bill
| During the morning hour a bill was
passed authorizing the railroads of the In
dian Territory TO change their alignments.
Mr.. Baker. who attacked the method Of
administering the civi-service laws under
the present administration, asserted that 100
| Georgians had been appointed 10 places I'm
| ton, that OF $40 dismissals from the depart
| ment lS5 were veterans. and that the Treas
ury Department also had Disseminated
| dismissals, leaving but one Republican In
| the secret service. Under the spoils sys-
tenn the public business had been better
handled than now when clerks are kept
| under secret espionage and are no better
of than factory hands. Yet the CiviI-serv-
| ice Commission had never protested against
/ such maladminiStration.
Mr.. Brosus. chairman of the COMMITTEES
on civil service. replied at some length 10
| Mr.. Bakers structures. He eulogized the
merit system and arraigned the remnant
of the spolls system which still remained.
| He charged that the complaints against the
classified service were I'm fact complaints
against the spoils system. The civii-serv-
| ice rules. he declared. precluded the possi-
! biIity of political influence in admission TO
| the service. Mr.. Brosius defended the Pres
idents recent order extending the scope OF
the civil service as thorough going merit
| system order.
After the President secured those
Offices" interposed Mr.. Baker, was not
| the order an attempt TO Keep them
You don't suppose" replied Mr.. Brosius.
turning TO his interrogation. that he made
the appointments for the purpose OF having
| his appontees dismissed2"
''It IL for that reason" said Mr.. Baker.
sarcasucally. that he should not be en-
titled to the usufruct OF his sin.
| Il have always believed" responded Mr.
| Brosius. that what a man has done in his
| degenerate days ought not TO be thrown up
| to him when ne has repented and occupies
| front pew i'm the church.
| Mr.. Richardson expressed the hope that
/ IL any further extensions OF the civil-serv-
/ ice law were made they would be made
| operative before March 4. ''Then," said he
| I'VE will see whether our Republican
friends will stand by the law they them
| selves enacted.
Mr. Walker warmly lndorsed the principle
! Of the civil-service law. which he declared.
was the controlling principle in every WELL
! regulated business concern.
| A remark Of Mr.. Walkers about the
poor white trash OF the South drew from
| Mr. Williams an eloquent and stinging re-
buke. He characterized the so-calleo poor
! white trash OF the South the most mag
nificent raw material I'm this country for
! the making OF manhood and womarhood.
| The South. he said, was to-day the only
American part cf America. and from the
poor white trash" OF the South sprang
! Henry Clay. Andrew Jackson and Abraham
| Lincoln. The latter's magnificent courage
| and keen sense of humor were Southern,
! and poor white trash at that
Mr. Walker repudiated the suggestion
] that a sIur was contained In his references
/ TO the poor white trash. lie said he had
! referred 10 a class well known Ina history.
| who before the war, were e>iled TO the
| mountains and had the contempt OF the
wealthy slave owners and the negroes.
MIR. Williams. i'm reply. declared the class
had never had any existence save I'm the
minds OF noyelists and negroes. Mr.. Will
| lams expressing himself on the civil-seIx-
f<a ..fx.tr.r fA-< A..-1