The record-union., 1896-02-12

I
Appropriations Committee had not
taken up the time of the Senate in an
aggressive manner, and had not even
asserted itself during this whole session.
The consideration of the urgent de-
/ fciency was resumed, the discussion go
ing on as to the rights and duties of
the Senate on the subject of adding
new items to the appropriation bills.
An amendment authorizing the ap-
pointment Of twenty-five expert money
counters in the treasury, outside of the
civil service rules led to a discussion OF
the merits of civil service examination,
iE which Hale explained that such ex-
animation could not possibly touch the
question of the experiness of money
counters, and suggested satirically that
since a member of the commission
meaning Roosevelt-had left that po-
sition. it had been found out that man
or woman was about to do duty in the
departments without going before that
board
Allen .Pop) of Nebraska expressed
his qualification that the civil service
i law was being violated in it's letter and
spirit; otherwise he feared that in
/ twenty years the public service of the
country would be in the hands of a lot
/ OF cigarette-smoking dudes" Never
theless he did not believe the Secretary
/ of the Treasury should be given the
power which the amendment gave him.
4 If the law were obnoxious, it should be
made more so by being lived up to-. Two
4 OF the most gigantically useless insti-
i tutions in the country were the Civil
j
/ Commerce Commission The latter was
as powerless as an infant to carry out
4 its judgments and findings; and as to
/ the Civil Service Commission whenever
/ a member of it developed the slightest
amount of backbone or independence
he heard voice from the White House
! telling him that there was a vacancy in
/ the Civil Service Commission.
/ Wolcott (Rep.) of Colorado broke into
the discussion with his usual vehe-
mence and impetuosity. The danger
to this country" he said, "is not
through the Civil Service Commission.
II is through the exercise by the Execu-
tive and his Cabinet of the power of re-
moval and the power of appointment,
which have been mercilessly exercised
in his last administration as never be-
fore in the history of the country. In
1893 there was never a chance to pre-
vent the passage of a free silver meas
ure through the House of Representa-
tives, had it not been for the power of
the patronage of the Administration,
and especially the power of patronage
as exercised by the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Colorado is to-day flooded with ap-
pointments, many of them unfit ones.
made by the Secretary of the Treasury
for Congressman who rated on the sill
yer question; men whose constituents
sent them here to vote for silver and
who have gone back on their pledges
and promises to their constituents be-
cause the Administration has offered
them patronage which has debauched
them, and with which they, in turn,
have sought to debauch their constitu-
ents.
Il tell you, that whenever we reach a
fair administration of affairs in this
country, it will be after we have de-
prived the President of the United
States and unscrupulous Cabinet Off
Gals of the power of degrading and dis
honoring manhood. I look forward
with great pleasure to the time when
civil service rules shall be so extended
that fitness, and fitness alone, shall gov
ern appointments to Office, and when
public servants, such as we, shall not
be compelled to hang about the doors Of
Cabinet officers, or to attend the White
House like servants, to beg for our NOR
sci of public patronage"
Gray Dem.) of Delaware clapped his
hands in approval of this speech, and
Lodge (Rep.) of Massachusetts fol-
lowed with remarks in the same line,
declaring that patronage and favorit-
ism were unamerican and We're adverse
to every American idea. The system
was utterly degrading.
The bill went over without any action
on the pending amendment
A conference report on the bill as to
the Chaplaincy of the West Point Mill
agreed to, and the Senate, after an ex-
ecutive session, at 5:25 O'Clock ad-
journed until tomorrow.
IN THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11-Under the
arrangement made yesterday the Com
mittee on the Affairs of the District of
Columbia had an opportunity to-day to
clear the calendar of measures reported
by it.
Under the leadership of Chairman
Babcock (Rep.) of Wisconsin the House
passed the following bills To incor-
porate the National University (an old
institution, to extend the time within
which the Maryland and Washington
| Railroad Che new electric line joining
Baltimore and Washington may be
completed, to regulate the issue of Ii
/ censes to billiard and poolrooms, to
regulate the trials before the Meropol-
| itan Fire and Police Boards, to au-
thorize the reassessment of water main
taxes after being declared illegal by
the District Courts, to incorporate and
regulate medical colleges, to regulate
the practice of medicine and surgery.
/ The remainder of the session was de-
voted to the further discussion of the
bond silver coinage bin.
a conference report upon the bill to
appoint Chaplain at West Point Acad-
| emy was presented by Hull (Rep) of
Iowa and agreed to.
| A resolution was reported from the
/ Committee on Rivers ana narbors by
Hooker fRep.) of New York and agreed
/ to. calling upon the Secretary of War
| for information in his possession as to
the cost and best plan for constructing
works at the outlet of Niagara River
which will tend to raise the level of
water in the great lakes, the subsistence
of which is now about five feet above
the normal level.
| At $50 o'clock the committee rose.
and the House, on motion of Dingley
/ CRep1 of Maine, took a recess until