The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-07
SAILS INTO CARL scHURz.
cRoSVENOR MAKES A CAUSTIC
SPEECH IN THE HOUSE


nrODrIatfOn-Betraya Declared
schurz's Only stock in the Arena
of POIitics-Deies Any One to
Point Ont n Trait in Schurz's PO-
IiticaI Character Not Tainted With
Corruption.
Washington, Jan. e.-The House to-day
promptly resumed the debate on the civil
service question, and Mr.. Grosvenor rep.
of Ohio. took the floor with an elaborate
speech in opposition 10 the law. In open
ing Mr.. Grosvenor disciaimed any leader
ship in behalf of civil service reform or
the civil service reformers, or any pur-
pose to speak for any officers of the gov
eminent, whether executive, legislative or
judicial.
IAN efforts to entangle me in coils
ion with the President" said he, waste
so much powder. If 1 believed my rela-
tons to the executive would be changed
or modified by the cause in which I DIFF
fer with him in a representative capacity,
l would despise him as he would despise
She if faltered in my convictions"
Mr.. Grosvenor said he had watched
with admiration the Presidents public
career. and one of his most prominent
characteristics had been that he not only
did good service for the party, but despis-
ed the man who sought favors by syco-
phancy.
Mr.. GTosvenor proceeded to pay his re-
spects to the National Service Reform
League and to Carl Schurz, it's president.
His excoriation of the latter was the
most scathing that has peen heard on the
floor of the House in months. He de-
nounced unsparingly those who sought to
read out of the republican party those
who believed in the repeal of the civil
service law. With vitriolic language he
sketched the political career of Mr..
Schurz. which he characterized as 1.-THE
checkered, spotted, leprous character of
one who betrayed every party and every
duty to which he was bound, and with
whom betrayal had been his only stock
in the arena of politics..
He traced Mr. Schurz's history in Doli-
tics and defed any one to point out trait
that was not tainted with political cor
ruption Yet he said, this was the man
who, with other foul political demagogues,
at Cincinnati, under the name of the Ma
tional Service League, had denounced him
question.
Mr.. Grosvenor's description of the hab-
its of the cuckoo" teemed with wit and
kept the House in roar.
Mr.. Grosvenol, replying to the charge
against himself and his colleagues that
they were betraying the republican party,
adverted to what he called the list of trail
tors among the high priests of civil service
reform, at the head of which he placed
George William Curtis, who abandoned the
republican party, to show that the present
position occupied by the majority of the
House was not inconsistent with these dec
larations.
Il give the members of the civil SER
vice commission notice." said he that we
have majority on this floor, and you can
not strangle a majority in the American
congress" (Applause) He argued that
when the st. Louis platform was adopted
the extensions contained in the Cleveland
order of May, 1896, HAD not been under
stood. 1t was not until November 1896
tnat the enormous scope of the order COW
ering $1,000 officials, was publicly declared
The republicans, coming into power on a
platform adopted before these vast extern
slons were not in honor bound to them
and ii was proper the President should
announce in his message to congress those
portions of the order which ought not to
have been made.
Mr.. Grosvenor discussed the practical
SllGCl VI tne law ana the examination of
the commission and gave many illustra-
tons of applicants who had, despite many
years of service, been deprived of their
employment because they failed to answer
q question.
Mr.. Grosvenor declared that the fire.
quent outbursts from the galleries was in
the nature of warning that If members
refused to listen to the voice of the people
in hostility to this law they would not be
members of the Fifty-sixth Hotfse of Rep
resentatives. He argued that the people
were overwhelmingly opposed to the law
and said hundreds of thousands of repub-
hcans felt a secret sympathy with Mayor
Van Wyck of New York, who announced
that none but democrats would be appoint
ed to office under the new city govern
ment Gov. Black had said few days
ago that when the late lamented repub-
hcan government of New York came into
power there were 1000 Tammany officers
IN office and when it expired that there
were still 1900 Tammany men on the pay
rolls" The republicans, Mr., ,Grosvenor
said, had been justly punished for keep
ing these enemies in their camp.
Mr.. Grosvenor declares his adherence to
the principle of the merit system and up
held the theory of examinations for office
within certain limits. But" he eXclaim-
ed, in conclusion to the defenders of the
law, Il want to serve notice on you that
unless you join us In the correction of the
ABUSES Oh the law, Legislative, 6AeCullNS OI
judicial, the people will destroy it root and
branch" Uproarioua applause from the
ealleries) r
Mr.. Johnson, rep, of Indiana, one of the
ardent defenders of the law, followed Mr.
Grosvenor with an extended argument in
support Of the merit system. He took
occasion to review the merits of the civil
ervice law, pointing out that previous &c
the time of jackson the superb system did
not exist. Men were appointed to office
for fitness yet never was party feeling
stronger than then. He repudiated the
statements of the adversaries of the Law
that Presidents Lincoln and Grant believed
In the spols system.
Euumeratng the evils of the spoils sys-
TEN Mr.. Johnson said that it made COW
ards of the legislators, stormed the white
house interferred with the departments
it had reached in the capitol and infiu
encod legislation. it exalted the office
d broker and attacked, villified and calum
3 mated the conscientious man. Words, he
declared, could not do justice to the infamy
Of this prolific evil which had debauchec
the civil service
Speaking to the republican side of the
4aIl II ,n11 AZ