The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-08
DAY IN THE HOUSE DEVOTED TO
THE CIVIL SERVICE DIS
CUSSION.
NO TIME TO STOP FIXED.
AN EFFORT LOOKING TO AN
AGREEMENT ON THAT POINT
FUTILE.
SPEECHES WITHOUT MUCH MERIT.
The Interest In the Fight Against
the Merit System shows No
Signs of Waning.

WASHINGTON, Jan. THE civil
service debate continued throughout
the day in the house. All efforts to fix
a time for its termination failed. and
1t is certain now to run over into next
week. The interest in the discussion
does not seem to be waning. The de-
bate today was without marked credit
The speakers were Messrs Gillette. of
Massachusetts; Burton Ohio, Repub-
licans, and Fitzgerald Oem., Mass
In support of the law, and Messrs.
Cummings Oem., N. ", Faris Rep.,
1nd), Mahaney Rep., N. ", briggs
Oem., N. Y). and Bradley Dem, N.
y, in opposition.
Before the debate on the civil serv-
ice question was resumed in the house
today an intellectual attempt was
made to agree upon a time for the ter
mination of the debate. Mr. Gillette
Rep., Mass.) then took the floor in
support of the law. He maintained
that the arguments 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. Mr.. Gill
lette commented wittily on the spec
tacle of the white-haired veteran, Gen.
Grosvenor, leading the young Hotspurs
of the party in the battle for the
spoils.
Mr.. Faris Rep., Ind spoke in OPP
position to the law. He declared that
the Republican party was not respon-
sible for the civil service law.
Mr.. Cummings Oem., N. W an
nounced himself an implacable foe of
the whole system of civil service re-
form. Roscoe Conkling, in his opinion
the greatest senator New York had
ever known, had once spoken, he said,
of the "dreary drivel of SWIVEL service
REFORM He had never appreciated 1T
SO much as he had during these days
of debate. Mr.. Cummings said the
hostility to the system had been stead
lily growing.
1.-The system Is doomed" he said,
land one of the factors in it's destruc-
ton is Tammany Hall"
In this connection Mr. Cummings re-
piled warmly to some Of the charges of
corruption made against Tammany
hall, during the debate 1.-THE gentle
man from Ohio" (Grosvenor) said he,
hot-bed of political corruption, to whic h
he has hied himself back and tells us
that Tammany Hall is corrupt. Think of
It! Denounced as corrupt by man who
comes from the state that profted by
the robbery Of 1876" Mr.. Johnson
Rep, Ind.) had said that Tammany
hall was the most corrupt organiza-
ton on the face Of the earth, and Mr..
Johnson came from the state made
famous by blocks Of five" methods.
Tammany was, Mr.. Cummings said, a
patriotic, liberty-loving society which
had existed for 100 years.
Mr. Burton Rep., o. followed in de-
Tense of the merit system and In the
course of his remarks paid high tribute
to Secretary Sherman and the late
President Hayes, whose records had
been assailed by Mr. Cummings. He
inveighed against the insolence of Of
fice-seekers and argued that this was
not a government for the reward of
party workers.
other speakers were Messrs. briggs
and Bradley Oem., N. " who defend
ed Tammany hall, and Mr.. Fitzgerald
Dem, Mass) AT 4:55 the house ad-
3oprpad