The times., 1897-03-24
A Bitter Attack on the Civil Serv
ice Regulations.
STARTED BY SENATOR ALLEN
Several of His Colleagues Seconded
His Remarks-The Only One Who
Defended the Law Was Mr.. Lodge.
MIR. Turpie's Amendment to the
Constitution.

matter came up in the shape Of a resolu-
tion Offered by Mr.. Allen of Nebraska,
directing the Committee on Civil Service
TO inquire into the dismissal of some half
dozen employees, microScopisUs, OF the Hu-
reau of Animal Industry, in South Omaha,
Neb. and instructing the committee u
examine the different branches of the
civil service to inquire whether these dis
missals were for political reasons.
Mr. Allen made long explanation of the
circumstances, and declared that these EN-
ployes had been discharged for no other
reason than because they had supported
Mr.. Bryan and the cause of free silver
during the late campaign. He characters
lied as an absolute and unqualified false
hood the excuse put forward by the Civil
Service Commissioners that they could not
investigate the matter because they had
not the means to do SO; and asserted that
they were as great detrimept TO the
public service as 50 many tramps OF com
mon beggars.
A proposition TO refer the matter TO a
different committee-that of Civil Service
and Retrenchment-was made and dis
cussed, Mr.. Hoar OF Massachusetts ex-
pressing the hope that no Investigation at
Mr.. Gallinger, of New Hampshire, Il
member of the committee mentioned in
the resolution. said that it would be iuI-
possible for him TO give any time to the
proposed investigation, as he was chair
man OF the Committee on Pensions, to
which had been referred more than half
of the 200 bills introduced at the pres
ent session. More than twenty similar
grievances had teen brought before him
in the shape of communications, and life
was not long enough for the Senate To
undertake their investigation He looked
upon civil service as administered today
as a monumental humbug from top to
bottom and from beginning to end" ZAP
plause in the galleries. which was promptly
reproved by the Vice President.l
"If that is the Senator S doctrine,
said Mr. Hoar, "about civil service, and
If the question comes up 70 our committee
and he undertakes to act upon it, there,
there will be quite a lively fight
II am always ready for a fight Mr..
Galhnger replied. especially with man
older than myself. daughter
When Senators and Congressman ask
men to help them in their election they
have right TO come to US and ask US TO
exert ourselves to procure positions for
them under the Government. ] shall stand
on that position. Therefore l do not think
that am a competent Judge In this mat
ter. There are scores and hundreds Of
cases which would have TO be investigated
if this omaha case is investi igated; and we
would bc entering on a sea OF trouble
where, am afraid, we would not be able
to weather the storm
MT Allen-I fully agree with the Senator
from New Hampshire that this Civil Ser
vice Commission and the civil service itself
are two of the most monumental humbugs
in the United States, and l Will vote with
him to wipe out the whole thing.
The discussion went on in this vein until
O'Clock, Mr.. Lodge being the only Senator
who stood up for the civil service law.
Mr. Wilson of Washington said that In
his State there was going 10 be a civil
service examination for a cook in the
United States penitentiary and another
for n sawyer on an Indian reservation,
and he intimated that an opportunity
would be given to vote by yeas and nays
Oh repeating the law.
Mr. Stewart of Nevada spoke of the
commission as an office brokerage es-
tablishment Mr. Hawley of Connecticut
admitted that the civil service law which
he had joined in reporting had fallen into
a state of conspicuous incompetency,"
and ne related an instance Of an Army
engineer having charge of works on Long
Island Sound, having been prevented from
employing as an inspector a thoroughly
capable steamboat captain, who knew
every rock and sand bar in the harbor,
70 IA = a
master from Rhode IsIand''
Mr. Lodge, having in his remarks ridi-
culed some of the statements made by
Senators as TO logarithms, differential cal
pulus, and other ahstruse examinations
by the Civil Service Commission, Mr..
Galllnger retorted with some sarcastic
illusions to Mr.. Lodges estheticism. He
repeated his declaration that he would
vote to blot out the civil service law
and would take his chance with the
people whom he represented, without re-
gard to how it might strike the esthetic
taste of the people Of Massachusetts.
Mr.. German of Maryland also took part
in the discussion, saying that he sympa-
thized with Republican Senators in their
anxiety to open the doors OF office. The
hungry are with Them" he said, land
their desire TO reform the civil service
law is perfectly natural"
The final result was that the resolution
was amended by substituting the Com
mittee on Civil Service and Retrenchment
for the other committee and adding q re-
ouirement that the committee should eN-
anime the civil service law and report
whether il should he continued, amended
OF repealed. In this form the resolution
was agreed TO without a division.
Mr. Berry, of Arkansas, introduced joint
resolution directing the Secretary of War
60 purchase a thousand tents, or as many
as might he necessary, to shelter and re
heve the sufferers from the flood in the
Mississippi river, and appropriating the
necessary amount. He asked and oh
tained luminous consent to have the
Joint resolution acted upon Immediately,
and il was accordingly passed and sent
to the House.
MIR. Turpic of Indiana addressed the SEN
ate in support of his resolution to amend
the Constitution by making United States
Senators elective by popular vote instead
of by State legislatures.
He summed up bis argument in these
words:
The pending amendment is in strict ac
oordance with the great precedent OF prog
ress and advancement set forth in the pre-
amale TO the Constitution. Our purpose
is TO form more perfect union by bring
ing the national Legislature in complete
accordance with the legislative assemblies
OF the States; to establish justice by
granting to the voters OF the States that
equality of suffrage which the present
system denies; to perpetuate the bless
fngs OF liberty to ourselves and our pos