Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
THE CIVIL SERVICE
Again Criticised While Considering
the Legislative Bill.
MR.. GROSVENOR ON THE FINANCES
Discusses Policies Of the Two
Parties.
ADJOURNMENT OF SENATE

On converting today the House Of Repre-
sentatives in committee of the whole re-
stunned consideration of the legislative, ex-
ecutive and judicial appropriation bill.
Mr.. Cromwell (Ohio) moved a formal
amendment to the bill in order to ask why
the appointments of emergency clerks in
the War Department had not been made
from the eligible list under the civil serv-
ice law.
MIR. Bingham (Pa.) replied that the places
We're only temporary and that the selec-
ton of person eligible 10 appointment
under the civil service law for one of these
temporary places would be detrimental to
his interests under the permanent law He
said also that the temporary clerks ap
pointed without reference to the civil serv-
ice had proved efficient
Mr.. Cromwell said the circumstances ,on-
nected with these temporary appointments
exposed the manifest absurdties of the
civil service law. He thought the law
should be generally overhauled.
Mr. Bailey replied to Mr. Cromwell, pre-
dieting that If the present civil service law
continued on the statute books the next
twenty years would see the passage Of
civil service pension list.
Mr. Cannon explained that when. at the
found necessary to employ necessary addi-
tional clerical assistance it was discovered
that to take civil service elgibles would,
under the machinery necessary to employ,
require from thirty to 100 days. An emsr-
gency was on, and the appropriations COM
mittee had decided to provide for appoint
ment outside the provisions of the civil
service law.
Mr.. Cromwell withdrew his amendment
and the reading of the bill proceeded.
Mr.. GrOsverOr on Finance.
At l o'clock Mr.. Grosvenor was recog-
nized to make an hours speech concerning
the attitude of the political parties of the
country toward the financial question. He
began by referring to the campaign of SO,
which was. he said, characterized by zeal,
firmness and candor on both sides. Never
in the history of the United States had we
ever seen harder times than in the early
months of 1896, when the people were suf-
ferng under great financial and commercial
distress. The contrast was very strong,
as the preceding few months had been
months of great prosperity. There were
more idle men in the United States on
election day in 1896 than at any previous
time in the history of the country. while
on the election day of 1892 the number CT
idle men had been fewer Both parties
had met this situation frankly, each offer
ing its remedy. Hence the campaign had
been fought under no favorable conditions.
In whatever direction one might turn.
whether to railroads, to our manufac-
tories or to our inland or foreign trade,
there gloom and dependency.
Mr.. GrosveEor then outlined the plat
forms of the two parties. The democratic
party had decided at first to stand by the
Wilson tariff law, refusing to admit that
any evil had come from the repeal of the
Mckinley tariff, and second, to provide the
free coinage of silver, declaring the hard
times to be the result of the single gold
standard. The democrats had said that
NIT hon fran
have better times, and Mr.. Bryan had told
the farmers that they would never get
better price for their wheat without free
coinage This declaration he characterized
as a political blunder.
On the other hand the republicans had
promised to maintain the existing gold
standard, declaring against the silver
heresy, declining to go with those of its
a position against standing for the equal
value of all the dollars issued of whatever
material. The declaration for the gold
standard was all that had been necessary
to plant the party irrevocably upon the
platform of gold redemption, and no other
construction could be put upon the plat
form of the republican party. This was
the negative action of the republican party.
1t had also taken affirmative action by de-
claring for a protective policy, which was
to turn the balance of trade in our favor
and give employment to our idle men.
Result of Republican Policy.
The result of this policy was already seen
in the increase of our exports, bringing
gold to this country and stopping the revo-
luton of the endless chain" about which
so much had been heard under the demo-
cratic administration of Mr.. Cleveland.
The issue had been clearly cut and dis
tinctly defined and the democratic orators
had dwelt especially upon the menaces of
maintaining the gold standard.
Mr. Grosvenor then outlined the action of
Congress under republican leadership in
passing the Dingley bill. Dwelling upon
the passage of the bill, he showed that
there had been in the beginning appar-
ent majority in the Senate against it, but
never in the history of a free people had
there been better demonstration of the
power of the majority of the people than
had been shown in the passage of the Ding
ley bill through the Senate. This was a
clear yielding to the popular demand and
was a strong monument to our free govern
ment.