Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-23
IN THE HOUSE.
Long Debate In Which Alleged Civil Service
Reform is Denounced.

Washington. Dee. 1.-THE House
went into committee of the whole. Mr..
Hepburn, Rep, Of Iowa. in the chair,
to further consider the legislative, eX-
ecutive and judicial appropriation bill,
the appropriation for civil service COM
mission being the pending question.
Baker Rep OF New Hampshire, spoke
upon the proposed amendment author
izing the heads Of departments To re-
appoint to place. without examination,
employees VINO may have been dis
charged for causes not affecting their
moral characters or efficiency. The
present law, he said. was not reform
it had been passed under misrepresen-
tation and executed in deceit. and ii
had never been honest or sincere,
Brosus. chairman of the committee
on civIl service reform retrenchment.
replied to the criticisms made by pre-
cedmg speakers. and his defence of the
merit system aroused q number of the
members. the usual animated colloquy
attending civil service discussion for IL
short time raging on the tfoor He
said that the criticisms made upon the
law had their origin in the fact that
the merit system had not been extended
over the whole service; they We're the
result of the remnant of the spells sys-
TEN still remaining. The Investigation
made at the close of the last session
had shown that of $4,000 offices under
the classified service. only SO incum-
bents We're reported below the average
standard of efficiency.
Brosius stated that he would not re-
tain any part of civil service under the
spoils system. believing it to he in
trinsically bad, iniquitous, inequitable
and absolutely vermicular.' While
commencing the action of President
Cleveland in his recent order extending
the classified service. Brosius de-
nounced in unmeasured terms the pre-
Iiminary action of the administration
leading up to that action.
McMillin Dem. of Tennessee recalled
the suspension by President Harrison.
immediately after his inauguration OF
the order issued by President Cleveland
placing the railway mail service under
the civil service law.
Brosius responded that President Har-
rson's order resulted in a great and con
spicuous improvement in the public ser
vice. When President Cleveland issued
his order the railway mail service was
competent clerks by the Democratic ad-
ministration. The average of errors was
one to iW0 pieces handled. and immeth-
ately after the Harrison administration
began restoring the old and efficient
clerks. the average of errors decreased
until it reached the remarkable fgure
of one to 10000 pieces handled
The committee rose informally, ana the
House received a message from the Sen
ate transmitting the urgent deficiency
bill with slight amendment rms was
agreed to by the House and the bill no"
goes to the President.
The House again went into committee
of the whole. Richardson. Dem. OF Ten
nessce replied to some statements made
by Rrosius asserting that the changes
in the railway mail service under Pres
ident Harrison were unparalleled ana I'M
precedented. The object OF this debate.
he said. was plain. II was to prepare the
country fer an Executive order OF procla-
nation by the President to he inaugu-
rated, March 4. by which the clerks APP
supposed to be protected by the civil ser
vice law may be dismissed and their
places filed by political antagonists.
Walker supported the civil service law
and said that in his opinion the most per
nicious thing in the matter OF appoint
ments was congressional influence. me
proposition to throw Il man out OF EN-
ployment here in Washington with ms
family depending on him. simply to give
some one else his place was damnahie-
no language was strong enough to de-
nOunce it.
Referring to the expression of Walker.
'.the poor white trash. which he said
he used unconsciously. YET might ne
feared. represent the habitual though
of New England. Williams. Dem; OF
Mississippi stated that nobody down
South used that expression except ne
groes and novelists. He said the south
was the most American part of the
Union and that the poor white trash
was the hope of the future of the coun-
try. From that class had sprung, An
drew Jackson and Henry Gay, ana. latel
Abraham Lincoln. Walker denied that
he had denied any slur upon any person
or class by his use of the phrase,
Bowers. Rep. of California, said he be
lieVed in the merit system i'll the piDllc
service but he was opposed to the fraud
uent civil service reform which had been
foisted upon the American people 1t
was un-American. modelled after the
British system, tended to the establish
| ment of classes in the country and made
office holders for life. There was moth
! ing but politics in the civil service reform
of this administration. The President
waited until informed that every Repub-
| lican had been displaced by Democrat
| and then issued his order putting all
| those positions under the classified SER
vice. In the customs service in California
there was not single Republican left
! and not one of their successors had been
selected under examination. yet they
formed boards to examine all applicants
who should come after them. 1t was the
widest extended scheme to secure parti-
san control of the offices ever known.
Settle. Rep. of North Carolina. moved
to strike out the appropriation for the
| civil service commission
| Brosius said it was "A strange thing,
! after the exposition of the working of the
law. made in the discussion. today. and
the existence of the law itself for SO
many years. that d member. especially IL
Republican member should make such
motion. He wanted to read for the IN
formation of the members the declaration
of the Republican national convention
Ga chorus of deprecatory noises and the
expression of Major Mckinley in his let
/ Favor law.
j These being read. Settle said his motion
was not directed so much toward the law
as to the extension of the law made in
recent Executive orders.
HrOsiuS-Does not the gentleman know
, that this motion kills the law?