Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-14
CAPITOL TOPICS.
The Retirement of Clerks

Inc House committee on civil service and
reform has taken up for consideration the
bilis providing a pension fund for super-
annuated clerks in the departments at
Washington, by the retention of a sma1,
percentage of the clerks salaries monthly.
The civil service commissioners advocated
the pilis before the committee yesterday.
ana MessrS. Robinson, Foster and Smith
departmental employees together with Mr
Nash of the Boston Civil Service Reform
Association, also spoke in favor Of the pIan.
fhc Ford's Thcater Disaster Report.
Inc joint conSre ssional committee on the
fords Theater disaster will meet April
10 TO consider the report of the subcom-
Inlttec, consisting of Senator Faulkner and
Representative Updcgraff, appointed to in
vestigate the individual claims of the sur
vivors of the accident, which is about
completed.
Representative Robbins Unseated.
After five days debate, the House ,yester-
day, by vo.e of 113 to 50, unseated Gasten
A. Robbins from the fourth Alabama district
and decided that his republican opponent,
w. f. Aldrich, was elected and entitled to
the seat. All the republicans, with the ex-
ception of EIr. White of Illinois, and the pop
uliSts, and three democrats, Messrs Cobb
Dockery and De Almond of Missouri, voted
for the majority report. The 50 votes against
the report were cast by democrats, with one
exception. The case furnished the republi-
cans with ample material for airing their
views on southern election methods, it be-
ing admitted by the minority that fraudulent
ballots to the extent Of over 5000 were cast
for the contestee in Dallas county.
No Quorum.
Al the night session of the House last
night Mr.. Erdman of Pennsylvania raised
the point of no quorum at the outset and no
business was transacted.
The sergeant-at-arms, Mr.. Snow of ILL.,
nois, had four deputies scurrying about
town with over one hundred warrants in
their possession looking for absentees, but
no one except Mr.. De Almond Of Missouri
was arrested and brought to the bar of the
House before the hour of adjournment,
lo:3O The House adjourned before he
could be arraigned. Under the rules Of the
House all proceedings under the call cease
with an adjournment and warrants lapse.
To Elect Senators by the People.
The Senate committee on privileges and
elections yesterday authorized Senator
Mitchell, chairman Of the committee, to re-
port his joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States providing for the election of
United States Senators by a direct vote of
the people. The vote in committee was 8
to in favor of the amendment, three re-
publcans and two democrats voting in the
affirmative and two republicans and two
democrats against.
Silver Senators and Protection.
Senator Cannon of Utah has received a
set of resolutions from the chamber of
CON merce Of Ogden declaring that his vote
against the tariff bill in the Senate meets
with their hearty approval, and that while
they favor protection, they agree with
him that protection and silver should be
linked together. and they are opposed to
protection in enc section of the country to
the exclusion Of others. The five Senators
who took the position Of opposing tariff in
the interests Of silver are getting a large
number of letters from the extreme silver
sections which they represent approving
OF their course and indicating that the sill
yer states are willing to sacrifice every
thing to this particular interest.