Birmingham state herald., 1896-04-08
ALIEN SAYS 1T DOES NOT
The Dispute Grew Out of the Debate on the
 Postoffice Bill.
HoKE SMITH WAS SEVERELY CRITICIZED
Wolcott Remarked That Mir. Smith Had N o Business Running About Making Speeches, but It Was Better
 That He Was Away.

publican, of Colorado, presented resolu- tion from branches of the American Fed eration of Labor in various states for the free and unlimited coinage of silver without waiting for the aid of any other nation-one of them declaring that the members of the branch would not assist any candidate who was not in favor of free coinage, no matter to what political party he might belong.
 Mr Butler, populist, of North Carolina, introduced a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States, limiting the presidents veto. 1t proposes that a presidential veto may be overcome by a majority vote Qnstead of two-thirds vote) in both houses also that all orders, resolutions and votes to which concurrence of both houses may be necessary, except on the question of adjournment, shall be pre- sented to the president and shall be ap- proved by him before they take effect. 1t was referred.
 The postoffice appropriation bill was taken up, the pending question being on the proposition as to the compensation of clerks at postal stations and sub-sta- tions.
 The proposition involved the question of consolidation of fourth-class postof- fees in the vicinity of large towns and cities and the substitution for them of station, sub-station and branch offices.
 There was good deal of politics in the proposition and lively debate resulted.
 Mr. Villas, democrat, of Wisconsin, made an explanation of the points at is- sue. He said that the proposition was a very simple one. It was a mere provi- sion that the postmasters who should be payable out of the appropriation for postmasters salaries might be paid out of the appropriation for clerks when the offices of such postmasters were discon- tinued and incorporated with some other offices MT. Villas said the advantages of the postal consolidation system were so obvious that no opposition would nave been madd to 1t had not the senator from Maryland (Mr. Gorman) uncorked the bottle and let out the genius of opposition to civil service reform. And, he added, 'civil service advancement In this coun- try owes its success to the man now at the head of this government. Without his firm, steady, unfinching and honest devotion to 1t, there would have been, in my judgment for long period Of time, no great and substantial gain in the de- velopment of the cause of civil service re- form.''
 MT. Allen populist, of Nebraska, chal- lenged MT. Villas to point out any benefits derived from civil service reform.
 If nothing else had been gained" MT. Villas replied than the decency and cleanliness of political conduct on a change of administration, that would have been enough to make civil service a great triumph This is, however, but a single circumstance of gain. The relief that has been afforded to senators and representatives is of itself system Of great consequence. No one would pro- pose the repeal of that benificent sys- tenn
 MT. Allen said that he had listened to the senator from Wisconsin in the hope that he would point out something that had been accomplished under the so- called civil service reform. but the sena- tor had only delivered Fourth of July oration on the beauties, if not the holi- ness, of civil service reform without even undertaking to point out an in- stance in which it had bettered the pub lie service. He went on to point out the absurdities of many of the questions that might be put to postoffice applicants by the civil service examiners, and he asked what earthly bearing such questions had on the fitness of somebody to run a little fourth-class postoffice in village fifteen or twenty miles from large town. The rank and file of the people. many of whom had done service for the country in it's hours of peril, were to be set aside, ignored and practically disfranchised by the adoption of such silly and nonsensf- cal rules," and by that means the people were to be isolated from their own post office.
 In the course of colloquy between Messrs. Allen. Hoar, republican, of Mas sachusets, and Villas, democrat. of Wis consin, on the subject of civil service, MT. Hoar referred to Theodore Roosevelt as having been bold, d,courageous,in ,intelli- gent and most efficient administrator of the civil service law. The three men who deserved the most credit for the ad- ministration of that law were, he said, Senator Hawley Dorman B. Eaton and O r Cleveland, who had done great many good things, deserved to be written up very high on that score.
 MT Wolcott, republican, of Colorado, made an earnest civil service speech, in which he said he did not agree with MT. German that the corner grocery was the cornerstone of the republic. He did agree with that senator, however, in de- nouncing the habit of cabinet officers making speeches all over the country. He himself had had a great mind to call the attention of the country to that abuse on the part of the cabinet officials of the present administration. The last cabinet officer that he had heard of do- ing it was "Barnstalking down in Geor- gia fn favor of gold monometallism.' He should have called attention to 1t earlier had it not been for the fact that that of- ficial was better away than at Washing ion so far as his public duties were con cerned and his performance of them.
 :.Is the point you make" MT. Hill ask ed. 7.thaf A cabinet officer has no right to make these speeches throughout the Country to the neglect of his duties; or is it that he has no right to make political speeches at all?"
 T take it." MT Wolcott replied. "that he has no right to make speeches to the neglect of his duties."
 MT. Hill-That # the point of your criticism?
 Mir. Wolcott-At tl1is time.
 MT. Hill suggested that 1t had been the custom heretofore for cabinet officials tc make political speeches and that it was also the custom of English statesmen like Gladstone Salisbury an1 others.
 Mr. Wolcott. in reply to that sugges- tion. said that those statesmen were also