The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1898-01-13


very large ATTENDANCE in the hall 81
representatives when the house recon
vcncd today after the holiday recess
The galleries were crowded.
Ii was noticed that with one or two
exceptions the members of the ONO del
cgatiOn, both democrats and republicans
were absent Without any preliminary
business the house went INTO COMMITTED
of the whole to resume consideration oi
the legislative, executive and judicial ap
prOpriation bill All of the features ol
the bill had been disposed of except tn,
appropriation for the civil service com
mission upon which, by previous arrange
inents, there was to be an indefinite gen
eral dcbaic,
II was proposed that Mr.. Moody rep
of Massachusetts and Mr.. Dockcry
(dcm.) of Missouri control the time fol
and against. Mr.. Hepburn trcp) of Iowa
suggested that II was thrcc-cOrncrcd
contest The democrats desired the en-
tire repeal of the law. Some desired II
to stand as it is, while Il large body OF
us desire wholesome modification OF
its provisions.
"Why does the gentleman aver that
all the democrats on this side of the
house desire the entire repeal of the
lawI' inquired Mr.. Clark (dem.) of Mis-
souri,
simply because that would be wrong
and your side is always wrong, re-
tortcd Mr. Hepburn amid great laughter.
All suggestions as to the control oil
the time failed Mt last, and the chair
recognized Mr.. Grow lrcp) of Pennsyl-
vania, who spoke for twenty minutes IN
support of the general principle of the
civil service law.
Mr. Moody followed with an clab0r-
ate defense of the civil service law,
which, he said, protected officials who
received ST0,OO0,0OO IN salaries per an
num- He thought those who were
placed under the protection of the law
by executive order should be compelled
TO submit to II test of their efficiency,
and he also believed that some method
should he found TO preserve, if not re-
store, the efficiency of the service.
He defended the administration of the
law and the character Of the cNamina-
tions of the commission. In conclusion
he declared that the hostility to the law
was superficial. The sentiment OF the
republican party, he insisted, was over
whclmngly in favor of the party keep
ing the solemn pledge il had given to
the people.
Mr.. Dockery DEM of Missouri open
cd the debate in opposition to the law,
which, he argued, was odious to the
American people and should be repealed
in toto.
He pointed out that the striking out
a., the appropriation for the commission
would accomplish nothing as the COM
missioncrs could sue in the court of
claims for their salaries. me courage
Gus thing to do, he said was TO pass II
bill aimed directly at the law.
Mr.. Robb (dem) of Missouri and Mr.;
Pearson (rcp.) of North Carolina followed
in oppositon to the law. The latter,
who has been very active in his hostility
to the civil service law, contcnded that
life tenure inevitably meant civil service
pension list, whether the pensions should
he paid directly out of the treasury or
indirectly from II retiring fund collected
from employees for that purpose
Mr.. Clark (dcm) of Missouri asked the
republicans who were hostile to the law
il they intended to bring in bill for its
rcpcnl, to which Mr.. Pearson cmphat-
ically replied in the affirmative AMI
added I'VE will make desperate et-
forts: we will 90 to the extreme and vote
with democrats to secure consideration,
applause and laughtcr)
Mr. Lands (rcp) of Indiana favored
modification of the law, which he said
would doubtless earn for him reputation
MS n spokesman. lie snccrcd ut the pro
rrssionnl civil service rCformcrs. lie had
never known those who called themselves
the "hcttcr element who were not mar
row, selfish and dangerous. They had
hulldozcd and covered national convcn-
tions aud hypnotizcd presidents, while
they managed themselves To sit contlnu-
ally at the banquet table.
He denounced Mr.. Clcvclnnd's meth
DDS in his second administration. dcscrih-
ing particularly what took place in the
government printing office, To the head
of which. he said. Mr., Cleveland ap-
pointed man whom, he said. would do
dirty work" On II single day, he said,
Public Printer Benedict discharged 100
men. That was known ut the govern
mcnt printing office as bloody Monday,
On another day he discharged i2O.
When 1900 removals had been made AMI
1900 democrats appointed, Mr.. Cleveland
pressed the button and the civil service
blanket was thrown over them.
AIR. Henderson (rCp) of Iowa protested
against the production of the record of
one man in condemnation of the best
system yet devised for the publication of
the government service. He said the
civil service commission did not endorse
such work. Unless the law was modified
by its friends, Mr.. Lands said. II demo
cratic president and democratic congress
would destroy it, root and branch
Mr.. lands was vocifcrously applaudcd
when he concluded.
Mr.. Greene (pop) of Nebraska closed
the debate for the day with snccch in
favor of civil service reform. He criti-
ciscd Mr.. Lands. who he said. urged
the abuses of the spoils system us an
argument for return to that system.
Mr.. Richardson (dcm) of Tennessee. in
reply to Mr.. lands. asserted that the
record showed that when the civil service
was extended TO the government printing
office only 81 per cent of the employees