The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-01
TARIFF IN TIE HOUSE.
Civil Service Attacked on the Floor
of the Senate

OF the Senate
BUSY week for Congressional Service Gets
Searching from Solons-Progress on the
Tariff Quite Slow.
Tn tho Senate March % the Civil Service act
aud the Civil Service Commission was the object
of attack. The discussion came up on resoiu-
tion IN Investigate Federal removals at UNA
no These cases were first brought 10 pup
lie attention by Senator Allen, who charged
that EN- GLOVES of the Agricultural Depar'meu'
had been dismissed for no other reason thah
-. ,hor d;snlaved pictures of Bryan in their
,v;pdows Senator Allen introduced the reso-
linton and in the course OF long ADDRESS
characterized the Civil Service act as mohu'
mental humbug."
Mr. Hoar moved to refer the resolution to
the committee without instructions.
Mr. Allen hotly protested against snno'n i
ippn the resolution, aud in the course OF iuf-
ther remarks declared that this was part Oh
the alliance between "the Republican party
and the Cleveland wing Of the Democfa'io
party" is a
member of the Civil Service committee, W MS
feet He said:
desk in my committee room more thah ~
prievauces have been placed before me IN VIII
ing concerning the action OF Department anu
Bureau officers in the matter oil removals ifoin
office or of the degradation of pubic oinclas or
OF the unjust promotion OF other puolc oiiiciais'
] do not believe that life is long enough ior
this Senate to undertake to lnvestlgate the
Civil Service of this Government. There is
shorter and easier way, and that is to get rld
of the whole thing. :.
It may be known to some 10 TINS SENATE
is certainly known to some nearer " "o POI
haps than Senators may chance to be-thss !
look upon the Civil Service OF this GoVernneii,
as it is administered to-day as mohuh ln;.,
humbup from top to bottom and from pegin'
ming to end
"Thev are about to hold Civil Service ex-
animation in nv State for cook IN q penltenei-
ary at Peal's Island" remarked MT. Mlison
citing an absurd case. amid laughter. ne oio
not know whether the Civil Service Commis
sion had standard cook book or whether tney
nronosed examining this cook concerning the
lost tribes of Israel or on differentisl calculus.
There would be another examination soon
sfterward to secure q sawyer at $SUo per year
Mr.. Stewart. of Nevada added his criticism
TO "this office brokerage establishment WIN
its gross favoritism and its dealing IN omces.
Then Mr. Hawley said he had been one OF the
early friends Of the Civil Service law, ana ne
stood by the principle of that act. But he rec
opnized that the administration OF the system
of late had been open to bitter complaint LOT
glaring incompetency.
Mr.. German said he did not believe the
party in power would have the boidness TO
meet this question. There would be no repeal
of the Civil Service law. No one would be
deceived by the declarations made in the
Senate :,
Mr.. Lodge said the Civil Service law could
not be destroyed by speers. 1t had often with
stood these attacks Jokes as to diffe1entiai
calculus and the Chinese character OF the sys-
tenn were old and stale.
The resolution. which originally directed the
Civil Service Committee of the Senate to in
yestigate the South Omaha, Neb., removals,
was broadened by an amendment instructing
the committee to inquire into the general
operation of the law and to report whether 1t
should be continued, amended, or repealed.
MEMBERS TALK TARIFF.
In the House. the members resumed the
Tariff debate.
Mr.. Gibson Tenn, b. was the first speaker.
He devoted himself to general argument In
favor of Protection.
Mr.. Dockery MO-, d. who followed, said it
was not Meter of surprise to him that the
discussion of the bill thus far had been tame
and uninteresting. The truth il" said be.
1.-THE people of this country want more
money and less taxes. This bill does not rep
resent the issue of the late campaign" Mr..
Dockery ridiculed the idea that the present
Tariff law was the monster which had de-
stroyed our industries He denied that there
was an of prosperity for labor during the
existence of the Mckinley law, and instsnced
the Carnegie strike.
.fThat catastrophe" interrupted Mr.. Daizeil,
swas the result of a con test between organized
labor and the opponents OF organized labor.
The Mckinley law had nothing TO do with IL.
Mr. Dockery was especially sarcastic IN his
remarks on the absurdity of giving alleged
protection TO agricultural products
Mr. Newlands New, Silverite) then took the
floor as the spokesman of his party, which
numbers three members in the House Mr.
Newlands discussed the Tariff bill from the
standpoint of the Silver men who united with
the Democrats and Popnlists during the last
campaign in opposition to the Republicans.
The people had declared in favor o! Protec
tion and had given the Republican party a con-
tract for prosperity, and that party should ir
his judgment be allowed to carry out any rea
sonable Tariff policy without obstruction and
with expedition. Tariff legislation alone, hs
asserted, would not give relief. believe, h'
added, that the true policy of the country il
combined Tariff and Silver legislation-the ont
protecting us against Europe, the other agains
Asia"
Mr. Dolliver iowa, Z. a member OF thu
Mays and Means Committee, who was the mex
speaker, aroused the unbounded enthusiasm o
the Republicans. Mr.. Chairman" he said il
part on the very day when the mliilonalfe
of the Rocky Mountains were riding in thei
carriages to the voting places TO give in thei
ballots for the poor mans money the farmer
OF the Mississippi Valley. weary aud burdene'
under the weight of four miserable years
walked in the rain 10 the polling places and cas-
their ballots for the integrity of American
business and the Tariff policy of 1890. N
such effort was ever made before to capture tn
passions and predjudices Of burdened AM
troubled man. But the farmers of tie Missis
sippi Valley again viDdicated the credit of tn
American farmer by choosing rather to sufie
afiiietion with the people that pay their bill
than 10 endure the advantages of is to L."
Speeches were also made by Mr.. Swanson, {
Virginia and Mr.. Cochran (Mo., d.
The night was given over 10 set speeches
There were not over 40 members on the foo
but the galleries were crowded 10 the doors.
ARBITRATION TREATY AGAIN.
In the Senate, on Wednesday, Senator Davi
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreig
Relations made a determined effort to secur
unanimous consent TO fix day when the fin;
vote should be taken on the Arbitration treat,
but only succeeded to the extent of obtainin
an agreement &c time for q vote on the m isce
laneous amendments. The Executive sessio
lasted nearly five hours and il was only aft,
a heated controversy that the opponents
ratification agreed TO date for voting on IL
amendments. They based their opposition G
the fact that there were good many a
sentees, whom they considered il desirable