The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-08

uosso;ived II it was to be shorn of its rs
ttbn+sitnintles tba+ -, ls why continue. He aYoWed
ha4 ~ ~ tne last Congress his committee
hsrts poen I steadily disregarded. It's mem
20, -, nau cooled their heads in the Speak
OF Us lobby, he said, and when at last they
,',.a,.; moru allowed to bring in bill, the
pisuxyious as.y question had been demanded
Muionout time for debate, and he had been
aiioWed to address the House by unani-
NOUS consent.
W.T.. Cox, Democrat of Tennessee, the
renlor renop Democratic member OF the cur
rency 1ll committee, seconded the protest of
| Mr.. Walker.
MT Wheeler. Democrat Of Alabama,
ustd q few minutes in plea for a goy-
TTTTnnent TTnt armor plate plant in Alabama.
ne was followed by MIR. Grosvenor, Re-
puollcan of Ohio, who diverted the whole
course of the debate by an attack on the
oIvil service law which was several times
I 1ien nusiast1cally applauded both by mem
peTs on the floor and spectators in the
gsileTles. At the outset hc repudisted
Iiie luea that opposition to the civil ser
yioe law involved an affront to the Presi-
uoAI. Congress was empowered to deal
Win the subject and the President had
relerred 1t to Congress. He heartily
agreed with the President that there are
places In the classified service which
ought to be exempt. -
| am glad" said Mr.. Grosvenor, 'to
go tnat far with the President, even if I
am compelled to part company from him
when he says the civil service system has
the official sanction of the people.
Mr.. Grosvenor declared that he had
Kept In touch with the sentiment of the
country and If the question was SUBJ
nl1ted to the people west OF the Allie
ghaney mountains it would be buried
under their overwhelming condemnation.
he declared no man should be excluded
irom participating in tbs executive
pranch or the government by accident of
birth OF the misfortune of early education
VINO was otherwise qualified. Ohio, he
said, had Tepudiated the civil service law
and was opposed to building up an office
nothing class In this country.
MT Brosius, Republican OF Pennsyl-
yanla, the chairman of the committee on
civil service, defended the law and the
Presidents Interpretation of it. He
thought any attempt to legislate upon the
question should be regarded as an indig-
nifty to the Executive
| MIR. Bailey. Democrat of Texas, COM
1uented on Mr.. Grosvenor's uttera ances
| against building up an office holding class
| in this country, doctrine, he said
which was almost literally embodied in
the Chicago platform. Democratic ap-
| plause
s'That Is the only good feature of that
platform, calculated Mr.. Steele, Repub.
lican of Indiana, amid laughter on the
Republican side.
Il am glad to relieve the other side OF
the charge of total depravity," retorted
Mr.. Bailey to this thrust
MIR. Wheeler, Democrat of Kentucky,
avowed himself spokesman in sympathy
with the proposition to repeal the law.
Mr.. Fitzgerald, Democrat of Massaohu-
setts, chided the Republicans for their at
tempt to break down the law.
Mr.. johnson, Republican of Indiana,
made strong speech in defense of the
civil service law. Mr.. Grosvenor, he
charged with being derelict to his duty at
a Republican. That party, he said, was
unalterably pledged to the support of the
law. Benjamin Harrison and William
Mckinley, the most distinguished expo
nents of its policies, had fought for the
law in no uncertain language, and Gen.
eraI Grosvenor, he thought, we'll merited
the rebuke administered by Mr.. Bailey
when the latter charged him with sup
porting the Chicago platform. Laughter.
He Inarvelled that the mouth piece Of the
administration had fallen so low. Nc
portion of the Presidents message Rlet
with more hearty endorsement from him
than that relating to the civil service and
he warned his colleagues that if they put
through o bill in antagonism to the law
it would be vetoed.
Moreover, he said, 1T was mistake tc
imagine that the sentiment of the coutry
opposed it. The law was heartily ap-
proved by all except few degenerate
politicians who opposed it from selfish
motives. The trouble was not with the
law, but with it's administration by
sp0ilsmen.
Mr.. Cochran, Democrat of Missouri, re.
turning to the financial question in q
satirical speech spoke of the injustice OF
turning over subject which Mr.. Walker
had freely admitted he knew all about to
MIR. Dingley, who had fathered tariff
bill that had already produced $780, ,O00.-
600 deficit.
MIR. Bland. Democrat of Missouri
averred that it was we'll understood that
nothing would be done with the currency
problem, and Mr.. Bodine, Democrat OF
Missouri, alleged that civil service law
was a humbug which the West and South
opposed The latter gave some amusing
illustrations of its operations and caused
a laugh by the statement that Mr.. Cleve-
land had been some time in the White
House before he discovered that the
United States were not bounded on the
west by the Allegheny mountains.
During the progress of the debate
Messrs. Walker and johnson had con
suited with Mr.. Dingley, and modifica-
ton of the resolution Of distribution was
agreed on. 1t struck out the words the
national finances, the public debt, the
preservation of the government credit,
and gave the ways and means committee
jurisdiction over all matters in the mes
sage relating to the revenue, the bonded
debt of the United States and to the
treaties of the United States affecting the
revenue. When this amendment was pre-
sented the opposition withdrew and the
resolution was adopted without division
The House at two o'clock adjourned
Mr.. MONEY SWORN IN.
New Senator From Mississippi Takes Hi
Seat.
Washfnntnn Decnmher IA nan