The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-06
WHAT PROMISES TO BE A LONG
DEBATE BEGIN IN THE
HOUSE,
DEVOID OF ALL SENSATION
q
STRUGGLE ONLY PRELIMINARY TO
THE REAL WAR; OF FHE ANTI
REFORMERS.
NO AGREEMENT AS TO THE TIME
Talk Begun in a, Haphazard Way
With Three Sides Taking Part
in 1t.

WASHINGTON,J Jan. 5-The civil SER
vice debate began in the house today,
based on the item in the legislative. ex-
ecutive and judicial appropriation bill
for the maintenance of the commission.
1t promises to continue at least until
the end Of this week, with a POSSIBLE
1ty that it may run longer. But it is
generally admitted on both sides that
the appropriation in the bill will stand
as the anti-civif service reformers do
not seriously contemplate an attempt
to strike it out. The debate therefore
is only preliminary to any programme
which the enemies of the law NAV
agree upon. The members of the house
are divided into three camps on this
question; those who stand by the law;
those who advocate its entire repeal
and those who desire It's modification.
These divisions were apparent in the
debate today, the nature of which was
not as stirring as had been anticipated
Messrs. Moody Rep., Mass), Grow
(Rep., Pa, and Greene pop, Neb.),
defended the law; Messrs. Dockery
Oem., Mo-; Robb Dem, Mo-, and
Pearson Rep., N. c., opposed it out
right, while Mr.. Lands Rep., IndD.
favored modification of the law
Without any preliminary business the
house went into committee of the whole
to resume consideration of the legisla-
tive, executive and judicial appropria-
ton bill All the features had been dis
posed Of except the appropriation for
the civil service commission, upon
which by previous arrangement there
was to be an indefinite general debate
1t was proposed that Mr.. Moody Rep.,
Mass), and Mr.. Dockery Dem, Mo-,
control the time for and against Mr.
Hepburn Rep., Io) suggested that it
was three cornered contest 1.-THE
Democrats" said he, desire the en-
tire repeal Of the law. Some Of those
on this side desire it to stand as it Is
while large body of us desire a whole
some modification of it's provisions"
why does the gentleman aver that
all the Democrats on this side of the
house desire the entire repeal of the
law" inquired Mr.. Clark Dem., MOI.
Simply because that would be
wrong, and your side is always wrong"
retorted Mr.. Hepburn, amid great
laughter.
All suggestions as to the control of
the time failed at last, and the chair
recognized Mr.. Grow (Rep. Pa who
spoke for twenty minutes in support
of the general principle of the civil SER
vice law.
Mr.. Moody Rep., Mass) followed
with an elaborate defense of the civil
service law, which, he said, protected
officials who received $40, 600, 900 in sal
aries per annum. Yet, he said, he had
no sympathy with those who believed
the law was perfect and should only
be modified by extension. He thought
those who were placed under the pro-
lection Of the law by the executive Or
der should be compelled to submit to
a test of their efficiency, and he also
believed that some method should be
found to preserve, If not restore the
efficiency Of the service.
Mr.. Dockery Oem., Mo- opened the
debate in opposition to the law which,
he argued, was odious to the American
people, and should be repealed in toto.
Mr.. Lands Rep., Ind) favored a
modification of the law, which, he said,
would doubtless earn for him a reputa-
ton as a spokesman. He sneered at the
professional civil service ,reformers He
had never known those Who had called
themselves the better element who
were narrow, selfish, bigoted and dan
gerous. They had bulldozed and cowed
national conventions and hypnotized
presidents, while they, managed them
selves to sit continuously at the ban
quet table. He denounced Mr. Cleve-
lands methods in his second admins
tration, describing particularly what
took place in the government printing
office, to the head of which he said Mr..
Cleveland appointed. man who would
do the dirty work.
Mr.. Henderson Rep.,s ipIo.) protested
against the production of the record
Of one man In condemnation of the hest
system yet devised: for the publication
of the government service He said the
civil service commission did not indorse
such work. -