The San Francisco call., 1898-01-06
DECLARES
 THE LAW TO
 BE ODIOUS Cookery Opens for the Opposition in the
 House. Says the Civil Service A ct Should Be Repealed
 in Toto. Cleveland's Methods While in the White House Rebuked
 by Landis.
PLACES FOR DEMOCRATS.
Eighteen Hundred Given Positions and Then Secured Against
 Removal
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office. Riggs House,

Washington, Jan. 5.
 The civil service debate began in the House to-day, based on the item in the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill for the maintenance of the commission. It promises to continue at least until the end of the week, with a possibility that 1t may run longer But it is generally admitted on both sides that the appropriation in the bill will stand, as the anti-civil service re- formers do not seriously contemplate an attempt to strike it out. The de- bate, therefore, is only preliminary to any programme which the enemies of the law may agree upon. The members of the House are divided into three camps on this question-those who stand by the law, those who advocate its entire repeal and those who desire its modification. These divisions were ap- parent in the debate to-day, the nature of which was not as stirring as had been anticipated. Moody CR.) of Mas sachusetts. Grow (R.) of Pennsylvania and Greene (Pop.) of Nebraska de- tended the law. Dockery (D.) of Mis- souri, Robb (D.) of Missouri and Pear son (R) of North Carolina opposed it outright. while Landis (R.) of Indiana favored notifications of the law.
 There was not a very large attend ance when the House convened after the holiday recess. The galleries were crowded. It was noted that, with one or two exceptions, the members of the Ohio delegation. both Democrats and Republicans, were absent.
 Without any preliminary business a int pnT1 init fae safs ( sl,a whole to resume consideration of the legislative, executive and judicial ap- propriation bill. All the features of the bill had been disposed of except the appropriation for the civil service com mission, upon which, by previous ar engagement, there was to be an indefin- ite general debate. It was proposed that Moody (R.) of Massachusetts and Cookery D) of Missouri control the time for and against. Hepburn (R.) of Iowa suggested that it was a three cornered contest.
 "The Democrats" said he desire the entire repeal of the law. Some of those on this side desire it to stand as it is, while a large body of us desire a whole some 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 law" inquired Clark (D.) of Missouri.
 Simply because that would be wrong and your side is always wrong" re- torted Hepburn, amid great laughter.
 All suggestions as to the control of the time failed at last, and the chair recognized Grow (R.) of Pennsylvania. who spoke for twenty minutes in sup port of the general principle of the civil service law.
 Moody of Massachusetts made an elaborate defense of the civil service system.
 Pearson (R) of North Carolina at tackled the law and said a bill for it's repeal would be brought in by a ma jority of the Civil Service Committee.
 Moody (R.) of Massachusetts follow ed with an admirable defense of the civil service law, which, he said. pro- tected officials who received $70, ,00O 900 in salaries per annum. Yet, he said, he had no sympathy with those who believed the law was perfect and should be modified only by extension. He thought those who were placed un- der the protection of the law by execu- tive order should be compelled to sub- init to test of their efficiency, and he also believed that some method should be found to preserve, if not to restore. the efficiency of the service. He de- tended the administration of the law and the character of the examinations of the commission. In conclusion he declared that the hostility to the law was superficial. The sentiment of the Republican party, he insisted, was overwhelmingly in favor of the party keeping the solemn pledge it had given to the people.
 Mr. Cookery D.) of Missouri opened the debate in opposition to the law. which, he argued, was odious to the American people and should be re- pealed in toto. He pointed out that the striking out of the appropriation for the commission would accomplish nothing, as the Commissioners could sue the Court of Claims for their sal aries. The courageous thing to do he said was to pass a bill aimed directly at the law.
 Robb (D.) of Missouri and Pearson (R) of North Carolina followed in op- position to the law. The latter, who has been very active in his hostility to the civil service law, contended that life tenure inevitably meant a civil pen sion list, whether the pensions should be paid directly out of the Treasury or indirectly from a retiring fund col lected from employees for that purpose.
 Clark (D) of Missouri asked whether the Republicans who were hostile to the law intended to bring in bill for its repeal, to which Pearson emphati- cally replied in the affirmative
 ''Will you gentlemen on the other side use your best endeavors to secure con sideration for 1t when it is reported?" asked Clark.
 We will make desperate efforts" answered Pearson we will go to the extreme and vote with Democrats