The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-12
THE DAY IN CONGRESS.
The "seed" Bni Pa..s.-civl Service Re
form and the Administration.

form and the Administration.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 1.-THE
senate to-day passed bill giving the
city of Charleston, s. c.. the use OF the
old postoffiee building for municipal
purposes. Senator ouay's resolution to
recommit the tariff bill went over. The
long pending resolution which has
brought out much criticism on the Sec
retary of agriculture was passed with
out division. The measure was arnend-
edso as to provide that the purchase
and tlistribationEaf seeds shall proceed
MS heretofore. Mr.. Blanchard 6Deni..
La.) was then recognized for q speech
on the Monroe doctrine, which he heart
ily supported.
Mr.. Allen (Pop.) replied briefly to Mr:
Vests criticisms on the secretary OK
agriculture. Mr.. Allen contended that
any unusual allowance OF seeds made
by the secretary to Nebraska was due
10 the drought there. Mr.. Woleott, OF
Colorado, interrupted with the state
ment that the eastern belt OF Colorado
had suffered from this same drought.
but the secretary OF agriculture had
declined to give the slightest help In
the way OF seeds. MIR. wotcott hoped
there might be some explanation OF
this in order to redeem m office that
was regarded US worthless"
In order to stop the debate and take
nm the deficiency bill, Mr. Hale sug-
gested that the seed bill had been dis.
posed OF earlier in the day. This Is all
caput mortum," said the senator
"Does the senator mean to call the
secretary OF agriculture q dead-head3
asked Mr. Wolcott.
A discussion OF Secretary Carnsles
observance Of civil service metnods
came up on q provision OF the def
cheney bill for the appointment OF
twenty-five expert money counters.
Mr.. Chandler sarcastically pointed out
that the secretary's letter requesting
tho twenty-five counters asked that he
be given the selection, as the civil SER
vice commission was not able to furnish
the class Of counters required. IL was
then discovered. said Mr.. Chandler.
that the civil service commission had
broken down and was so feeble and di-
lapidated that Il could not furnish
money counters.
Mr.. Lodge CRep,, Mass) said there
was no decrepitude. in the ciyil service
retnry was due to his desire 10 contFoi
the appointments.
Mr.. Allen arraigned the civil service
system. II would In time turn over our
government to a lot OF Cigarette
smoking dudes." The senator said the
two frauds OF the public service were
the civil service commission and the
Interstate commerce commission.
Mr.. wolcott intorjected q brief but
somewhat sensational speech. He said
tho real menace to the country was
the power OF the patronage lodged with
the executive. and which had never be-
fore been used to such an extreme as
undcr the present administration. A
free coinage bill would have passed
through the last house OF representa-
tives had not the power OF patronage
bccn brought to bear by the ndminiS-
trntion. especially the patronage con-
troJled by the secretary OF the treasury.
Colorado was to-day flooded with APP
nointments, many OF them UNIT ones,
made by the secretary OF the treasury
for congressman who had rated on the
silyer bill. Thus constituencies had
been dchauched. Tho best service that
could be performed would be to de.
prlve the President ana his cablnet
officers from the entire power OF pat
ronnt,c. no TINT no longer senators and
renrcscntntives would hang around the
white house and cabinet offices begging
for morsoia Of patronage
Mr.. I,odga Bnid patronage and favor
itisn were un-Amerlcnn. A system
which compelled senators and repre-
Scntntiyes to "Eo buckaterIng for mos
senEPrs and -waIters' md TO hang
Sroiipd tho unte-room Of the President
and cabinet officers was degrading and
wrong. ~ ,, N
vert,od considerably from the appro-
prIntlon bill, Mr.. Hale yielded TO nm
executive session, after which the
senate adjourned until tomorrow.