The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-08
TAMMANY HALL DEFENDED
Congressman Cummings Compares it
With Other States.

Washington, Jan. THE civil service
debate continued throughout the day
in the house. All efforts TO fix time
for its termination failed, and it is GER
tain to run over into next week. The
interest in the discussion does not seem
to be waning. The debate today was
without marked incident.
Washington, Jan. before the de-
bate on the civil service question was
resumed in the house today an ineffect-
ual attempt was made to agree upon
time for the termination of the debate.
Mr.. Gillette (Rep., Mass) then took
the floor in support of the law.
He maintained that the arguments Of
Mr.. Grosvenor and Mr.. Lands against
the law were both in reality strong
arraignment of the spoils system He
denied that the scope OF the executive
order of May 1896. was not understood
when the st. Louis platform was
adopted.
Mr. Gillette commented wittily upon
the spectacle Of the white-haired vet
eran. General Grosvenor, leading the
young Hotspurs OF the party in the bat
tie for the spoils.
Mr. Faris (Rep., Ind) spoke in oppo-
sition TO the law. He declared that the
Republican party was not responsible
for the civil service law.
Mr.. Cummings (Dem., y. W announc
ed himself as an implacable foe Of the
whole system OF civil service reform.
Roscoe Conkling, in his opinion the
greatest senator New York had ever
known. had spoken, he said, Of the
SWIVEL service reform. He had never
appreciated 1t so much as he had dur
ing this days debate. Mr.. Cummings
said the hostility to the system had
been steadily growing.
1.-The system is doomed" said he.
and one of the factors in its destruction
is Tammany Hall" In this connection
Mr.. Cummings replied warmly 10 some
Of the charges Of corruption made
against Tammany Hall during the de-
bate The gentleman from Ohio (Gros-
venor>. said he "rushes On here from
Columbus. that hot-bed Of political cor
ruption. to which he has hied himself
back. and tells US that Tammany Hall
is corrupt.
Think of II: denounced as corrupt
by a man who comes from the state
that profited by the robbery Of 1876"
Mr.. Johnson (Rep.. Ind) had said
that Tammany Hall was the most cor
rupt organization on the face Of the
earth. and Mr.. Johnson came from the
state made famous by blocks OF five
methods. Tammany was. Mr.. Cum
mines said. q patriotic. interviewing
society which had existed for 100 years.
He then rehearsed some OF the achieve
ments Of the organization during that
time.
Mr. Burton (Rep-. Ohio} followed in
defense Of the merit system. and in the
course OF his remarks paid high tribute
10 Secretary sherman and the late
President Hayes. whose records had
been assailed by Nr Cummings. He
inveiehed against the license o< office I
seekers and argued that this was not
government fer the reward OF party
workers.
Mr.. Kerr Rep. Ohio favored the mod I
iAcation Of the law. He was especially /
severe in his con lcrEation of the late 1
Cleveland executive order. which. he .
said. had been used 10 cheat the incom-
ing administration out of legitimate 4
fruits OF victory.
Mr.. Bartholdt (Rep.. Mo- took occa- I
sion 70 defend Carl Schuvz from what !
he termed the ISLANDERS heaped upon the (
gentleman by Mr, Grosvencr. The inti- 4
nation that there was 4 stain uron his 4
personal honor was an insult 10 the I,
which that gentle /
man had sustained for years.
At 4:45 ?. n. the house adjourned
Daily Eagle. BY Gamer &c Der weak 4