New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-12
MANY CAUCUS ABSENTEES
HOSTILITY IN THE ASSEMBLY TO The
CIVIL SERVICE BILL.
MADE A REPUBLICAN PARTY MEASURE
WITH TWENTY-SIX MEMBERS MiSsiN"
NIXON SAYS 1T WILL PASS.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.


fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TnIBUSE.l
Albany. April 1.-THE Republican Assembly
men. or at least a majority of them tonight
made a party measure of Senator Whites Dill
reneaIing the Black "starchless' Civil Service
act and substituting far strcter and more constr
tutional regulations for the examination oil ap-
,uoorts for office The caucus was attended by
sixty-one Republicans. There are eighty-seVeh
Renublicans in the Assembly, but the absentees
a. 10 believed will recognize the decision OF the
caucus. nj. 90
II Is true a considerable spirit OF opposi'io" ="
The hill was shown A Kings County Represent
alive circulated paper for signatures OIL "e"'
hers who would pledge themselves to remain ou.
Of the caucus and vote against the Dill ne naO
obtained fourteen signatures when nv -
formed that none of the measures oil ""'''l
Atterbury or Michael ]. Dady would be paSs.u
II he persisted He accordingly withore" '''
own signature and entered the caucus.
The absentees we're Messrs Adler. baococN'
podeu Roche Brewster. Bryan. Bulkley' CrosS
na,anev Evarts. Hitchcock. Mason, Mohrine'
Paris. Patton. Roberts Rowe. RUSSELL o'a''
sloane T Smith. Sprague. Stoneman' Irpp'
Whipple and Wilson. Some of these men i0'
instance Cross Evarts, Hitchcock ana ie'"
arc sick. Mr. Delaney and Mr. Rowe VIII az
cent the caucus decision. So probaply WIZ w.
Sears.
Mr.. Rogers. OF Broome County. was se'ec'eu
the chairman Of the caucus. WheA the io no.
been called DR.. Henry. Of New-fork VII" ''s
aim of exciting discussion as he saln' ii'o'eu
that the bill should he killed. Speeches III oppo-
sition to certain features of 1t followed from ~
Henry and Mr. Burnett, Of ontario COUNTY
Then Speaker Nixon defended the measure "e
said 1t really was Governor Roosevelt oi' anu
no man in the State was more competent ~
draw It. as he had been Federal CIVIL service
Commissioner for six years. In the Spedhei p. .
opinon the act, if passed, would bring holo'
TO the Republican party. Speeches in the same
vein followed from Assemblymen Allus anu W
sey. eed
Three amendments to the bill were oilereu'
Two came from Assemblyman Gleason Oh 'a'''io mol'
roe County and they provided for preference
being given in appointment In the state ssINI.o ~
to soldiers Of the Civil War ana 10 COnieue ate
soldiers Mr. Gleason argued that the e'ehls
of the Spanish war had united the North anu
the South and therefore the Confederate , veter.
ans should have preference in the state service
with those who belonged to the Union Ariny.
The amendments were rejected.
Their Assemblyman Slater moved that tnc
veterans OF the Spanish war have preference III
employment. The argument was made III oppo
sition to this that 1T would require an amend
ment TO the Constitution. and 1t was then re-
jected.
AT the end Of the debate by what Is reported
TO have been a unanimous vote the bill was
made a caucus measure. Speaker Nixon mas no
doubt that il will be passed by the Assembly,
despite the fact that there were so many ine''
bers absent.
Senator Amber. one of Louis F. Payn's rep
resentatives voted against the bill In the sen
ate Four Assemblymen, from the counties OF
Rensselaer, and Duchess supposed 10 be under
Mr. Payn's influence. were absent from the eau
Gus tonight