The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
He FavOrs Passage of Currency
Measure by the House, Regardless
OF Its Fate in the Senate.
SCORES CIVIL-SERVICE LAW
AND WANTS Ut REFORMED IN THE
INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE.
Views Representative Men I'm Both
Houses of Congress on the Pros
poets OF Legislation.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis journal.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. = Representative
Lands, who arrived in Washington to-day,
states there is every evidence of prosperity
in his district, but that the people who
elected Mckinley expected some sort of cur
rency legislation. He is in favor of the
House going ahead and passing a currency
measure that will commend itself to the
business men of the country. If the SEN
ate defeats it, that's the Senate's business, >
said Mr.. Lands, land the Senate will hear
from the people, among whom there is an
overwhelming sentiment in favor of such
legislation as will strengthen and make sta
bic our currency"
Mr. Lands is strongly in favor of a modi-
fication of the civil-service law II am a
member of the committee for the reform of
the civil service, and / am in favor of re-
forming it, he said and then added: 1.-THE
manner in which Mr.. Cleveland filled every
available place with Democrats and then
blanketed these places with the cloak la
beed merit system was outrageous and in
decent, and should not stand. I would not
repeal the law, but would radically modify
it. l believe in political parties The whole
tendency of the present law is to discredit
political parties. l firmly believe that the
safety of the Republic lies in well-organ-
ICED, well-disciplined political parties; they
are the surest protection against crazes and
fads. Nothing so stimulates political or
CARNATIONS as the hope of government APP
pointment. Nothing so weakens such or
ganizations as the practical elimination of
the prospect of appointment. A few years
ago party men in ordinary circumstances
gladly contributed of their scanty means TO
campaign funds. Few contribute to-day.
Many of them demand pay for work they
do in organization and getting out
the vote 1t takes lots OF money
to run legitimate campaign. If this
law continues and extensions continue the
only hope of campaign expenses will be
from rich men, and they will absolutely
control politics. They Will sit in both the
Senate and House. for they alone can af-
ford to look after conventions and cam
paigns. Nothing will so completely place
the government in the hands of the rich
fellows and corporations as the destruction
of party pride and party organization, and
nothing will so surely sap these as this
civil-service law as now administered. l
know that the less a member of Congress
has to do with the distribution of patron
age the easier it is for him, but the member
of Congress VINO will secure ease and free
dom from annoyance by even silently sane
tioning a law that slams the door of the
government in the faces of the faithful
party workers who looked after his cleo
ton is an Migrate and ought TO be left at
home. / believe in keeping the government
close to the peOple-identifying the people
with it. / would fix a six-year limit TO the
great majority of offices. | would proper
ton the appointments to congressional dis
tricts; let representatives and senator's do
the recommending and make all appoint
mentS probationary. No man or woman
who could not come with clean character
and do the work right could remain, and
would have board III each department to
pass on their ability to 90 the work with
true merit. This would insure new blood
thrift and economy among Office holders,
and give every boy and girl the right to
hope that some day they might in some
capacity take part in admins tering the al
fairs of the government
Postmaster Parvin, of Evansville, left
this afternoon for home. During his visit
TO Washington he has secured a number of
concessions from the Postoffice Depart
ment which will greatly increase the facili-
ties of his city He was ably assisted in
his requests by Representative Hemenway.
AS before stated in these dispatches POST
master Parvin has been allowed one addl-
tional letter carrier, who will be put on
Dec 16 To-day he secured an allowance
for the employment of three more carriers,
who will begin work ON the 1st of next
February.
The postoffice at Howell was to-day abol-
ished and ordered to be consolidated with
the Evansville postoffice. 1t will hereafter
be known and designated at Howell Station.