The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-24
CIVIL SERVICE A FARCE
SENATORS BITTERLY DENOUNCE 1T
rs Il GROSS FRAUD.

Mr.. Lodge Its Only Defender--C Commission
Called an Office Brokerage Establish
ment--Mr. HawIey Says it is COnspicu-
ously Incompetent-Mess Gallinger
and Allen Most Outspoken.
Washington, March 2S,-In the senate
to-day bills We're reported and placed
on the calendar as follows:
For the restoration of annuities to
the Sisseton and Washpeton bands of
Dakota or Sioux Indians; to amend the
act repeating the timber culture act;
to establish uniform laws on the sub
iect of bankruptcy throughout the
United States.
A memorial of the Society of FRIENDS
of Philadelphia in favor of the arbl-
tration treaty was presented by Mr..
Morrill,.
Numerous bills were introduced ana
referred, among them one by MI, HANS
brough, granting to the state OF North
Dakota 10000 acres of land in the MAIN
tenance of a school for forestry; ana
one to pension Cassius M. Clay Of Ken
lucky, as major general.
A constitutional amendment to make
April 30 Inauguration day was intro
duced by Mr.. Hoar. 1t was referred TO
the committee on provisions and cleo
tions.
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Allen
in relation to the dismissal of several
mcroscopists from the bureRu Of ami
NAL industry at South Omaha, Neb.,
and instructing the committee to ex-
anime the different branches of the
civil service to inquire whether those
dismissals were for political reasons.
Mr. Allen made a long explanation of
the circumstances and declared that
the employees had been discharged for
no other reason than because they had
supported Mr.. Bryan and the cause of
free silver during the late campaign.
He characterized as an absolute and
unqualified falsehood the excuses put
forward by the civil service commits
sioners that they could not investigate
the matter because they had not the
means to do so and asserted that they
service as so many tramps or common
beggars.
A proposition to refer the matter to a
different committee-that on civil ser
vice and retrenchment-wa made and
discussed, Mr. Hoar expressing the hope
that no investigation at all should be
ordered just now. He said that he was
chairman of the committee designated
in the resolution and was also chairman
of the committee on provisions and
elections, which committee had had i'm
portant questions referred to it affect
ing the rights of three senators, but
which had been delayed in it's action
on account of vacancies on the commit
| tee. He did not think that at this spec
ial session such a herculean task should
be thrown on any committee
| Mr. Gallinger, a member of the COM
mittee mentioned in the resolution
said that 1t would be impossible for
| him to give any time to the proposed
| investigation, as he was chairman OF
had been referred more than half of the
| 1,200 bills introduced at the present
session. More than twenty similar
h grievances had been brought before him
| in the shape of communications and life
| was not long enough for the senate to
undertake their investigation He look
ed upon the civil service as administer
[ aH a a mn 11r,oa fol
| from top to bottom and from beginning
| to end applause in the galleries
! which was promptly reproved by the
vice president). "I have voted against
! it, he said, "in the other house, and
desire to have an opportunity to cast
my vote to blot out the statute and te
! let us return to a condition of things
that will give to every man and woman
an equal right to hold office with every
| other man and every other woman.
| (Renewed applausel
/ IF that is the senator's doctrine
! about civil service said Mr.. Hoar
''and if the question was up in our com.
mittee and he undertakes, ito act upon Il
| there, there will be quite a lively fight.
|
Gallinger replied, especially with 6
man older than myself, Gaughter1
When senators and congressman ash
men to help them in their election they
| have right to come to us and ask u.
| to exert ourselves to procure position.
for them under the government
shall stand on that position. Therefor,
I do not think I am competent to Judge
in this matter. There are scores ant
hundreds of cases which would have t.
be Investigated If this Omaha case j:
! investigated; and we would be enterins
on a sea of troubles where. 1 an
| the storm
Mr.. Allen-I fully agree with the sen
ator from New Hampshire that thi
| civil service commission and the civi
mental humbugs in the United States
and 1 will vote with him to wipe ou
the whole thing.
The discussion went ON in this veil
until o'clock, Mr.. Lodge being tn,
only senator who stood up for civil ser
! vice law In the course of the discus
sion Mr. Gallinger recalled the state
ment in the newspapers within the las
week that among the requirements o
| the commission for appointments o
| typesetters in the government printfny
! office was one that the applicant mus