The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-09
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

cisive vote, receiving only seven votes i
its support.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
| Washington, April In the senat
| today MIR. Teller presented Il large nun
! Der of petitions from branches of tn
American Federation of Labor from va.
| rjous states for the restoration of tn
! free coinage of silver and expressing the
| opinion that such course would pro.
| mote prosperity.
Mr.. Butler lPOp) of North Carolina
introduced Il joint resolution providing
for an amendment of the constitution
to limit the veto power of the president
so as to make it competent for the two
houses to pass bills over veto by Il ma
jOrity vote.
Speaking Of the resolution he said that
the idea of requiring two-thirds vote
was due TO the fact that when the con-
StltutiOn was adopted the American peO-
pie were not far removed from English
ideas. In his opinion the power vested
in the president was too great and should
be limited.
Mr.. Call gave notice that he would
call up his Cuban resolution for discus
sion tomorrow during the morning hour.
The postotfice appropriation bill was
then taken up, the pending question be-
ing the compensation of clerks at pos
,tal stations and sub-stations. involving
the matter of the consolidation of post
offices.
Mr.. Villas contended that the amend
ment did not enlarge the powers of the
postmaster general and that postmastcrs
had always had the power to establish
Sub-StatiOns.
He denied that he had said that the
postmaster general had the power to send
Il man 1000 miles to establish an office.
as Mr.. Allen had described
MIR. Allen quoted from Mr.. Villas
former speech i'll support of the state
ment, but Mr.. Villas declared the Ne
braska senator had COMPOUNDED two opin-
ions and added tartly: "The senator
from Nebraska was, as usual, incorrect
and can not see thar lie was"
Mr. Villas hoped that the power of the
post master general to establish sub |
offices would not be curtailed.
MIR. German had raised the question
of civil service reform and had "un-
corkcd the bottle and let out the genius |
of opposition 70 civil service REFORM"
Asked by Mr.. Allen if any good had |
been accomplished by civil reform. Mr.. |
Villas replied that it had operated in 1885. |
1889 and 1893 to relieve the public officers |
from part of the clamor, at least, of |
ohice-seekers. 1t had given relief to SEN
ators and representatives and to holders |
of executive offices. He considered the |
system an cXcelen. one and said that |
only the initiatOry benefits had been re-
cCiyCd.
Mr.. Allen characterized Mr.. Villas re-
marks on civil service reform as Il Fourth |
of July effort"
He (Allcm wanted him to point out the |
cold facts and give particulars in which |
the country had been benefited.
Mr.. Hoar (Rep) of Massachusetts de-
clarcd there were three men who ought |
to have credit for the great accomplish |
ment on the civil service, viz: Dorman |
Il. Eaton, Senator Hawley of Connect |
cut and Theodore Roosevelt, who had |
been bold, courageous and intelligent.
He did not think President Cleveland. |
who had done great many good things
during his administration, deserved to
be written very high on the scroll. Civil |
service, the senator thought. had come to
stay, and it would be the policy of the
country in the future.
Mr.. Hoar described the state of things
existing before civil service was inaugu-
rated. That condition of affairs had been
one of the most corrupt evils that existed
under free government, an offensive
stencil in the nOstrils of the people. the
people If the people did not get the pos
'ibe substitute they got one a million-fold
better than the one displaced. On the
whole, the senator concludes, President |
Cleveland. President Harrison and their |
'abnets had faithfully and honestly. with |
some exceptions, carried out the law.
Mr.. WOlcott made Il strong speech in |
'avor of the civil service law, but said |
lie agreed with Mr.. German in denounc-
ng the habit of certain ca binet officers in |
making speeches all over the country. |
md that he had Il great mind to call at |
ention to that abuse by officials of the |
present administration. One of them was |
low transforming in Georgia in favor of |
found money. He should have called at
entlon to the matter earlier, had it not |
Deen for the fact that it was better that |
lie was away than here, so far as atten-
ion to public business was concerned.
Mr.. Hill (Dem.) of New York asked if |
abinet officers had not the right to make |
POLITICAL speeches.
Mr.. WolcOtt replied that such officers
lad no right to make speeches to the neg
ect of his public duties.
Mr.. Hill called attention to the fact |
hat it was customary for cabinet officers |
o make political speeches, and in this
he referred to the practices of |
Gladstone and Salisbury
Mr.. Wolcott declared however. that the
after were members of the parliament,
nd there was not an analogy in the case
Mr.. Wolcott commented on what he re-
arded as the failure of the secretary of
he interior to carry out the law in regard
o the UncOmpaghre Indian reservation in
jtah, and that regarding patents to Pa
fife railway lands. and added that he
night just as we'll be making stump
peeches in Georgia as to be in his office.
lie said the secretary's arguments were
laking friends for bi-metallism by the
oxen.
During the debate Mr.. German took cx-
option to what he considered a reflection
pom him in Mr.. Wolcott's remarks.