Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-03-24
Its Utter Inefficiency Shown Up
by Senators.
AID FOR FLOOD SUFFERERS
Turpie Advocates Eecting Senators by tn
PeopIe-Repartee in the Tariff Discus
sion on the Floor of the House.

dulged today in an almost one-sided de-
nunciation of the civil service law and
it's administration. The matter came
up in the shape OF a resolution offered by
Mr.. Allen, directing the committee on
civil service to inquire into the dismis-
sal of some half dozen employees (micro-
scopists) of the bureau of animal industry
in South Omaha, Neb. His assertion
was that the dismissals were for politi-
cal reasons
Mr.. Gallinger republican, of New
Hampshire, did not favor the proposed
investigation because it would bring out
so many hundred other like grievances,
and Mr.. Hoar objected to it on the same
ground-saying that such a herculean
task should not be thrown on any COM
mites ait this special session. The civil
service law, as administered, was char
acterized by Mr.. Gallinger as "a monu-
mental humbug." He favored blotting
out the law and returning to a condition
of things that would give to every man
and woman an equal right to hold Office
with every oth-r man and woman.
This declaration of principal was APP
plauded by the galleries and the galleries
were appropriately lectured by the vice
president on that breach of propri@ty.
Various instances of abSurdities in civil
service examinations were furnished by
senators-Mr. Galinger mentioning the
requirement of Would-be compoSitorS in
the government printing Office that they
should hop twelve times on one foot;
Mr.. Wilson saying that civil service eX-
aminations had been ordered in his state
for cook in the penitentiary and a saw
yer on an Indian reservation and even
Mr.. Hawley, who had been member
of the house committee which reported
the law originally, admitting that the
law had fallen into a state OF "conspicu-
Gus incompetency' and giving as an il
lustration the fact that when an army
engineer in charge of a public work on
Long Island sound, had selected a COM
pete MT inspector in the person of steam
boat captain who knew every rock and
sand bar in the neighborhood, the COM
mission sent to him "a school master
from Rhode Island
The emily senator who defended the law
and its administration was Mr.. Lodge.
The upshot of it all was that Mr.. AL
lens motion was agreed to without a di-
vision, but amended so as to instruct the
committee on civil service and retrench-
ment to inquire and report whether the
civil service law should be continued,
amended or repealed
Mr.. Turpie, democrat, of Indiana, made
an argument in favor of conSti'tu-
tional amendment to make United States
senators elective by popular vote, in
stead of by state legislatures.
He summed up his argument in these
words:
"Th4 pending amendment is in strict
accordance with the great precedent of
progress and advancement set forth In
the preamble to the constitution. Our
purpose is to form>a more perfect union
by bringing the national legislature in
comple te accordance with the 1egisla-
tive assemblies of the states; to establish
justice by granting to the voters of the
states that equality of suffrage which
iha present system denies; to perpetuate
the blessings OF liberty to ourselves and
our posterity by further and nobler
recognition of duties and rights inherent
in all citizens, so that the supremacy of
the people, nevsr gainsaid, so often with
lips confessed, with the tongue asserted
and maintained, shall at last be and be-
come a vital force, a living presence,
fact accomplished in tbs government of
the republic This will give to our past
it's full meaning, to the future hope yet
more abounding for the present 1T would
place a fixed star in the galaxy of pro
gress and visit in all the latitudes of lib
erty throughout the world"
At the close of Mr.. Turpie's remarks the
senats, went into executive session.
After short time the doors were re-
opened and legislative business was re-
sumed.
These three bills were passed by the
senate: Directing the secretary of war
to supply az thousand tents to shelter and
relieve the sufferers from the flood In
the MISS iSSlppl TlVeT.
To establish the official survey of irac-
tional townships in Nebraska.
To amend the act repeating the timber
culture laws.
The latter bill was explained by Mr..
Pettigrew to be the same as was passed
by both houses last session, but which
the president had been "too busy fishing"
to sign.
The Torrey bankruptcy bill (modifed)
was reported and was, on motion OF Mr..
J.e H. Axatc l,6d h1Icf
to be called up Immediately, however.
A constitutional amendment to make the
30th of April Inauguration day was In
troduced by Mr.. Hoar
At 345 p. m. the senate adjourned until
tomorrow.
IN TILE HOUSE.
The second days debate on the tariff
bill was something of an Improvement
over that of the first day, although Mr..
Dockery's statement early in the day
was and is correct, that up to this time
the debate, compared to those which
have preceded 1t within the present dec
ade, is tame and unjnteres,ing. The
event of the day was the speech of Mr.
bolivar. He held the attention OF the
whole house, republicans and democrats
alike, for over an hour and kept his near
ers laughing nearly from start to finish
by his numerous descriptions of the ef-
fects of free trade or tariff for revenue
laws. His eloquent periods in advocacy
ana ue1enSe OF the pTotectlNe LdTllI pOi-
icy aroused his political associates to a
high state of enthusiasm.
Speeches in opposition to the bill were
made by Messrs Gibson, republican, of
Tennessee; Lacey, republican, of Iowa;
Newlands. silver, of Nebraska; the latter
of whom spoke from the standpoint of
an opponent of the republican party's
financial policy, but an advocate of pro-
lection. full measure of prosperity,
he claimed, would never be restored TO
the country until the old-tme parity of
silver with gold was re-established.
Speeches in OPPOSITION to the bill were
made by Messrs. Dockery, democrat, of
Missouri, who attacked the agricultural
schedule particularly, and Mr.. McLaur
In, democrat Of South Carolina, who adj
vocated a tariff on cotton and rice, and
announced his opposition to the policy of
free raw material.
He demanded that the cotton planter
should not be plundered by the whole
world, while the wheat grower was pro-
tected against his near neighbor. He
expressed his purpose of offering amend
ments placing duty of 21z cents per