Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-01-14

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 1898.
Help us modify the civil service
law, or we will join hands with the
Democrats and repeal the entire
law. That, in effect, is the notice
that the hundred odd Republican
members of the house who favor
modification of this law have served
upon the other Republican members
of the house during the debate,
which is not yet over. There has
been much plain talk on the subject,
and there will be more. A sample
is the following, from the speech of
Representative Hepburn, of Iowa ::
''In some things the old system, at
its worse, was superior to the new.
My colleagues in this house know
the qualifications of their constitu-
ents, and in the selection OF candi-
dates for offices have everything at
stake. l believe that there is great
er possibility of proJity in action,
wisdom in selection, and beneficence
in results in the old system than in
this darkenel, subterranean, ire
sp)nsible method we have fallen
into this later tisne. REPRESENTA-
tive Clark, of New Hampshire, said
that he favored modification of the
law and was willing to leave it to
the wisdom of the Civil Servic3
Committee as to how far, but that
''any old thing" was better than the
present law. That committee is
considering the bill introduced last
week, which confines the operation
of the civil service law to positions
paying from 5000 to 81, 800 IL year in
elusive, and to localities where the
employees exceed 25 in number
The treaty for the annexation of
Hawaii was to-day taken up by the
Senate, and the intention. is to hold
daily executive sessions for its con-
sideration until il is disposed of
The policy of the friends of annexl
tion is to allow its opponents to do
most of the talking, so as to get
the debate over as soon as possible,
in order that there may be no ex-
cuse for delaying a vote. 1t is now
the general belief that the treaty
will be ratified. owing to the an
nouncement of the number of sena-
tors who were in doubt of their in
tention to vote for ratification.
The last European nation to take
a place in the line of applicants for
reciprocity treaty with the United
States is Germany, the country
which made bluff when the Ding
ley tariff bill was pending that was
promptly called By Congress and
President McKinlsy The clause of
the tariff that br rCught Germany's
pride down to asking for reciprocity
is that which imposes additional du-
ty upon sugar brought from coun-
tries that pay an export bounty on
sugar. When the German ambassa-
dor requested that reciprocity ne
gotiations be opened he was in
formed that his Government must
take the first step by agreeing to re-
move the restrictions now imposed
upon American cattle and beef inn
ported into Germany.
The administration is doing every
thing possible to expedite the send
ing of food to the Klondike region,
as the president and all the members
of the cabinet believe that relief will
be needed by the gold seekers be-
fore regular traffic is resumed on
the Yukon river. Agents of the
Government are now bringing a
number of reindeer from Norway to
carry the food, which will all be
ready and on the ground when the
reindeer get TO Alaska.
There is probably no provision
of the constitution of the United
States that furnishes more proof of
the wisdom of its makers, or that is
more revereed by our people, than
that which provides for our judici-
ary system. But nothing suits the
Populist, except personal notoriety
or gain for themselves, and Senator
Butler, of North Carolina, who aims
at being the Populist bo S, wants an
entirely new judiciary system, the
judges to be elected for terms of
eight years, and has offered n joint
resolution proposing to amend the
constitution in accordance with his
ideas. There isn't the slightest
probability of any such changes, but
that it should be even proposed is a
warning to the country of what
might be expected should the people
ever allow the Bryanites to get on
top.
During the three days that the
Senate was in session in the week
Just closed President Mckinley sent
more nominations to the Senate
than in any other single week since
he was inaugurate1, but some of
them were recess appointments.
Old accountants were not sur
prised when it was found necessary
TO abandon the Dockery system OF
auditing p0stmasters' accounts, be
cause of discovered frauds. Thii
system was adopted during thu
Cleveland administration as the re
suit of an investigation by com
mission, headed by Representative
Doekery, of Missouri, and it wa
pointed out at the time that it wa.
full of opportunities for fraud. NJ
less than nine Ways in which a dis
honest postmaster could rob the gov
ernment have been discovered b.
Sixth Auditor Castle, who ha
thrown out the system and intro