The times., 1897-12-11
ATTACK ON LAW RENEWED
Members With Hungry ConStit-
uenfs DenOunce Civil Service.
MIR. ALLEN AGAIN SATlRICAL
Extrapeous Matter I.ugged Into the
Pension appropriation Debate
Bill Setting Aside $141 900, 900
for Old Soldiers Passes the Hodse
Mr.. DingIey's Statement.

4 ~ -
There is not particular affinity between
the pension appropriation bill and the civil
service law, but this fact did not prevent
Republicans from attacking the law yes
terday during the House debate on the
| proper amount necessary TO set aside for
old soldiers
The appropriation of $141. 100000 was
rally passed, us everybody knew it would
| be.
The attack on the civil servic. La w was
precipitated by Mr.. Brown, of Ohio, who
took exception to it for number OF rea-
| sons, the principal of which was beca ase ii
protected some examining boards appointed
under the last Administration. Mr. Brown
as he proceeded became energetic, AMI N
describing civil service reform, be used
such epIrhets as abomiua tionS.'' To the
intense delight Of other Republican parti-
| sans, who appa uded generously.
Mr.. Brown declared the soldiers in his dis
trict did not approve Of the law, and that
| therefore he favored the repeal OF it,
or very great modification of it. Mr.. Nc
httlirs oocCf hCuf Do iiAotd hEli y lcu l1c
said the civil service law had the a approval
ofthe people. He closed his attack by drama
tically declaiining that IL disloyalty to the
law weI disloyyity To the Republican party,
then he as disloyal.
Mr.. Broniw ell, of Ohio, reiterated the
Thoughts OF his colleague, and then Mr..
johnson, of Indiana, had his inning. He
repeated d his assertion OF Tuesday that civil
rio -afa
OF RepubIicangSai, and referred to the de
clarauon OF State Republican conventions
and read from the platforms adopted mt
Republican national conventions Tor twenty
years back 10 support his assertions. He
quoted Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, and Nc
kinney as favoring the Law and declared the
enemies Of the law did not dare attack it
openly.
DO you favor life tenure in Officer"
inquired Mr.. Pearson, of North Caroila.
4 do in the civil service said Mr..
johnson, with all the emphasis he could
command
II believe" he continued, that the
offices are public trusts, held by the
people who deserve them; that they lre
not owned by politicians 70 he, used for
rewardIHG their friends. / believe that
his origin. who does not happen 20 have
political pull, should be allowed to
demonstrate his fitness for office, and
and that the offices ought not TO he served
to some man who happens to control
few votes, which can be used to shape
the destiny of some mediocre candidate
for Office Gpplause)
After number of others spoke coace II
inn IL IA
the House. speaking first to the statement
frequently made in the debate that the
amount of the pension roll was increasing
and would probably continue to do 50
The maximum payments on account Of
pensions, he pointed out, We're made IN
the fiscal year 1898, when they amount
ed to $159,UO0,00o. Since then they had
not exceeded $141. 100000. should they
reach, as has been suggested they might,
S14s.OO0.0Oo in the year 1899. Mr.. Ding
ley saidft would be due not to any change
iii the law, but To the increa sed rapidity
Of its administration. which in the end
results in no extra expenditures.
In the consideration OF the burden OF
this bal, Re said, we are entering upon
the whole field of appropriations, and we
| ought t. ask ourselves, what is the pros
| pect regarding expenditures and revenues?
| The Secretary OF the Treasury, upon
! the basis OF business conditions existing
| today, not taking into consideration any
! Improvement that ma Y occur, estimates that
the receipts Of the Government customs,
internal revenue and miscellaneous, not in
| Guiding postal receipts, for the year end
| ing June 80, S99, Will amount to $780,
| 100000.
Counting the postal receipts, they will
be Sst2,5on,0O0. Including the expendi-
| lures Oh account Of the postal service,
| the Secretary estimates the expenditures
for that year at S504,00O,O0 Excluding
the postal accounts, the expenditures are
estimated to be $411 500, 900.
This sum- Mr.. Dingley said, was
reached 10y including for the first time
in the history Of the Government, in con-
plianee with a law passed last session, IS
Inmates for river and harbor projects, COR
which surveys have been made, not al or
even a considerable portion of which viii
be expended. These items amounted TO
S73.O0O,O0O. 1t was by including this
sum in the estimates Of expenditures > Mr..
Dingley said, that deficit of $21 ,0Oo,-
600 was calculated
Mr.. Allen OF Mississippi availed himself T
the opportunity tue debate afforded him to
pay his respects to Mr.. Smith of Indiana,
who, the day before, had denied the state
ment of Mr.. Allen that Commissioner of
Pensions Evans had furnished certain
recommendations Mr.. Allen pitched into
Mr.. Smith with such an apparent tie
light that it was d pleasure to hear him.
Wit, sarCasm, scorn, ridcule and blunt
assertions were all used by Mr. Allen,
and when he had finished with Mr. Smith
it seemed that he had said about ali that
that was unpleasant that an English speak
ing gentleman could say.
Judge Linney, OF North Carolina, me
OF the most forceful and interesting speak
ers III the House. followed, and made
strong plea for the repeal of the ..ivil
service law. He declared that at one
time it was q Democratic measure, en-
bodied in the national platform and carried
out by their soul worshiped Grover
Cleveland"
After declaring that the successful pa rty
should have the right 10 care for its
own, he cited Tammany, and said that
had as it was it cared for its own. and
in doing so became the strong body that
it is. He eulogized Gen. Grant, and de-
clared that the great test Of all his deeds
was the manner i'll which he stuck to his
friends. Patronage he assert ted.
should he given to the faithful !" and
the men who engaged in the recent
warfare of opinfQn Shpuld bava tba ,;,rb+