The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-11
SENATE.

p" dSLIuSLOH, JdIudTy o. IlIe the
senate was in session two hours today,
practically 10 business was transacted
beyond the passage OF a few bills.
Senator Allen, of Nebraska, called up
h bill providing for the holding of a
congress of the representatives, Of diff
ferent Indian tribes Of the United
States at Omaha in 1898 and a~pproBri-
ating $500 therefor. The idea Of the
congress is TO show the past and pres
cnt condition of the Indian tribes Of
dhe country at the Omaha exposition
and to show what advancement they
have made in education and civiliza-
tiOn. After some minor amendments
to the bill were made, it was passed.
The bill to protect the name and in
sigma of the Red Cross was passed.
A bill apprOpriating S 100, for the
erection Of a pubEc building g. New
port News, Va, was passed.
AT $50 o'clock p. m, the senate, -,
motion of Senator Quay, went into ex-
-ecutive session and at 2 o'cIock adjourn
ed until tomorrow.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The friends and enemies Of the civil
service law exchanged b~roadsides in
the house today. The heaviest guns on
each side were brought into action.
Mr.. GrOsVenOr, of Ohio, and Mr.. John
son, of Indian, Ech made
speeches and ker\their respective sides
i'm a constant fl pre-. The interest in
the debate was n'hch more lively than
yesterday. The crowded galleries,
aIrhioh uy6rn ! i11,r ! ~ - --;+o
the opponents of the law, became so
very noisy in their demonstrations of
approval at one %juncture that the chair
Wals compelled to call them to order.
In opening, Mr.. Grosvenor disclaimed
any leadership of the anIi-civil service
reform forces and any purpose to speak
for any officer Of the government, ex-
e%cutive, Legislative or judicial. IAN eff
forts to entangle me in a collision with
the president" said he, wastes SO
much powder. If l believed that my re-
1atiOns to the executive would be
changed or modified because / differ
with him in my representative capacity
| would despise him as he would de-
spise me if 7 failed in my convic-
tons.
Mr.. C1ravenor proceeded to pa. his
Tesrecs -" n" Natjnn2' CIV & ryi,-
Reform LEAGUE and to Carl Sclurz, ITS
president. His eXcCriatiOn of the latter
was the most scathing that has been
heard on the floor of the house in
months. He denounced unsparingly
those who sought to read out of the re-
publican party those who bell ED in
the repeal of the civil ~service law.
With vitriolic language, he sketched
the political ca1r er of Mr.. Schurz, which
he characterized as the 'fcheckered,
spotted, leprOus career of one who be-
trayed every party and every duty to
which he was bound and whose be-
trayals had been his only stock in trade
in the arena of politics" He traced
Mr.. Schurz's political history and de-
fled any one to point out u point in the
trail which was not tainted with pOlit-
zeal corruption. Yet, he said. this was
the mar who with other foul political
demagOgues'' at Cincinnati. under the
name of the National Civil Service
League, had denounced him and those
who thought with him on this ques-
ton"
Mr.. Grosvenor, in replying to the
charge made against himself and his
colleagues that they were betraying the
republican party, adveTted to what he
called the list of traitors among the
high priests of civil service reform, at
THE head of which he placed George
William Curtis who abandoned the re-
publican party in 1884. He reviewed
the platform declarations of the repub-
lican party to SHOW that the present
position occupied by the majority of the
house was not inconsistent with these
declarations. For | give the members
of the civil service committee notice.
said he, that We have a majority on
this floor and you cannot strangle a
majority in the American congress-"
(Applause).
One of Mr.. G~rosvenor's statements,
which evoked an enthusiastic outburst
from the galleries., was in tire nature
of a warming that if the members re-
fused to listen to the voice of the people
in hostility to this Law they would not
be members of the Fifty-sixth house of
representatives. He argued that the
people We're overwhelmingly opposed to
the law and said that hundreds of
thousands Of republicans felt a secret
sympathy with Mayor Van Wyck, of
New York, who announced hat none
but democrats would be appointed to
office under the new city government.
MIR. GrOsVenOr prOfeSSed his ad-
herence to the principle of the merit
system and to theory of examinations
for office Within certain limitations,
But" ne exclaimed in conclusion, aid
dressing the defenders of the law, Il
want to serve notice on you that unless
you join us in the correction of the
SODuS6S anu ILIt ItlOI1lldU lOl on Ull6 ldW
that We will join any portion of the
community, Legislative, executive or jul
dicial and destroy the law, root and
branch
Mr.. Johnson, republican, of Indiana,
one of the ardent defenders of the law.
followed Mr.. Grosvenor with an ex-
tended gumen in support of the merit
system. He took occasion to review
the civil service. pointing out that pre-
vious to the time of Jackson the spoils
system did not exist. He 1epudiated
the statement of the adversaIies of the
y law that Lincoln and Grant believed in
w the spells system.
In enumerating the evils of the spoils
system Mr.. Johnson said it made cow
ards of legislators. storTned the White
house, interfered with the departments.
it reached into the capitol and shaped
legislation: it exalted the office broker.
and attacked, villified and illuminated
the conscientious man. He took I'D the