New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-31
NEW CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
SENATE PASSES THE BILL INTRODUCED
BY MR.. WHITE.
ONLY ONE REPUBLICAN VOTES AGAINST
THE MEASURE WHICH REPEALS
BLACKS "sTARCHLEsS ACT"

Albany March 30 (SpeciaD.-The most indie
fensible act Of the administration OF Frank s
Black as Governor Of the State. his law to take
all starch out Of the Civil Service regulations oi
the State so far the Senate is concerned was
repealed to-day. Governor Roosevelt is entitled
to the credit Of framing. in company with Sena-
tor White OF Syracuse. the repeal act which was
also made the medium Of improving greatly the
States regulations for the examination Of appli-
cants for places in its service and that Of Its
cities Governor Roosevelts long service as n
Civil Service Commissioner Of the United States
was of great benefit undoubtedly to this State
when the time came to prepare the act which
met with the approval Of the Senate to-day.
The act may be truly said to have been written
with the especial design Of carrying out the
commands Of the Constitution that admissions
to the Civil Service should be based on "merit
and fitness"
ONE REPUBLICAN OPPOSED 1T.
It had been thought that the bill might fail
to receive sufficient votes to pass il in the Sen
ate owing to the suspected hostility TO
1t Of Senators Coggeshall Willis and Wilcox.
But these all voted for it, Only one Re-
publican. Senator Amber voted against the bill.
But Senator Amhlers vote was offset by that
Of Senator Douglas. Democrat. of Albany. for
the bill. Senator Douglass declared frankly
that he did not approve wholly Of all the pro-
visions in the Roosevelt act. but it was 80 i'm
mensely superior to the Black starchess act
that he had concluded to vote for II. OF course
Senator Grady. the Democratic leader. felt
bound to make a speech in ridicule Of Civil Ser
vice reform. That was expected of him. and he
did not dsappoint his hearers
The vote on the bill was as follows
Ayes-Armstrong. Brackett. Brown. Chahoon
Coggeshal Davis ID F.. Davis &C.. Al. Doug
las. Ellsworth. Elsberg. Feeter. Ford Goodsell
Higgins. Humphrey. Johnson Krum. Malby
Marshall. Parsons Ranes Sherwood. Stranahan,
Thornton. White. Wilcox. Willis-27.
Noes-Ahearn. Amber. Boyce. Coffey. Cullen,
Donncny. Patterson, Foley. Grady. Graney
Havens, La Roche, Mackey. Martin. McCarren
Mitchell. Munzinger. Norton. Punkitt, Rams
perger, Rice. Sullivan Wagner-23.
DETAILS OF THE DEBATE.
In the debate on the bill Senator Grady said he
hoped all the Senators understood just how much
further this bill went than any existing law When
the subject Of civil Service first proposed II
was understood that the regulations should simply
be to ascertain the qualifications He declared that
seed root and branch the Civil Service was an
emana,ion Of the arstocracy.
Senator White interrupted 10 say that II was
provision Of the Constitution which emanated from
the people
Can everything which emanates from the people
be arlstocratic?" he asked
Yes sir answered Senator Grady.
The Senator knows better" retorted Senator
White.
you ought to know better. but don't" asserted
Senator Grady. civil Service was born in a coun-
try where all offices were held under the crown and
it was concession from the crown to the
mon people. After getting the people to adopt the
Civil Service under the prctence that n merely
TO ascertain the fitness Of man for the position 10
which he was 10 be appointed. they had built up m
aristocracy under which the man with the technical
knowledge held positions TO the exclusion ~ all
others" .
The bill he asserted was prepared for the pur-
pose Of administering knockout drops" 10 any
undesirable applicant He cited questions Of inter
national law and other Improbable questions
which had been asked Of applicants for places "a
clerks policemen and others in Civil Service OK
aminations While he believed that the Civil Ser
vice should require capacity. honesty and intell
gence Of the applicant he was not willing to lend
himself to a scheme 10 perpetuate such an instiu-
ton as was here proposed.
POOR CHILDREN AND THE SCHOOLS.
Senator White made an argument in support Of
the bill first quoting the provisions Of the Corst-
tuition The bill he said. intended merely to
carry out those provisions. Civil Service had been
carried 10 an extended degree under monarchia
governments. So had man. Otntr luHudIilcHtdl
principles OF our Constitution ana laws lie re-
undated the insinuation that the common people
and their children were not as cOmpe tent 10 stand
the test OF scholarship as any oth.L ri''u ''
public school system took care OF them. 49,,
In reply 10 Senator Whites contention that me
common schools furnished all the education neces
sary 10 pass the examinations required OF appn-
ie nrtntod snecidc questions Of the civil Service
Commission many questions OF consttutlohal Jaw
eTeai AMUSEMENT when he asked what boy In the
common schools or what member Of THIS poly 'ouln
These specimen questions he declared proved
beyond contenton that ne purpPsse c11Itnred peo
ple N the exclusion of the boy VINO. hehe on s
10 leave school at the age or fourteen or Means
years had prepared hinseI III ut P''''' ~
10 earn a livelihood
SENATOR WHITES DEFENCE
Senator White reasserted that because unfair
questions had been asked Of applicants 1t was n"
reflection upon the system He also asserted that
there was not question in the examination rom
which he had quoted that any graduate of hish
scnool could not answer He said the day would
1870 ,.hon the neople would realize that they were
entitled 10 the best ana sred'e9'
the public service.
Senator Mackey also opposed the bill not be
cause ne did not believe I'm the civil Service n"'
because Of the manner in which the laws had oeen
administered The Democratic party he said had
a,,,,,.s heer IN favor of an honest and capable
civil Service but did not belev" that the tecnn'"'
knowledge required was practical
c.r.,or DOUGLAS said he believed in the principle
- Civu Service whether applied in the househoid;
no once the municipality or the STATE. re u''.
Wv, Idii,to IN an the provisions Of this bill. hut
rine, The last Two years he had seen aborers "a
uu ne ~, Tho rolls Of the State who never dld
flen upIl IL bad become so disguised with the
onSration Of the so-caed Black starcnIess Ky KY
ne vas clad Of an opportunity 10 vote i0r thls
ihd' ~ ~ ~ -" other reason than to repeal that
,n 7, would AFFORD him absolute pea,s,rtG ro 10
Vote for any bill which would wipe 'ha' o''l "'"
the statutes
pA1NEs AND THE BLACK LAW.
Senator Raines said he had Voted TOT anu sup,
,od tho BLACK law. II contained many good
-. como NJ which had been retained In this
huI I'm, the great lists. especially the applicants
FOR clerks. had convinced him that the Ia" was
He wanted to say to the clVil ser
,,co Commission that Senator Grady had called
,,.ertion 10 the fact that the great vice OF the
Civil Service was its administration by inns 'on
,ss,o, The questions asked he said were utterly
aha N d. which