The herald., 1897-02-24
LAST APPROPRIATION BILL
Is Sent From the House TO the
Senate
MERE MENTION OF SPOILS
Stirs Up Wild MaeIstrom of Political
Debate
Business Forgotten as Republicans Applaud Q
Demand That the Civil Service
Law Be Wiped Out
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-The houss
sent the naval bill, the last of the ap-
preparation bills, to the senate, to-day.
Boutel'e, chairman of the naval COM
mittee, was in charge of the measure
and displayed such skill in its handling
that its provisions reused little opposi-
ticn and it was passed practically with
cut amendment.
Representative Gibson Of Tennessee.
introduced a joint resolution directing
the president to demand of the Spanish
authorities in Cuba the immediate res
toration to liberty cf every American
citizen, native born or naturalized ,,ow
imprisoned by them in the island of
Cuba, and that in support of that de-
mand the president is authorized and
directed to accompany it by the PRES
ence of sufficient number of United
States warships to make the demand
good, and if it is not granted within
twenty four hours that the city Of Ha-
vana, and if need be, other ports Of
Cuba be bombarded until it is fully oom.
piled with, and all American citizana
| delivered to the commanders of oHr
| warships.
| the house an answer to a resolution ask
ing what action is to be taken to have the
Navajo Indians remain on their reser-
walton in accordance with the treaty
stipulations. The secretary says to
force them and their stock upon the
reservation without sufficient water and
| grass for the latter would be inhuman.
1t is recommended to attempt by irri-
| cation to make the reservation capable
of supporting the flocks. An appropria-
ton of $4,000 is asked for this purpose.
Barrett Of Massachusetts made an ef-
| fort to secure an authorization for
| dry dock at Boston to cost 81. .000, 900, but
after a somewhat acrimonious debate
| the amendment was ruled out of order.
| He then tried to secure the appointment
; of a committee to pass on the relative
merits of Boston and Portsmouth as a
location for dry dock and was equally
| unsuccessful. The feature of the day
was an exceedingly interesting political
| debate which occurred la te in the after
| noon on the subject of civil service re-
| forms. 1t occurred during the consid-
! GRAFTON of bill to permit the governors
of the territories to appoint certain Of
ficers OF the territories in case Of va
cancies, without the consent Of the leg
islative councils which is now required
by law.
Bailey (Tex, Dem.) fought the billion
the ground that the Democrats and Re
publicans of Arizona should not bring
their squabbles to congress. In the
course of his remarks Mr.. Bailey ten
dered to the Republicans his sympathy
for the troubles of patronage which
would beset them on March 4. He de-
clared that every member on the floor
realized the dangerl Of patronage. Pat
ronage was disadvantage both at the
primaries and the polls. 1t created
friction between senators and repre-
sentatives, discord between the execu-
| tive and legislative. More animosities
have been created between the execu-
tive branches of the government by
patronage than by all other questions
| combined. 1t was a quarrel over pat-
ronage that drove from the senate most
of the brilliant men who had been in thar
body in thirty years. 1t was the heat
of the zeal for office which so Influenced
the brain of madman that he shot
down president. Patronage had alien
| ated personal friends struggling over
who should control.
The pending bill was lost sight Of In
the political maelstrom that followed.
Flynn of Oklahoma, Republican, rousr
ed many of the Republicans to applause
by declaring that if he could have his
way he would wipe out the civil servich
law and fill every office with a Repub-
lican.
Grosvenor ridiculed the civil service
system and predicted, amid uprDarious
applause from the Republicans, that the
tide was rising which would sweep the
law out of existence and give the young
men of this country a chance.
BroSiuS of Pennsylvania, Republican,
denied that 1t was antagonistfc to young
men. On the contrary he said the merit
system gave the young men the right to
aspire to office without the humiliation
of being subservient to politicians and
beggars at the feet of bosses.
Bailey again secured the floor ana
after remarking upon the peculiar re-
lations existing between the gentleman
from Ohio (Grosvenor) and the incom-
ing president asked If the Democrats
were warranted in assuming that his
utterances were to be accepted as nA-
tice that the civil service law is to be re-
pealed.
What do you think of the law?" put
in Steele of Indiana, Republican.
"I think it is a humbug," replied
Bailey, a response that won a round Of
applause from both sides of the house.
Grosvenor replied to Bailey's fhtima-
ton with frankness that again set the
Republicans wild.
''If the gentleman from Texas ha4
been here in the Fiftieth congress" said
he, "he would know that the first bitter
contention l ever had on this floor with
William Mckinley was on this subject
| OF CIVIL service REFORM, ne TAKING one
side of the question and 1 the other.
When it was over l did not think he
had lost any confidence in my partisan-
ship. and l had lost none in his states
manship and ultimate good sense"
ultimate is good" shouted Bailey az
the house applauded
Grosvenor proceeded to characterize
the civil service law as a conspiracy
which had proved the greatest power of
the spokesman. He termed it "a law to
pension incompetents," and said the
people had at last discovered it was =
humbug.
Then Brosius, as chairman of the civil
service commission, had a final word
He declared that Grosvenor's remarks
flashed the sword in the heart of the
president-elect and read from Mr.. Mo
Kinley's letter of acceptance his state
ment that in the matter of civil service
reform he would take no backwar8
step
els that treason?" cried Brosius.
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