Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28
Spoilsmen in Congress Will Fight the
Merit System.
FHE SPEAKERS ATTITUDE A QUESTION
Matter May Become a Feature Of
the Session.
n o HOSTILE LEG ISLATION

question in Congress this winter is an in
teresting matter of speculation. If given
free rein, men in the House who are dis
+. satisfied with the way the civil service was
turned over to the new administration by
Mr.. Cleveland are going to make a great
deal OF disturbance when Congress meets.
| III they once get a start, they will make an
attack upon civil service reform the con-
| speuous feature of the next session of
Congress. So many changes have occurred
| in Congress during the past few years that
there are few men in the House who have
had that experience which excited a dread
| OF the spoils system. Men who were in
Congress at a time when the bars were all
down and everything, from the smallest
Office to the largest, went by favor and DO
lttlcal pull have no wish for the return of
those times. But there are few men now
| In the House who have had that exper-
| 1ence, and there are many who, being
pressed by their party workers for reward,
really believe that it would be a relief to
them If the civil service reform law were
repealed.
Vigorous Attack.
From present indications It appears that
the Houce will be deluged in December
with bills providing for the modification of
the law or for its total repeal
A considerable number of representa-
tlves are determined to make a vigorous
night against the law, and behind them will
be the clamorous herd of office seekers,
whose hunger and thirst has been a tax
upon the pockets OF Statesmen upon
whom they have some sort of political
claims. Starting with the extra session.
some cf the most active enemies of civil
service reform in Congress have been
working with great energy to arouse senti-
ment in favor of doing away with all or a
greater part of the system. During the re-
cess several men lave been very active in
this direction, ard they are confidently
Claiming that when Congress meets they
are going to pulverizesthe law.
An important question is whether they
will be given the opportunity.
Disposition of the Speaker.
This will depend chiefly upon the DISPOSE
tion of Speaker Reed. He has demonstrat-
ed that he can control the House SO far as
to prevent legislation, when it is his policy
to do SO. The rules of the House are such
as to enable him. with the assistance of his
lfeutenants. to prevent any subject from
coming up for consideration IL he considers
1t the part of wisdom to stifie it. Prac-
t.caliy everything depends upon his recogni-
ton and the action of the committee on
rules, unless there is an absolute revolt on
the part of very considerable number OF
the members of the majority.
No such revolt occurred during the extra
session when he determined that there
should be no general legislation save on the
tariff. though there was very strong de-
sire Oh the part of men in all parties to
proceed with the consideration of matters
in which they were interested. There is no
reason to believe that the spirit of revolt
will be any stronger during the rest of the
Congress than it then was. Therefore he
will probably have 1t in his power to keep
down the agitation if he wants to.
AT first blush it seems as If there could
be no doubt of his desire to prevent legisla-
tion on the civil service question. He is not
a spokesman Yet, on second thought, oc-
ours the possibility that circumstances may
influence him not to interpose his own in
diyldual power to prevent the considera-
ton of the question IL there is strong
demand for 1t on the part of republicans in
the House. If there is other legislation to
be prevented, and other agitation to be
avoided, it may be thought wise to yield to
the demand for this. if the demand appears
strong enough, especially IL it is thought
That the agitation will not end in actual
legislation. Many of the portfolios of MEM
bers OF the House are bulging with the
manuscript of speeches denouncing the
civil service system in general and attack
Ing Mr.. Cleveland's application of 1t in par
ticular
The writers of these speeches are going
to demand a hearing. and ever If they
cannot get the legislation which some of
them want. ard which others pretend to
want, they will insist that they be given
chance to put themselves straight with
the office-seeking class. which is the most
active political class of their constitu-
entS. Grosvenor of Ohio who is a sworn
enemy of the present system, is loaded al
most TO the bursting point and intends to
make fight, and there are others who
are with him. either because they do not
like the law or because they feel Ii to be
necessary to their political welfare that
they should pretend to be.
AntagOnism to the President
If the Speaker should yield to the clamor
there is likely to be political issue raised
which will overshadow everything else
during the session. Both parties will di-
vide on it, but the democrats will, for the
most part be looking for political capital
Republicans who fight the law will place
themselves to greater or less degree in
antagonism to the administration. Men
like Grosvenor. who are devoted to the
present administration, will avoid this by
directing their attack upon the law itself
and Mr. Cleveland. There are Others how
ever. who resent upon the present admin
istration the aohef ence to the spirit of
the law, end who. IL they continue In their
present state of mind will place fhem
selves directly iii antagonism to Mr. Nc
Kinley and his advisors. The agitation
would cause a political disturbance such
as could be raised by almost no other
question.
.IvO THOUuWAAAty Oh hOSt1ke LeKt8Iu tfOn.
The law cannot be repealed. nor is there
any probability of its being seriously modi-
fed. In the first place, the experienced
men in the House and Senate will stand
in the way: and in the second place, Pres.
dent Mckinley would certainly not approve
any measure, If sent to him. which in any
way disturbed the efficiency of the civil
service reform system. There is, however.
material for great deal of mischief in
the agitation. The enemies of the law be-
heve that il they can get the question up
In Congress they can arouse certain sort
of popular ciamor against the law SO as to
make 1t a POLITICAL issue In the next CON-
gresstonal campaign. Many of them think
that promise of the Offices will prove
very tempting to the voters. and that by
making fight against the system. which
limits the distribution of patronage they
will furnish an excuse for the failure 70
keep promises which they have heretofore
made with a reckless disregard to their
inability to keep faith. They count too
on the inertia of those. who believe in civil
service reform. consequent upon the Quea-
tfon not for q long time having been an
issue. and upon the great activity OF those
animated by the selfish desire to get some
thing.