Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-07
A DAY OF TALK.
Members of the House Continue
Civil Service Debate.
Mr.. Grosvenor Amuses the Galleries and
incidentally Causes Protest by
Representative Barrett.

brought into action.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio and Mr.. John
son of Indiana, each made exhaustive
speeches and kept their respective sides
in constant furore
The interest in the debate was much
more lively than on yesterday. The
crowded galleries, which were plainly in
sympathy with the opponents of the
law, became so noisy in THEN demon
stfauons OF approval at one juncture,
that the chair was compelled to call
them to order. Mr.. johnson was warmly
sustained by the friends of the law on
the Hoor, but he got very little applause
from the galleries Mr.. Grosvenor did
not define his attitude in detail but gave
his adhesion to the bill as agreed on by
the opponents of the law in caucus last
night, and warned his colleagues that
unless notifications of the law were
made, he and his friends would by CO.
operation find way to completely de-
stroy it. Mr.. Lloyd of Missouri was the
only other speaker. He favored a re-
peal of the law
Mr.. Grosvenor in the course of his
speech, disclaimed any leadership of the
anti-civil service reform forces or any
purpose to speak for any officer of the
government, executive or judicial "All
efforts to entangle me in collision with
the president" said he, was the loss of
so much powder. If believed my rela-
lions to the executive would be changed
or modified because l differ with him in
any representative capacity I would
despise him as he would despise me If
altered in my convictions"
He roundly denounced Carl Schurz,
whose political career he characterized
as the "checkered, spotted, leprous ca
reer of one who betrayed every party
and every duty to which he was bound,
and whose betrayal should be his only
stock in trade in the arena of politics"
While Mr.. Grosvenor was proceeding
to pay his compliments to various men,
bers of the house he aroused the indig-
nation of Mr.. Barrett of Massachusetts,
who took umbrage at Mr.. Grosvenor's
classification of himself with the "cuck-
COS" He demanded an explanation.
Mr.. Grosvenor replied good naturedly
by recalling an incident in former de-
bate on the civil service question when
Mr.. Barrett had insisted that he (GroS-
venoD had abandoned the president. Mr..
Grosvenor's subsequent description of
the "habits of the cuckoo" teemed with
wit and kept the house in roai. The
Massachusetts member appealed for an
opportunity to reply but the Ohioan de-
clined to yield furtheg,
After this incident Mr.. Grosvenor, in
replying to the charge made against
himself and his colleagues, that they
were betraying the republican party, adj
yerted to what he called the list Of trait
ors among the high priests of civil serv-
! ice reform at the head of which he
placed George William Curtis, who
abandoned the republican party in 1884.
He reviewed the platform declarations
of the republican party to show that the
! ity of the house was not inconsistent
with these declarations.
"For 1 give the members of the civil
service commission notice. said he, that
we have majority on this floor, and
you cannot strangle a majority in an
| American congress"
| Mr.. Grosvenor argued that when the
ST. Louis platform was adopted the ex-
| tension contained in the Cleveland order
of May, 1896, had not been understood.
1t was not until November, 1896, that
| the enormous scope Of that order, COW
ering 49, 900 officials, was publicly de-
clared. The republicans coming into
power on a platform adopted before
these vast extensions, were not in homer
bound to agree to them, and 1t was prop
er that the president should announce
in his message to congress that there
were portions of these offices which new
er ought to have been made.
| Mr.. johnson (rep., Ind), one of the
ardent defenders Of the law, followed
Mr.. Grosvenor, with an extended argu-
ment in support of the merit system.
In enumerating the evils of the spoils
| system, Mr.. johnson said it made cow
ards of legislators, stormed the White
House, interfered with the departments;
it reached into the capitol and shaped
| LEGISLATION exalted the office broker and
attacked. villified and illuminated the
| conscientious man. Words could not do
| Justice to the infamy of this prolific evil
| which had debauched the civil service.
| 1t seemed incredible to him that men
could dare advocate a return to this
| saturnalia. He too up the criticisms of
| the opponents of the law one by one,
| and answered them, frequently evoking
applause from the friends of the law
| on the floor.
The talk OF a civil pension was a
bugaboo designed to brighten the de-
| tenders of the merit system. A PROPOSE
| ton for a civil pension could not com
mand half a dozen votes in either house
or secure the executive approval
| Speaking to the republican side of the
| house, he said that the merit system
was a republican Child. Every republi-
can senator and all except seven repub-
| lican members of the house voted for
| it. 1t has been indorsed by state and
/ IaIlOI1cil
! were adopting it. The American people
were behind it.
Mr.. johnson attributed the discordant
and disfraceful scene now going on in
Ohio, with it's visions of senatorships
going glimmering." to the scramble for
spells, state and national; and said that
the surest way to put Bryan and his
black banner in the White House in 1900
would be for the republican party to
I be recreant to its trust and to slap in
the face those who believed in an hon
+ estly-condueted service. Without desir-
I ing in any way to reflect upon the
present occupant of the White House,
Mr. Johnson said he was convinced that
there could be no genuine civil service
reform until by constitutional amend
ment the president was made ineligible
for reelection AS long as he was
eligible for reelection, he must neces-
sarily be more or less under the domi-
nation of machine politics. After ex-
pressing confidence in President Nc
Kinley, Mr.. johnson concluded with an
eloquent appeal to him to stand by the
principle upon the perpetuity of which
the permanence of our institutions de-
pended.
Mr.. johnson was given an enthus.-
astic demonstration of applause when
he concluded. Mr.. Lloyd dem, Mo-
followed, in opposition to the law,
which, he argued, was an attempt to
establish an aristocratic government by
establishing an office-holding class.
IN THE SENATE.
Washington, Jan. 6.-While the senate
was in session two hours, today. practi-
cally no business was transacted, be-
yond the passage of a few bills.
Among the measures which received
favorable consideration were the bills
providing for congress at the repre-