The age-herald., 1898-01-12
CIVIL SERVICE
 DEBATE CLOSED But It Required the Speakers
 Vote to Decide It. HON. JERRY SIMPSON TALKS Explained That He and Reed SoldOn Con-
 suited Each Other. BAILEY MADE A CLEAR STATEMENT Of the Minority's Position, and Indi- cated It Would Vote to Repeal. GROsyENOR'S ATTACK ON SCHURZ Was Declared By Mir. Brosius to Be Un- worthy of Notice By the Preside of ], the Civil Service Reform League
 --John Allen Spoke.
Of the Minority's Position, and lndi-
 cated It Would Vote to Repeal.
GRosyENoR's ATTACK ON sCHURZ

Washington, Jan. 1.-The civil service debate, which was inaugurated in the house a week ago, ended today. It opened with a row, but ended very tamely There was not even vote on the appropriation in the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill for the civil service com mission.
 The republicans, who were seeking to modify or repeal the law, decided to let the debate come to & close today, but it required the casting vote of the speaker to accomplish this. There Is conflicting state ments as to the situation in which the fu- ture conduct of the war against the civil serivce law is left. All the republican op- ponents of the law agree that the fight is to be kept up, and it is positively stated by MT. Pearson (rep.), of North Carolina, that assurances have been received by those in authority in the house that opportunity will be given in the future for the consid- eraton of a bill to modify the law. But from other sources the staternent cannot be confirmed. The debate today was quite dull until the closing hour, when MT. Simp- son enivened it with reference to the Ohio senatorial election.
 MT. Bailey made clear statement of the minority position, which indicates that the min6rity will vote to repeal, but not to modify the law. The principal speech of the day was made by MT. Brosus, chair man of the civil service committee, who de- tended the law in two hours speech.
 Move to Close Debate.
 MT. Moody, (rep) of Massachusetts, in charge of the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill, in accordance with the notice given him yesterday, nov ed in the house today immediately after the reading of the journal, that all de- bate on the civil service item be closed today at 5 o'clock. Considerable opposi- tion was manifested to the motion, but the steering committee of the republican oppo- nents of the civil service law had agreed to this program. The antagonism today to the motion to close debate came, there fore, principally from the democrats. The latter were supported by the populists and a few republicans who believed the debate should go on. After some wrangling the previous question was ordered on the de- mand of MT. Moody, but the rising vote on the motion to close the debate was very close ayes 92, nays S5. and on the demand of the democrats the roll was called.
 When the roll call was concluded the motion to close debate stood defeated by six votes. A recapitulation of the vote was called for and it was whispered that as- surances had been received from the rules committee that time would be given for the consideration of the measure prepared by the republican opponents of the law. Three republicans then changed their votes making it a tie. The speaker announced the vote as 125 to 125.
 "A tie,' added the speaker. land the chair votes aye"
 Thus the speaker saved the day and the motion to close the debate was carried. The republicans applauded most vocferous- ly. The debate was then resumed.
 MT. Brosius Speaks.
 MT. Brosius, the chairman of the com- mittee on civil service, opened today's de- bate with an elaborate defense of the merit system and an argument for sustaining the law.
 Mr. Pearson, republican, of North Caro- lima, asked how the statement that the civil service law was economical could be reconciled with the fact that the employees of the government had almost doubled since 1883.
 MT. Brosius denied that this was true. The advocates of the spells system, he said, had repeated this statement until they believed 1t. MT. Brosius said the powers of the civil service commission were very limited They could do little ex- cept at the direction of the president and when members hurled their javelins at the commissioners they went over their heads and buried themselves in the Hanks of the chief executive.
 Referring to MT. Grosvenor's attack on Carl Schurz, Broslus said the latter proba- ply threw it aside after he had read 1t with the careless remark, Another foul chimney caught fire"
 Mir. Brosius spoke over two hours.
 MT. Mcguire, democrat, of California, defended the last administration against the charges of wholesale removals and commended the efficiency of the service, es- pecially in the public printing office which had been an especial point of assault from the other side. Ex-Public Printer Benedict, he said, had reduced the force in his office from S,600 to 2,S00 and had inaugurated con spicuous reforms. He charged Mir. Landfs. of Indiana, who amused the house several