New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-08
HOUSE COMMITTEES CLASH.
CONTEST OVER CONTROL OF CURRENCY
LEGISLATION.
MR. pINGLEY YIELDS POINT TO APPEAss
CHAIRMAN wALKER-rHE CIVIL SERVICE
LAW AGAIN ATTACKED AND DEFENDED


LAW AGAIN ATTACKED AND DEFENDED.
[BY rELE1RApH TO THE rRrRuNE.I
Washington, Dec THE debate In the House
OF REPRESENTATIVES to-day on the distribution
Of the Presidents Message was discursive, out
withal somewhat instructive az we'll as enter
tanning. II gave Mr.. Walker, OF Massachusetts
an opportunity to air some Of his grievances
which, after all. are more imaginary than real
on account Of the inability Of the Committee on
Banking and Currency. Of which he Is chairman,
to accomplish anything In the way OF generai
currency legislation In the last Congress. To
everybody who knew about the anars OF the
committee the attempt to fix responsibility for
its failures elsewhere than on the committee
itself must have seemed amusing as we'll a.
somewhat absurd.
Chairman Walkers complaint that the Ways
and Means Committee was trying to rob the
Banking and Currency Committee OF the jur1s'
dicton Of subjects which properly belonged TO H.
and that II the proposed scheme OF distribution
should be adopted the latter committee might
as we'll disband." was elaborated and argued
with some force. as we'll as tnge OF bitter
ness by himself and Messrs. johnson, OF Ind
lana and Cox. Of Tennessee. both Of whom are
members Of the committee but 1t turned out
at last that they were worse scared than hurt"
for Chairman Dingey. Of the Ways and Means
Committee. quietly and voluntarily modined
the language Of the pending resolution so that
even the sometimes captious chairman or the
Committee on Banking and Currency could
find no further fault with It.
Mr. Bailey Of Texas. was nettled at this
outcome Of what he had fondly hoped might
become with Demo-Populistic encouragement
Republican family jar, and he rather peevishIy
rLad fhot tba
chusetts chose to abolish himself. he Baile)
had no objection. OF course the occasion could
| not rass without a few words from Mr.. Bland
| who exuded some Of TIE bitterness which hes
been corroding his heart ever since the Chicago
Convention, and who dropped into history N
order to show how, under his able and saga
! cious leadership. the Committee on Coinage
fought for and obtained jurisdiction not only
Of all questions relating to the coinage OF bullion
but also of the paper representatives OF sucn
coinage.
ATTACK ON CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
But after all the more significant feature OF
the debate, barring OF course. General wheel
er's eloquent speech in favor Of the establish
ment of a Govern ment armor plate factory as
Birmingham. Ala. which speech. as usual 10
"to be extended In the Record, was tnss
relating to Civil Service Reform.
General Grosvenor. Of Ohio opened the ball.
He was glad to approve portion OF what Presi-
dent Mckinley had said on the subject In his
Message, but repudlated the rest. General
Grosvenor. it must be remembered, Is statis-
t,cian of no mean degree and so when he de-
clared that, having kept in close touch with the
people" he was prepared to say that 30 per
cent OF all Of them west Of the Allegheny Noun
tains are opposed to the Civil Service law az
now administered" 1t sounded impressive, II
| he had fixed the percentage higher. say 20 OF
| oS per cent, the accuracy OF his calculations
| might have been questioned. The Ohio sfates-
man and statistician was also able 10 say. ai.er
| thorough investigation. that he was POSITIVE
tina, II a secret ballot could be taken az least
| 300 of the 357 members Of the House OF Kepre-
sentatives would vote to repeal the law. arm, IA
ing to his work. and encouraged by applause on
both sides of the House and in the gaileries !,
General Grosvenor went on to deliver severa'
ultimatums to the friends OF Civil Service re-
form and informed them what was the very
iea at that the opponents OF the law would ac-
cept The fact that Republicans applauded sew
eral OF the strongest passages IN Generai Srosve'
nor's speech ought not to deceive him. In inoi.
Gated not hostility to the merit system. but
reprobation OF the perverson and prostitution
Of the Civil Service law by the last AomlhistrS-
ton for partisan purposes.
MR.. JOHNSON AROUSED.
The reply Of Chairman Brosius OF the civil
Service Committee to General Grosvenore
speech was as temperate dHu 90 ~ "c~
effective and the friends Of Civil Service reform
might have been content to rest their case there
for the time being " several Democrats had NOD
taken up the cudgel which General Grosvenor
had temporarily laid down That, well as Q
sense Of injury, aroused Mr.. Johnson, OF lndi.
ana who said that on a former occasion Gen.
eral Grosvenor had taken him to task and ques-
toned his party fealty because he voted against
the Bimetalc Commission bill.
Mr. Johnson, who Is a member OF the Commit.
tee on Banking and Currency. had taken the
floor to advocate its claims to jurisdiction over
the subject OF the greenbaoks but instead OF
doing so ne delivered fiery fve-mnute speech
denouncing the attack on Civil Service reform.
which. he declared. was one OF the tenets OF the
Republican party, which no Republican could
consistently hout or repudiate. Mr.. Johnson
spoke with unusual force even for him. and his
words gushed forth in such a torrent that ie
took two Of the most rapid stenographeD to
keep up with him. He silenced. but did not con-
vince, the opposition. On the contrary they
will renew their attack when the Legislative.
Executive and judicial Appropriation bill, which
carries the appropriation for salaries and ex-
penses Of the Civil Service Commission iy
brought before the House for consideration. ana
q battle royal may then be expected.