The herald., 1896-04-07
THE F|FTY.FOURTH CONGRESS
CONTINUED from First Page. |


Inquiry by Hale of Maine as to the
parliamentary status of the resolutions
indicated Call would meet with opposi-
tion.
The postoflice appropriation bill was
taken UP, the pending question being
that of consolidating the country and
suburban postofficeS as adjuncts.
Mr.. Wolcott advocated the reform as
essential to the vast postal service of
the country, small postoflices being Gre
ated at the rate of over 2000 year and.
the aggregate army of 10000 postmas
teIs maintaining separate accounts with
Washington. he believed the change
would do away with the system of Civ
ing postoffices as rewards for political
services, the Democratic grocery store
keeper running the posto1ice of one ad-
ministration and the Republican gro
Gerry store Keeper running it the next
administration.
Mr.. Wolcott said he was by no means
friendly with the present administra-
tion, yet he desired to commend the able
and intelligent conduct of the postoffice
department under Postmaster-G General
Wilson. The senator added that this
was q move toward throwing off the
domination of the spoils system from
the postal SERVICE.
Civil service is" he said, largely
an acquired taste, but any public man
who has remained here through an
opposing administration and has seen
men appointed to Office as a reward for
political dirty work, unworthy men, un-
fit to hold office, many of them unntel-
lgent and unprincipled men--then one
can appreciate the virtues of civil serv-
ice"
Mr.. Wolcott and Mr.. German Joined
issues over some references of the form
er to the Elliott City( Maryland) alb
sorption of the Baltimore postoffice, the
ter and did not, like Mr.. Wolcott, get
his information at second hand.
Mr.. Wolcott said that any differences
that might exist between the post
master-gencra and one or two senators
ought to give way before the needs of
public service.
Mr.. German argued that Mr.. Wolcott
sought to place the subject on a low
plane. He sought to intimate that this
was mere personal and political ques-
tion.
IF it is not political question" eX-
claimed Mr.. German, with intense sar-
casm, then / congratulate the post
Office department that a distinguished
senator on the other side of the chamber
can be its defender on this occasion
There has been a suspicion among many
Democrats that many acts of this ad-
ministration could consistently be de-
Tended by some Republicans"
Mr.. German rejected the idea that
the postofiices were n huge spoils syS
tenn. He served under Democratic adj
ministrations and under Republican ad
ministratons, and the mere appoint
ment of postmasters was not anything
to him. He said he knew, from recent
events, that any resolution by him
would be rejected. Mr.. German said
that his observation of civil service re-
formers was that they We're the first to
@l,Ns., r,sNx s,,t@
to keep them there. Referring to the
postmaster-general, Mr.. German said
that it would be we'll for that official to
listen to the people and serve them
rather than to be delivering lectures on
tariff and gold and silver. 1t would be
we'll, said Mr. German, to return to the
old rule that when we found a man
constantly proclaiming his virtue there
was a rascal near at hand.
The senator said he hoped to see a
postmaSter-gen no matter what his
politics might be, who would really
reform the department,not by removing
it from the people, but by cutting down
the high compensation for carrying the
mail and the high salaries above the
$1,000 mark
Mr.. Hill suggested some modification
in the proposed amendment and said
he was with the senator from Colorado
(WolcotD on the general principle of
including the small postoffices within
the limits of a city or its immediate out
skirts.
Mr.. Nelson (Rep., Minn) opposed the
consolidation. 1t was, he said, on the
principal of the general department
stores, the devil fish of modern society
These department stores are the curse
of the commercial world and he would
not like to see the same system carried
into the postoffice department
Mr.. Lodge (Rcp.. Mass.) declared that
the best methods of business would in
evitably prevail and could not be stop
| ped by politics or legislation. The peo-
| pie did not care SO much for patronage
| as they did for good service. There
| was no policy in the proposed change.
! said the senator. He differed from the
present postmaster general on the tariff
and vet this did not prevent his recog-
nizing that official as most careful
| public officer
At this point Mr. Sherman presented
the conference report on the Cuban
resolutions, and also the action of the
house accepting the senate resolutions.
He said no further action was needed.
He remarked that the vote in the house
for the resolutions was very large.
Mr.. Allison raised question as to the
! formality of the report and the action
! by the house, but after brief discussion
it was agreed that all parliamentary
requirements had been observed.
Mr.. Allen (Pop., Neb) spoke for the
retention of the old system with its
country postmasters and arraigned the
| civil service as a farce. In this connec-
tion Mr.: Allen said: The greatest