The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-15
They Will De Content with Amend
ments That VIII Not Arouse the
Wrath of Reformers.
Mr.. GAGE'S FINANCIAL BILL
ONE GENERAL MEASURE INSTEAD OF
SEVERAL AS PROPOSED.
Presidents Recommendations to BE
Incorporated I'm Separate Bill
Policy of House Democrats.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IA great number
of Republican members of Congress VINO
have been posing as favoring the repeal OF
the civil-service law, or making radical
changes in it, have taken a sudden flop ana
are now insisting they are the best friends
of the law, and that all they want is to
secure such amendments as will purify IL
and strip it OF the abuses which they claim
it is loaded down with. The remarkable
thing about this change in the front of the
gentlemen referred to is that they appear
to be sincere. General Grosvenor and all
of the members of the committee appoint
ed by the anti-civil-service conference the
other night have set the tune, and the rank
and file of opponents of the civil-servlce
system are lining up and joining In the
chorus Justify. The consequences of this are
likely to be seen in the enactment OF law
embodying such healthy and needed amend
ments as will meet with the approval or
the President and not be offensive to the
real friends of the civil-service system. The
rabid talk which was so freely indulged In
up to within a few days ago for the repeal
of the civil-service law is no longer heard.
That phase of the campaign seems to nave
disappeared entirely The discussion has
been toned down most remarkably. This
makes II possible to correct the law where
it needs correction and to really strengthen
the system instead of weakening 1t.
The special committee of Republican rep
resentatives held it's first meeting to-day
and outlined it's action. 1t was determined
to divide the work between two subcommit-
tees. one to draft a bill changing the civil
service law, and another to gather evidence
on the defects of the present law, its ex-
tension beyond the original purpose or the
law, etc. The purpose of the latter commit
tee is to make clear to the House, when the
subject shall come up, that a change is i'm
perative. Chairman Grosvenor named as
the subcommittee to frame bill Messrs.
Hepburn of Iowa, Pearson of North Caro-
lima, and Evans of Kentucky, and as the
subcommittee to examine into defects OF the
law Messrs. Tawney of Minnesota, ODeH of
New York, and Steele of Indiana. Their
work will begin at once.
The authoritative statement is heard in
washington that the Union Pacific reor-
ganization committee does not intend to
pay anywhere near as much money for the
Kansas Pacific road as the government
holds its claim against that property to be
worth. The assertion is made that the road
can be paraleled east of Colby, which is
something like four hundred miles west of
Kansas City, for about one-third the
amount it would be necessary to pay for
the Kansas Pacific under the demands
which the government is disposed to insist
on. AS a part of this agreement, however,
the cars of the Union Pacific would have
to be run over the tracks of the Missouri
Pacific, and the terminals of the latter
company in Kansas City would have to be
used by the Union Pacific.
Every day brings cumulative evidence In
support of the theory that the opposition
to railroad pooling and anti-scalping leg1s-
lation will be much stronger than the rail-
road people have been anticipating. They
supposed they had their campaign in very
fine shape and that their measures would
be approved by Congress substantially as
they would desire This appears to be
mistake Vitality is being infused into the
opposition in unexpected places and with
unexpected force.
Postmaster Bonnell, of Charlottesville, has
secured from the Postoffice Department an
order for an all-night service at the post
office in that town. The order was obtained
largely on account of the earnest and
prayerful appeal of Representative Lands.
An appropriation for the employment of
night clerk was authorized this afternoon.