The San Francisco call., 1897-12-08
CONGRESS BEGINS REGULAR BUSINESS

opinion that the object OF the resolution
was to so divide the subj, c. that nothing
practical would result.
Wheeler (D.) OF Alabama at this point
got the floor and used a few minutes in
plea Tor Government armor-plate plant
in Alabama. He was followed by Grosve-
nor Or. of Ohio, who diverted the whole
course of the debate by an attack on the
civil service law, which was several times
enthusiastically applauded both by mem
bers on the floor and spectators in the gal
leries. At the outset he repudiated the
idea that opposition to the civil service law
involved an affront TO the President. Con-
gress was empowered to de al with the sub
ject and the President had referred it to
Congress. He heartily agreed with the
President "that there were places in the
classified service which ought to be ex-
empt.''
II am glad" said Grosvenor, 'to go
that far with the President, even if | am
compelled to part company with him
when he says the civil service system has
the official sanction of the people,"
Grosvenor declared that ne had kept in
touch with the sentimen of the country
and that if the question were submitted
to the people west of the Aleg hany
Mountains 1t would be buried under their
overwhelming condemnation. His re-
marks In denunciation of "life tenure In
office" were met with uproarlous applause
from the galleries, in which members on
the floor hearth Y Joined. This was a gov
ernment for the people and by the people,
he declared, and no man should be ex-
cluded from participation in the executive
branch of the Government by accident OF
birth or the misfortune of early education,
who was otherwise qualified. Ohio, he
said, had repudiated the civil service law
| and was opposed 10 the building up of an
Office holdins class in this country.
Brossius (R.) of Pennsylvania, the chair
mar OF the Committee on Civil Service,
defended the law and the Presidents in
| depreciation of 1t. He thought any Al
tempt to legislate upon the question must
be regarded as an indignily 10 the execu-
| tive.
Bailey CD of Texas commenced Gros-
| venor' uiterances against building up an
office holding class in this country-a
doctrine, he said, which was almost liter
ally embodied in the Chicago platform.
| Democratic applause.
That is the only good feature of the
PLATFORM" CALCULATED Steele (R.) of In
diana amid laughter on the Republican
! side.
Johnson (R.) of Indiana, after some
! opening remarks about the stupendous
! folly OF appointing a bimetallic commits
sion TO roll over Europe, made a strong
/ spe ch in defense OF the civil service law.
4 =
| derelict to his DUTY as q Republican. That
| party, he said, was unaltera bly, pledged 10
| the support OF the law. Benjamin II ar
Tison and William Mckinley, the most
| distinguished eXpOnents of its pol cies,
| had fought for the Jaw in no uncertain
! language, and General GrosvenOr, he
! thought, well merited the rebuke ad nj in
istered TO him by Bailey when the latter
| charged him with supporting the Chicago
platform. Laughter.
He marveled that the mouthpiece of the
administration had IA len so low. Nc
| portion of the Presidents message met
| with more hearty Endorsement from him
| than that relating TO the civil service, and
| he warned his colleagues that if they put
| through bill in antagonism to the law il
! would be void Moreover, he said, it wa;
a mistake TO imagine that the sentiment
| Of the country opposed ii. The law wa:
heartily approved by all except few ''de-
generate politicians" who opposed it from
| selfish motives. The trouble was not with
| the law. but with its administration by
| spoilsmen.
| Cochrane CD of Missouri, in a satirica
! speech, spoke or the inju >tice of turning
over q subject which Walker had freely
ad mitted he knew all abOIt to D.ngIey
| who had fathered a tariff bill that had
already produced $40 600. 600 deficit.
BiandD of Missouri averred that it was
well under tood that nothing would oe
done with the currency problem, and Bo-
dine CD of Missouri alleged that the civil
| service law was humbug the West and
| South opposed. The latter gave some
amusing illustrations OF its operations
and caused a laugh by the statement tha
! Cleveland had been some time in the
| White House before he discovered tha
the United States was not bounded on the
west by the Allegheny Mountains.
During the progress of the debat'
| Walker and Johnson had consulted with
Dingiey, and a modification OF the resolu,
ton of distri button was agreed upon.
struck out the words, THE nation a
finances, the public debt. the preservation
of the Government credit" and gave tn
Ways and Means Committee jur 50 Ictiol
over all N alters in the message relating
ITO the revenue, the bonded debt of tn
| United States and to the treaties OF tn
United States affecting the revenue"
When this amendment was presen tel
the opposition withdrew and the resolu
tion was adopted without division.
The House then, at o clock adjourned