The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-16
TO PROHIBIT SEALING.


Continued From First Page.
DR.. De Armound, Pennsylvania, under
the latitude allowed in debate on appro-
priation bills, followed with an inn
pass1oned speech reproaching the majority
for not voting upon the Cuban belli-
gerenoy resolution passed by the Senate
ct the last session. His remarks were
given added Importance, in view of the
action of the Democratic caucus last
night. declaring for an aggressive sup
port OF the recognition of Cuban belliger-
ency. He declared that he could not be
mistaken in his belief that the American
people without distinction of party SYM
pathized with the Cuban cause. The war
on the island had been characterized on
the one hand by heroism, devoted to the
cause of freedom and independence, and
on the other by all the cruelty and de.
yastatlon of the darkest ages CT the world.
he described graphically the despalring
times during our Revolutionary war. He
should not forget said he, those dark and
forblddlng days in our own struggle, He
inveighed against the selfish agencies at
work to prevent action by this govern
ment and assured that every hours delay
of our recognition of Cuban belligerency
lent aid to the oppressor and placed us in
the attitude of doing what we could to
stife freedom within sight of our own
Cuba, he said would, prove a menace to
liberty the world over and in conclusion,
amid a round of Democratic applause, he
appealed to the majority to give the
House an opportunity of voting on that
| resolution.
The debate then drifted back to the
civil service question and Mr. Moody.
Republican of Massachusetts, called at
tent1on to what he termed the s'extraordi-
nary proposition advocated by Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury Vanderlip, in
an Interview published this morning. In
that interview, Mr. Moody said, Mr..
Vanderlip proposed to establish in the
treasury department what in effect would
be civil pension list. As one of those
who believed in the merit system he
Thought Congress ought to meet this
proposition at the Threshold. ''If this
| system which we support is to lead to the
establishment of civil pension list, -
SAID ne, then the people ght to wipe it
out OF existence General applause.)
| Continuing Mr.. Moody said he did not
believe the act of 1888 led logically to a
civil pension list On the other hand, he
| believed the declaration of the Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury would meet the
disapproval of the American people. AS
O friend of civil service reform, he said,
| its worst enemies are not those who are
| fighting 1t openly like General Grosvenor.
but men like the author of this PROPOSE
ton who sits in the cabinet by the side of
President Mckinley. (Applause)
Mr.. ,Quigg, Republican of New York,
| thought life tenure in office led naturally
to civil pension list. 1t would be
brutal he said, to turn men out to starye
after they had spent their lives in the SER
vice and were incapaeiated from doing
nyGhing else.
| Mr.. Moody denied that it was brutal to
turn out a man after he had ceased to be
r7Cl NIp h. IaG .s.Nwv1 Il
| long service at salary double that for
| the same service in private.
| Mr.. johnson, Republican of Indiana,
said he shared Mr.. Moody's Indignation
over the proposition Of MIR. Vanderlip and
said it was particularly unfortunate at
this inopportune time. He thought Mr..
| Vanderlip's superior, Secretary Gage,
should admonish him. His proposition
violated the spirit and letter of the law.
| Government clerks should do as others
did, provide for rainy day.
Mr.. Quigg, Mr.. Pearson, Republican of
North Carolina, and others became in
volved in debate. Finally Mr.. Bingham,
| House to let the subject, which had been
postponed until after the rest of the bill
was completed, go over and the debate
subsidized. The bill was then read for |
amendment under the five minute rule.
When the paragraph relating to the
|
Quigg proposed an amendment to change
the name OF the library to the National
| Library and to change the title of the
| librarian to director of the National
Library but it was ruled out Oh point
| of order.
Mr.. Wheeler, Democrat of Alabama,
| offered an amendment providing that so
long as the gold standard is maintained
| in this country the salaries of all officials
| shall be scaled 25 per cent. He made a
ten minute speech in support of the
amendment which was ruled out on a
| point of order
When the paragraph relating to the
pension office was reached, Mr.. Bingham
offered an amendment to reduce the
clerical force by 95, involving reduction
of salaries aggregating Sl15,000.
| Mr.. Handy, Democrat of Delaware, sug-
gested that this amendment might mean
the removal of 95 Democrats whom the
commissioner of pensions thought could
now be spared and later the appointment
of 95 Republicans, when it became evil
dent that the force was too meagre,
| Mr.. Bingham said the clerks were all
under the civil service rules.
| Mr.. Dockery thought the reduction in
the pension force should be 500 instead Of
80. In his opinion if the dead wood were
cleared out Of the office, the work Of the
! bureau would be expedited.
Mr.. Todd, Democrat of Michigan,
moved an amendment to the amendment
providing that the reductions should be
made from the several political parties in
proportion to their representation on the
pension office roll. The amendments to
the amendment was ruled out on point
of order and the original amendment was
adopted.
The committee then arose at s. O5 D. m.
and the House adjourned
"a,
OTTEEN ID uCuTuJ1Cs INT,