The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-06

1.-THE law by executive order should be
lcompelled to submit to test OF theil
efficiency, and he also believed that
some method should be found to pre-
serve, If not to restore. the efficiency OF
1.-THE service. He defended the admins
tration of the law and the character OF
the examinations of the commission. In
conclusion, he declared that the hostility
i to the law was superficial. The senti-
ment of the Republican party. he insist
ed, was overwhelmingly in favor of the
party's keeping the solemn pledge it had
given to the people.
| Dockery Of Missouri. Democrat, opened
the debate in opposition to the law,
which, he urged, was odious to the Amer
lean people and should be repealed in
toto. He pointed out that the striking
out of the appropriation for the COM
mission would accomplish nothing, as
the commissioners could sue in the court
|of claims for their salaries. The cour-
|ageous thing to do, he said, was to pass
a bill aimed directly at the law.
Robb of Missouri, Democrat, and
Pearson of North Carolina, Republican,
lOllOWtQ III OpPOSlllOI " tAC idWs Inv
latter has been very active in his hos
tility to the civil service law, contending
that life tenure inevitably meant civil
pension list whether the pensions should
be paid directly out of the treasury or
indirectly from a retiring fund collected
from employees for that purpose.
Clark of Missouri, Democrat, asked
whether the Republicans who were hos
tile to the law intended to bring in
bill for it's repeal to which Pearson EN-
phatically replied in the affirmative.
Twill you gentlemen on the other side
use your best endeavors to secure con-
sideration for it when it is reported?"
asked Mr.. Clark.
1--WE will make desperate efforts" an
swered Mr.. Pearson. 1--WE will go to the
extreme and vote with Democrats to
secure consideration" applause and
laughter.)
Lands of Indiana, Republican, favored
a modification of the law, which he said.
would doubtless earn for him a reputa-
ton as a spokesman. He sneered at the
professional civil service reformers. He
had never known those who called them
selves the "better element" who were
not narrow. selfish. bigoted and dan
gerous. They had bulldozed and cowed
national conventions and hypnotized
presidents, while they managed them
selves to set continuously at the ban
quet table.
He denounced Mr.. Cleveland's meth
DDS in his second administration, de-
scribing particularly what took place
in the government printing Office to the
head of which, he said, Mr.. Cleveland
appointed a man who would do the
dirty work" On a single day, he said,
"Public Printer Benedict discharged
$50 men. That was known at the gov
eminent printing Office as bloody Mon
day. On another day he discharged 400,
When 1900 removals had been made and
1900 Democrats appointed, Mr.. Cleve
land pressed the button and the civil
service blanket was thrown over them"
He read what purported to be a literal
transcript of reasons assigned for the
discharge of the Republican employees
in the secret record of Mr.. Benedict's
private secretary. Some of them were
very amusing and kept the house in a
roar.
When he had concluded the reading
Perkins of Pennsylvania, Republican
asked if it was proposed to return to a
system which made such a recital pos
sible.
mo-" replied Mr.. Lands, 1--WE want to
modify the law
Henderson of Iowa, Republican, pro-
tested against the production of the
record of one man in condemnation of
the best system yet devised for the puri-
fication of the government service. He
said the civil service commission did
not endorse such work.
Unless the law was modified by it's
friends, Mr.. Lands said, Democratic
president and Democratic congress
would destroy it root and branch. The
law must be rescued from the clutch Of
the Zealots.
Mr.. Lands was vociferously ap-
plauded when he concluded.
Greene of Nebraska, Populist, closed
the debate for the day with speech in
favor of the civil service reform.
Richardson of Tennessee, Democrat,
in reply to Mr.. Lands, asserted that the
record showed that when the civil SER
vice was extended to the government
printing office only 81 per cent of the
employees had been appointed under a
Democratic administration while A per
cent had been appointed by Repub-
lican public printer.
At 4:55 pm. the house adjourned.