The Republican journal., 1897-04-01
Civil Service Arraigned.
"A Monumental Humhug,, Saws Mr. GaIIInger

"A Monumental Humbug" says Mr.. Ga,linger
Especial Despatch to the Boston Journal.
WASHINGTON, March 3d. There is to
be an investigation of the Civil Service
law. The Senate determined this by a
resolution adopted this afternoon, which
involves an inquiry whether the law shall
be continued, amended or repealed. The
committee which will conduct the investi-
cation consists of Senators Hoar, CALM
ger and Gray, and it can be foretOld now
that the report of the committee will not
be unfavorable to the law. Hoar and
Gray will uphold it, and Gallinger, as he
indicated in his remarks on the resolution
to- day, will recommend its repeal.
AS for the sentiment toward the law in
the Senate there has been noticeable late
ly tendency to criticise it's workings,
which is not altogether encouraging
President Cleveland did the cause of civil
service reform serious injury by the man
ner of his last wholesale order, bringing
every available Office under the classified
service. The last Administration, notably
the Treasury, stuffed the departments full
of incompetents, discharging Republican
clerks who had rendered faithful service
for years, in order to make places for
Democratic henchmen, and then PreSi-
dent Cleveland threw the protection of an
extension of the Civil Service law around
the new men, placing in the classified SER
vice, not only clerks, but executive officers
like the Chief of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing, aud confidential Of
ticers handling large sums of money, for
whose conduct the heads of departments
are financially responsible without the
power of selection.
Positions of this kind were never in
tended by the advocates of civil service
reform to be placed in the classified ser
vice, and in taking so radical step Pres-
dent Cleveland aroused storm of crit
cism which is now directed against the
entire system as well as against the Cleve-
land abuse. Senator Lodge assumed the
defence of the law in the Senate this af-
ternoon, and spoke eloquently and effec-
lively. Perhaps the most significant pas
sage in his speech was one in which he re
minded Senator German that the Repub-
licanS were not in control of the Senate in
spite of Democratic attempts to make the
contrary appear, and in which he served
notice that the Republicans would not
consent to be held responsible for legisla
ton or failure to legislate while they were
not in control. Coolidge.
cipitated by resolution offered by Mr..
Allen in relation to the dismissal Of sew
eral microscopists from the bureau of
animal industry at South Omaha, Neb.
instructing the committee to examine diff
ferent branches of the civil service to in
quire whether those disnissals were for
political reasons. Mr. Allen made long
arraignment of the circumstances and de-
clared these employees had been discharg
ed for no other reason than because they
supported Mr.. Bryan and the cause OF
free silver during the late campaign.
Mr. Gallinger, a member of the com
mittee mentioned in the resolution, said
it would be impossible for him to give
| any time to the proposed investigation, as
| he was chairman of the committee on pen
sions, to which had been referred more
than half of the | POO bills introduced al
the present session. He looked upon the
civil service as administered as ''monu-
mental humbug from top to bottom and
from beginning to end" applause in the
galleries, promptly reproved by the vice
president.)
81 have voted against it, he said ''ir
the other house and desire to have ar
opportunity to cast my vote to blot ou
the statute and let us return to condi-
ton of things that will give to every mar
and woman an equal right to hold office
with every other man and every Other
woman (Renewed applause.)
The discussion concerning civil service
was continued till o'clock-Mr. Lodge
being the only Senator who stood up fol
the civil service law
Mr.. Stewart spoke of the commission
as ian office brokerage establishment; Mr..
Hawley admitted the civil service law he
had Joined in reporting had fallen into a
state of conspicuous incompetency.
Mr.. Lodge, having in his remarks ridi-
| culed some of the statements made by
senators as to logarithms, ditferential
calculus and other abstruse examinations
by the civil service commission, Mr. Gal
linger retorted with some sarcastic allu-
sions to Mr.. Lodges estheticism He de-
clared he would vote to blot out the civil
service law and would take his chances
| with the people whom he represented
without regard to how it might strike the
esthetic taste of the people of Massa-
cluSettS.
Mr.. German said he sympathized with
Republican senators in their anxiety to
open the doors of office. 1.-The hungry
are with them,'' he said land their desire
to repeal the civil service law is perfectly
natural.
The resolution was amended by sub
shutting the committee on civil service and
retrenchment for the other committee
and by adding requirements that a com
mlttee should examine the civil service
law and report whether it should be con
tinued, amended or repealed. In this
form the resolution was agreed to without
division.