Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-07
CIYIL-SERVICE LAW.
BROADsIDEs FOR AND AGAINST 1T
IN THE HOUSE. ,
GROSVENOR ATTACKS CARL SCHURZ'
johnson, OF Indiana, Defends the
LAW md Points Out the Evil of
ceedings Brief.

WASHINGTON, d. c., January 6.-The
| friends and enemies OF the civil-service
| law exchanged broadsides in the House
| to-day. The heaviest guns on each side
were brought into action. Mr.. Grosvenor.
of Ohio. and Mr.. Johnson. OF Indiana,
each made exhaustive speeches. and kept
their respective sides in constant
furore. The interest In the debate was
much moro lively than yesterday. The
crowded galleries. which were plainly in
| sympathy with the opponents OF the law,
! became so very noisy in their demon
STATIONS of approval at one juncture that
the Chair was compelled TO call them to
| order
| In opening, Mr.. Grosvenor disclaimed
any leadership Of the anti-civil-service-
reform forces. and any purpose to speak
for any officer Of the government-execu-
tive. legislative, or judicial. "Ail efforts
to entangle me in collision with the
| President" said he. "are the waste Of so
much powder. If / believed that my re-
| lations with the Executive would be
changed or modified because differ with
him in any representative capacity,
! would despite him, as ne would desplse
me, If faltered in my convictions"
Mr. Grosvenor said he had watched
with admiration the Presidents public ca
reer, and one of his most prominent
characteristics had always been that he
not only did not demand subserviency,
| but despised the man who sought favors
by sycophancy.
ATTACK ON SCHURZ.
Mr. Grosvenor proceeded to pay his re-
| spects to the National Civil-Seryice Re
| form League and to Carl Schurz, its presi-
dent. His excoriation 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 Republican party those
who believed I'm repeal of the civil-service
law. He sketched the political career
| OF Mr.. Schurz, which he characterized
as the "checkered, spotted, leprous career
| of one who betrayed every party and
every duty to which he was bound, and
whose betrayals had been his only stock
in trade in the arena of politics.
He traced Mr.. Schurz's political his
tory, and defied any one to point out a
spot in the trail which was not tainted
with political corruption. Yet. he said,
/
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"
He read the resolutions adopted at the
| Cincinnati meeting. branding them as
| Infamous beyond description.
Mr.. Grosvenor, in replying TO the charge
made against himself and his colleagues
| that they were betraying the Republican
party. alluded to what he called the list
of traitors among the high priests Of
civil-service reform. at the head or when
he placed George William Curtis, who
abandoned the Republican party In ssL
| He reviewed the platform of the Repub-
lican party to show that the present po-
sition occupied by the majority of the
House was not inconsistent with these
declarations.
For | give the members OF the Civil
Service Commission notice. said ne
that we have a majority on this floor,
and you cannot strange majority IN
the American Congress" (Appause)
SYMPATHY WITH VAN WICK.
One of Mr.. Grosvenor's statements
which evoked an enthusiastic outDurst
from the galleries was In the nature OF
warning that if members refused TO
!
| tiUtv to this law they would not be
members of the Fifty-sxth House OF Rep
resentatives. He argued that the people
were overwhelmingly opposed TO the law,
and said that hundreds OF thousands OF
| Republicans felt a secret sympathy with
Nayor Van Wyck, of New York. who an
nounced that none but Democrats would
be appointed to office under the rev
| City Government.
Mr.. Crosvenor pTofessed his adherence
TO the principle of the merit system, and
IN the theory of examination for office
within certain limits. But he eX-
claimed. in conclusion, addressing Inc
! defenders Of the law, / want TO serve
notice on you that unless you join us IN
| the correction of abuses and the reforma-
tion of the law. we will join any portion
of the community-legislative executive
or judicial and destroy the law, root
and branch" Oproarious applause)
Mr.. Johnson Repubican). or Indiana
one of the ardent defenders of the law,
followed Mr.. Grosvenor with an extend
ed argument in support Of the merit sys-
tenn He took occasion to review the past
history Of the civil service, pointing out
that previous TO the time Of Jackson the
spoils system did not exist. He repudi-
ated the statements of the adversaries
of the law that Lincoln and Grant be-
| lieved in the spolls system.
EVIL. OF SPOILS SYSTEM.
In enumerating the evils OF .he spois
| system Mr.. Johnson said it make cow
ards of legislators. stormed the White
! House. interfered with the departments.
and shaped legislation; 1t exalted the Of
fice-broker, and attacked. vilihed. and
illuminated the conscientious man.
He took uD the criticisms OF the oppo-
nents of the law. one by one, and an
swered them. evoking applause I'm the
friends of the law.
Speaking TO the Republican side Of the
| House he told his colleagues that the
merit system was "A Republican child.
The American people were behind II.
Mr.. johnson attributed the present dis
corcant and disgraceful scene nov be-
ing enacted in Ohio. with its visions OF
senatorsnips going glimmering,' to the
scramble for spoils-State and national
and said that the surest way TO put
| Rryan and his black banner in the White
House i'm 1900 would be for the Republic
can party to be recreant to its trust, and
| IN slap in the face those who believed
I'm an honestly conducted civil service.
Mr.. Johnson said he was convinced that
there could be no genuine civil-service
reform until by legislative reform the
president was made ineligible to re-elec-
ton
Mr. Johnson was given an enthusiastic
demonstration of approval when he con-
Guided.
| followed, in opposition TO the law
which. he argued, was an attempt
a.. ont