The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-30
CIVIL SERVICE In THE SENATE

CIVIL IN The SENATE
1t is something amusing to read the
attacks of republicans now upon the
civil service humbug. The Messenger
has all along opposed n exposed the
British system imported into this coun-
try by northern politicians who are
always looking to England for policies
and ideas The republicans have used
and abused civil service all along. But
for them the un-American n unre-
would not now be fastened upon this
country. The idea Of men having life
tenures in a republic is wrong. II
right, when you ave a president or
senator or representative why not have
him for life? A good thing should be
extended upward as we'll as downward.
Some hard blows are given the fraud in
the senate. Mr.. Gallinger made a de-
cidedly breezy speech. He said he
would bio the whole thing from the
senate books, and when he said it the
crowded galleries applauded his utter
ances. He denounced it as a humbug,
and that is just what it is. Senate AL
len also denounced it as "a monument
tai humbug." Massachusetts stood up
for it. Of course, lit is English you
know" What else could Hoar and
Lodge do but initiate England and
favor his rank Importation? Let us
give Senator Gallinger a brief hearing.
He said:
But 1 want, Mr.. President, to add a
single word concerning this matter. I
think l am safe in saying that on my
desk in committee room more than
twenty grievances have been placed
before me in writing concerning the
action of department and bureau Off
GERS in the matter Of removals from
office Or of the degradation of public
officials or Of the unjust promotion of
! other public officials. 1 do not believe
that life is long enough for this sem
ate to undertake to investigate the
civil service of this government. There
is a shorter and easier way, and that
is to get rid of the whole thing.
1T may be known to some in this
senate it is certainly known to some
nearer to me perhaps than senators
may chance to be-that I look upon the
civil service of his government as it
is administered today as a monumental
humbug from top to bottom and from
beginning to end. applause in the
galleries..
Mr.. Allen-That is right.
Mr.. Gallinger-I have voted against
it in the other house of congress-; I
have voted against it in the senate
whenever opportunity offered, and
what [ desire is to cast my vote to blot
out that statute and to let us return
to a condition Of things and to a form
of administering the affairs of this
government that will give to every
man n to every woman in our coun-
try and equal right to hold office with
every other man and every other wo-
man in our country. applause in the
. gallaries)."
There was fun in the senate. Sena-
tor Wilson gave a sample of the SER
vice. He told of how in his state they
are about to hold a civil service exam-
inatiOn for a cook in a penitentiary
at Peal's Island" remarked Mr.. Will
son, citing another absurd case,
amid laughter. He did not know
whether the civil service commission
had a standard cook book or whether
they proposed examining this cool con-
corning the lost tribes of Israel or on
dlfferential calculus. There would be
another examination soon afterward to
secure a sawyer at 5000 per year. 1.-The
whole thing is a humbug, a delusion, a
snare, and a fraud, asserted Mr.. Viii
son..
1t was stated by Senate Gallinger
~ tA"N IL "oo lCA GU
that applicants for places in the gov
m printing office should hop
twelve times o. one foot. When
asked by Senator Allen If he was jok-
ing Mr.. Gallinger affirmed that his
statement was true. Here is a part Of
the proceedings:
"Mr. Allen-I thought possibly the
senator might be joking about it.
Mr.. Gallinger-Not at all. And it
is no more absurd than a great many
OF the other requirements which are
made INT these examinations are
carried on. The questions that are
p~ropounded, if the senator from Ne
braska will investigate the matter a
little further, he will see are usually
SO absurd as to disgust men who take
a practical view of the concerns of this
life"
Senator went also for the
humbug and referred to it as this Of
flee brokerage establishment" Hawley.
Of Connecticut, stood up for the fraud.
German got in a dig at the republic
cans who demand the fraud that it was
because they were hungry and wanted
to provide for the hungry. The report
in The Post says that Mr.. German
went on to state that it was we'll
known that the law was not enforced
fairly, and that it served as a basis
for favortism. But if it was to be
dealt with at all. it should be by q
broad proposition covering the entire
system. He did not believe the party
in power would have the holiness to
meet this question. There would be no
repeal Of the civil service law. No one
would be deceived by the declarations
made in the senate. 1t would be we'll
for the hungry to know that they could
not step into office" But repealed or
no 1t is a bad law, a British thing. and
full of fraud.
THE ARBITRATION TREATY.