The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-06
ATTACK ON CIVIL SERVICE.

| Debate Begun in the House On Merits of
| Washington, January g. The civil SER
vice debate began in the House today,
based on the item in the legislative, exc
cutive and judicial appropriation bill
providing for the maintenance of
the commission. 1t promises to continue
at least to the end of this week, with
!. q possibility that it may run longer But
itsss generally admitted on both sides that
the appropriation bill will stand. as the
anti -ciyh service reformers do not seri-
ousiv eontefnplate to strike 1t out. The
debate. theref6re, is only preliminary to
any pfoaralnmeA which the enemies OF
the law may agree upon. The members
of the House are div!c6G into three camps
on the question; those Who stand by the
law, those who advocate rs entlre repeal,
and those who desire modiffGsatlon.
4 Those divisions wore apparent IN me
debate today the nature of whiAR was not
as stirring as had been anticipated.
Messrs. Moody, Republican of Masssa achu-
setts; Grow, Republican Of Pelnsy lvaYllia,
ands-Greene, Populist of Nebraska, de-.
fensiea the law, Messrs. Dockery, Demo-
crat of Missouri; Robb. Democrat Of Mis-
Carolina, opposed it outright, while
Landis, Republican of Pennsyl lyania, fa-
yored notifications of the law.
Washington. January 6.-There was a
large attendance in the hall of the Repre-
sentatives when the House reconvened
today after the holiday recess. The gal
leries were crowded. 1t was noticed that
with vone or two exceptions, the members
of the Ohio delegation, both Democrats
and Republicans, were absent. Those
who are not in Washington are at Colum- |
bus taking part in tho senatorial con-
test.
Without any preliminary business the
House went into committee of the whole
to resume consideration Of the executive,
legislativesand judicial appropriation bill.
All the features of the bill had been dis
posed of except the appropriation for the
civil service commission, upon which, by
previous arrangement, there was to be an
indefinite general debate.
1t was proposed that Mr.. Moody, Repub
lican of Massachusetts,, and MIR. Cockerell,
Democrat of Missouri control the time
for and against. Mr.. Hepburn, Repub Ii
can of Iowa. suggested that it was
three-eornered contest. The Democrats"
said he ''desired the entire repeal of the
law. Some of those on this side and on
the other side, desire it to stand as it is.
While large body of us desire whole
sale modification of it's provisions
''Why does the gentleman aver that all
the Democrats on this side of the House
desire the entiro repeal of the law?' in
quired Mr.. Clark, Democrat of Missouri.
"Simply because that would be wrong
and your side is always wrong" retorteu
Mr.. Hepburn amid great laughter.
All suggestions as to the control OF the
time failed at last. and the chair recog-
nized Mr.. Grow, Republican of Pennsvl-
vania, who spoke for 20 minutes to sup
port Of the general principles of the civil
service law.
Mr.. Moody, Republican of Massachu-
setts, followed with an elaborate defence
of the civil service law, which he said,
protected officials who received $40 O00,-
900 in salaries per annum. Yet, he said,