The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-08
Terre Hautc's Representative EulO-
gizes the Party Worker and De-
tends His own Position.
GEN. GRosvENOR ON THE RACK
SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
CRITICIsE THE BLUFF pHIOAN.
Senator Teller DenOunces the Charge
That SiIveritcs Are Trying to Dis
.rupt McKinIey's Cabinet.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. Z. - Representative
Faris represented Indiana to-day in the
civil-service discussion in the House. He
made quite an extended speech, the greater
portion of which was devoted to showing
the intent of the trainers of the civii-service
law and he quoted extensively from the
speeches of Senators Pendleton Hoar, Haw-
ley. Edmunds and others. who participated
in the debate on the bill, which was en-
acted into law in 1885, on the scope and
purpose of the proposed legislation. He then
proceeded to argue that the law had since
been stretched clear beyond recognition and
that repeated extensions and regulations had
perverted it into something never intended.
The concluding portion of the speech was a
definition of his own position and a glowing
tribute to the party workers. He spoke of
the necessity of party organization and de-
clared his belief in the theory that the party
leaders chosen by the people to administer
the Republics affairs should have the right,
within reasonable limitations, of selecting
the men to carry out the party policies.
Otherwise he contended there could be no
sense of party responsibility. TO take that
away, he said, would be to remove one of.the
safeguards of the Nation. The party worker,
in Mr.. Fariss estimation, is one of the
noblest products of our civilization, and if
standing by the men who stand by him con-
stitutes q spokesman, then he begged to be
classed as belonging to that class. Mr..
Faris was not clear in his prescription of
remedies for the evils complained of.
There are speeches enough already sched-
uled to consume four days longer of con-
gressional time on civil service. and others
will demand a hearing. Nothing practical
can result from this particular outbreak
the talk being merely an item in the
appropriation BILL but it is serving the good
purpose of giving various surcharged indi-
viduals chance to work off an accumulation
of ill temper. 1t may also furnish an excuse
for an executive order embodying the sug-
gestion contained in the letters of depart
ment heads to the Senate. All efforts to-
day to fix time for termination of the de-
bate failed. The interest in the discussion does
not seem to be waning. The debate to-day
was without marked incident. The speakers
were Messrs. Gillette (Rep., Ohio, Burton
(Rep., Ohio and Fitzgerald (Dem, Mass.
in support of the law, Messrs. Cummings
CDem., N. W, Faris rep, Ind.) Mahaney
CRep., N. W, briggs (Dem, N. >Y) and
Bradley Oem.. N. " in opposition to, and
Mr.. Kerr (Rep., Ohio in favor of the modi-
fication of the law
FEATURES OF THE DEBATE.
In his speech Mr.. Gillette maintained that
the argument of Mr.. Grosvenor and Mr..
Lands against the law were both in reality
strong arrangements of the spells system
He denied that the scope of the executive
order of May 6, 1896 was not understood
when the st. Louis platform was adopted
NJ.
tacle of the white-haired veteran, General
Grosvenor. leading the young Hotspurs of
the party in the battle for the spois, and
said it recalled to his mind the words
Macaulay placed in the mouth Of Henry of
Navarro at the battle Of Ivry:
Press where you see my white plume
shine, nv
Midst the ranks of war
And be your orii1amme to-day the head of
GrOSVenor.
Mr.. Cummings announced himself an i'm
placable foe of the whole system of civil
service reform. Roscoe Conklng, in his
| opinion the greatest senator New York has
ever known, had once spoken, he said of
! the 'dreary drivel of SWIVEL service reform. -
He had never appreciated it so much as
he had during this debate Mr. Cummings
said the hostility to the system had been
| said he, land one of the factors in it's de-
| struction is Tammany Hall" In this con-
| nection Mr. Cummings replied warmly to
| some of the charges of corruption made
| against Tammany Hall during the debate.
| The gentleman from Ohio (Grosvenor) said
| Re. 'srushes on here from Columbus. that
| hot-bed of political corruption, TO which he
has hed himself back, and tells us that
| Tammany Hall is corrupt. Think of it, De-
| ncunced as corrupt by man VINO comes
| from the State that profted by the robbery
| of 1876 Mr. Johnson CRep., Ind) had said
! that Tammany Hall was the most corrupt
| organization on the face, of the earth, and
| Mr.. johnson came from the State made
| famous by blocks of five" methods. Tam
| many was Mr.. Cummings said. Il patriotic,
! liberty-loVing society, which had existed for
| 1903 years. He then rehearsed some of the
achievements of the organization during
| that time.
Mr.. Burton followed in defense of the
| merit system, and in the course of his re-
| marks paid high tributes to Secretary Sher-
| man and the late President Hayes, whose
records had been assailed by Mr. Cum
| mings He inveighed against the insolenee
of office seekers. and argued that this was
not government for the reward OF party
| workers
Mr. Vandiver, in the course of some re-
marks in opposition TO the law, referred 10
! ex-President Cleveland as "kls fat-witted
| Excellency."
Mr.. Kerr favored the modification of the
| law. He was especially severe In his con-
| demnaton of the last Cleveland executive
| order which he said. had been used to
| cheat the incoming administration out Of
| legitimate fruits of victory
Mr. Bartholdt took occasion to defend
| Carl Schurz from what he termed the
ISLANDERS heaped upon that gentleman by
| Mr.. Grosvenor The very intimation that
there was a stain upon his personal honor
was an insult to the German-Americans:
whose confidence Mr.. SchLrz had retained
for years.
The other speakers were Messrs. briggs
and Bradley. who defended Tammany Hall,
and Mr.. FITZGERALD At 4:55 the House adj
| journed.