The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-08
TOPICS OF SENATE DEBATE.
INDIAN TERRITORY AND TIE GEN.
SUs nuns CONSID Erred.

.Shs nii 70 Protect tho People or the Territory
P,ssea--Ths Csusus nil Leads to q DIs-
rusuion or the MERITS Of civil service
Reform-Ihe Post once BiII Agreed To.
WASHINGTON, June I'm the Senate this
morning House bill for the protection Of the
peopie OF the indian Territory, which was mp
IN the morning hour yesterday, was taken up.
Mr.. Bate tDcm., TennJ thought the bill ought TO
be postponed until Senators had q chance to
consider It. He would not, however. place any
obstacle to its passage. II was a very impor'
tant,measure, violating and overriding all trea-
ties with the Indians and indorsing all tho &C.
ton OF the Dawes Commission.
Tho consideration of the bill was continued.
Section 20, which provided for the segregation
OF the 1877, 900 acres purchased BY the Delaware
tribe fromNhe Cherokee nation in 1857, was
struck out. Tho amendments reported by the
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and
agreed to by the Senate, were many and vol
luminous, including the ratification and con-
Animation Of the agreement made by the Dawes
Commission with the Choctaw and Chickasaw
tribes.
The consideration OF the bill was suspended
temporarily and tho conference report on the
Post Office Appropriation bill was presented
and agreed to. BY this report an appropria-
tion of $3.50. 900 is made for experimental rural
mail delivery. Senators and members are to
have tho franking privilege for all mail matter,
not exceeding two ounces In weight, on official
or departmental business. A commission Is
provided for, consisting of the two chairmen Of
the Post Office committees Of the Senate and
House, three Senators, and three members OF
the House, to investigate tho question whether
excessive prices are paid to the railroad COM
panies for the transportation of tho malls and
for commentator for postal car service; all
sources of revenue and all expenditures for the
postal service. and rates Of postage on all
POSTAL matter.
The consideration OF the Indian bill was thon
Resumed. Mr.. Plat rep, Conn.,, a member OF
fhe Indian Committee, opposed section 81 lone
OF the committee a~mendments) which provides
for the payment of a large sum for interest at b
her cent. from 1910 to 1889 to the Chickasaw
hation. He said that this item was for interest
on a principal already paid; and that II 1t were
established as a precedent 1t would open similar
Indian claims amounting to over R5 100000.
He went over the history of the matter and ar
Gued against the amendment. The original
claim had been allowed by the Court of Claims
and paid, amounting to $24O, 600, and the inter-
est now proposed to be paid on that was $5s4,'
600.
Plat that the $24o.0o0 was a trust fund in the
hands of the Government which belonged to the
Chickasaw Nation. Upon this trust fund the
est. He held it was perfectly clear that the Gov
eminent should pay the interest claim, The
tiRation Of the claim:ot the Indians. had recon-
mendod that It be paid. The amendment was
The bill for taking the twelfth and subse-
Quent censuses was then taken up. The amend
% Tonfs., which tbsm wf MoI oT 1Sss the yss directSr. OS Sss Mf:
ant director, and five chief statisticians shall
not enter on their duties until Jan. l, 1899, was
Withdrawn, and an amendment was agreed TO
that only twenty 1--we other persons shall be APP
pointed prior to that date.
MonJ. in charge Of tho bin. expressed his belief
that the volume Of population; mortality, &C. &C.,
date of enumeration. Mr. Cockreii gave it as
his opinion that those first volumes should DO
published aMd h within bnnsd tT fSo m fbe @e0 %. 1ae ce enTD;ers,
would insist upon promptness and celebrity.
ment that all terms used in census reports to
express weight, measure, distance, orsyalue
Rhall be given in the language used in the Unit
- Mr.. co;ckrefi moved an amcndment;to make
the clerical force Of the Census Bureau subject
mittee in removing them from the operation Of
the law was. he said, TO make tho offices the
sted." 0' Mr.: Garter objected 10 the amendment.
He-doubted whether q more intelligent and
Sf1il Service sp TSw f tRa% was "e OBTAINED obtained IN the l sat
census under the method OF appointment by the
director Net Lodge Rep. Mass, advocated tho
amendment. Tho examination Of clerks by the
director Of the census would be IA fruitful cause
form Of examination no wanted and the Civil
Service Commission would carry it out and
that the object in leaving the examination TO
the director OF, the census was to place the
gress.' II he thought that the director would
be able to appoint his clerks himself, he lMr.
Lodge would be willing to leaye the matter IN
really have the opportunity to make the APP
pointments. II was in the interest Of the pub
lected under the Civil Service law and should
not be shifting and changed all the time. as was
Mr.. Wilson Rep, WASH ridiculed tho civil
service examinations. While he was collector
clerk was certified to him who had never been
asked q question as to what was q quarter sec.
siG paS 81 la tSinE wh wbc Iaf he q o 5UThnsf To have or w1 kHo was
and when he wanted n farmer for an Indian
reservation the man certified, to him had never
had charge of an acre OF land.
What was he examined aboutf' q Senator
iii was examined" Mr.. Wilson replied, 'In
arithmetic, geography and that sort OF thing.
Mr.. Turppie Dem, Ind3 argued against the
amendment and defended sthe position: Of the
Census Committee.
was not willing to see the civil Wis service s"d system Si,9 MG
destroyed. he thought the extensions, given tc
y aio @sa II, Dee the ip bil Snd o me ssT"F Mq. t 6eoR RFSIEI!i
He had great respect. he said. for the Civil
personal friends. But they had been magnify
ing their position. and sooner orlater the system
would be torn down by the American people
He wanted TO, save what, is valuable in tn,
system, and did not want 1t to be SO abused AZ
TO have 1t utterly overthrow and destroyed
He warned the Civil Service Commissioners ant
their friends that by extending the system up
themselves the foes of real and genuine civi
service reform.
Mr.. Hoar RepA Mass.) INDUCED in a denun
citation of the old system of appointments TO re
ward political services to Senators and mem
bers. The politics of his own State even hal
been debauched. he said, by the famou prin
ciple which had prevailed up to the passage o
tho Civil Service law that ito tho yictors be
long the spoils." That principle had been sr
ping and rotting the whole civil service OF tn
country.
Without action on the amendment the Senat
at quarter past 5 o'clock adjourned.
IN THE HOUSF