The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-16
DECLARED SILVER Is DEAD.
BOUTELL OF ILLINOIS RELIEVES 1T
HAS BEEN SHELvED.

HAS BEEN Eli.
Consideration of the Legislative Bill
Brought Up All Sorts of Discus
sions in the House-UnderyvOod OF
Alabama Heard on His Resolution
to Repeal the Fifteenth Amend
ment-PubIic Safety should He the
Government Test of Suffrage.
Washington, Feb. 15.-The House to-day
completed twenty-six of the 124 pages of
the legislative, executive and judicial APP
preparation bill without amendment
During the general debate which closed
at O'Clock a variety of topics were
touched upon. Mr.. Boutelle of Illinois,
Mr.. Miers of Indiana and Mr.. Showalter
of Pennsylvania, discussed the Philippine
question; Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio and Mr..
Gillett of Massachusetts, civil service re-
form; Mr.. briggs of New York, pensions.
and MIR. Underwood of Alabama his resoIu-
ton TO repeal the Fifteenth amendment of
the Constitution.
The legislative bill probably will be
passed tomorrow.
After an hour spent in passing some
resolutions for additional clerk hire for
committees, the House went into Com
mittee of the Whole and resumed the con-
sideration of the legislative appropriation
bill.
Boutell on Silver.
Mr.. Boutello of Illinois opened with
some general remarks about the APP
preaching presidential contest. He re-
marked upon the great transformation
which had taken place in the Democratic
party in three years. Then. he said, the
hall of the House rang with the defiant
cry of the Democrats that silver would be
the issue again in 1900 But he noticed as
the contest approached that we heard less
and less of silver. Silver had been killed
in 1896. 1t was buried in 1898 and he did
not believe a single member of the minor
ity honestly desired it resurrected. There
had been an occasional eulogy of the de-
parted, and an occasional rhetorical tear
had been dropped upon the grave, but the
lamentations lacked the zeal OF real Sor-
row.
Mr.. Boutelll argued that the one sol
emn duty of every American citizen at
the present stage of the Instruction IN
the Philippines is hearty and loyal sup
port of the President, and he proceeded
to argue the constitutional rights of the
United States to take and hold territory
outside of the United States.
Against Negro Suffrage.
Mr.. Underwood of Alabama followed
with some remarks in support of a reso-
luton introduced by him 90 repeal the
Fifteenth amendment to the Constitution
(the suffrage amendmenD.
In the matter of suffrage, said Mr.. I'm
derwood, public safety should be the gov
eminent test People morally and inteili-
gently disqualified should not be allowed
to exercise the high privilege of suffrage
Their. exercise of it was incompatible with
the public good. The Indian and the
Monaghan could not vote Why the ne
gro? The conditions which obtained
when the Fifteenth amendment was adopt
ed no longer existed. No one IN the south
desired slavery. But the experiment OIL
giving the negroes suffrage, tried for thlr-
ty years had failed. Instead of proving
strength to the Republican party II hau
proved a weakness.
He did not believe the negro would ever
become the equal of the white. An ecu
cational qualification would not meet the
situation in the South.
Mr. Miers of Indiana argued that the
Philippine question, involving as IL dld the
traditional policy of America, should rise
above party. The Philippines were either
entitled to admission into the Unlted
States upon an equality with other terri
tories or they were entitled to freedom and
independence. A colonial policy, he pre-
dicted would disrupt the union.
Mr.. Showalter of Pennsylvania argued
tbat the limited States had power to decide
the form of government for the Fhlilp-
pines.
Civil Service Question.
Mr. GrosVenor of Ohio brought forward
the question of civil service law, baslng
his remarks upon the statements OF Mr.
HemenWay yesterday that the Depart
ments were full of incompetents. He al
duced statements of chiefs OF bureaus ana
heads of departments to show that in 1884,
when the civil service law was passed, the
civil service of the government was a
model of efficiency and effectiveness.
s'The gentleman 1 believe, was one of
the trainers of the st. Louis platform, ="
interrupted Mr.. Richardson of Tennessee,
'eFhe platform declared for an extension
IF the civil service law How does he
reconcile the fact with his present nos
tiEty to the law?"
"The gentleman from Ohio" replied Mr..
Grosvenor sometimes makes fool OF
himself Just as the gentleman from Ten
nessee does" Laughter)
Continuing Mr.. Grosvenor said the only
vav to prevent the public service from
breaking down was to provide for tenure
of office act, on the lines of the Evans
hin of the last Congress. He said the
temporary forces of clerks in the war ana
navy departments were as efhclent as any
SET of clerks in the government service,
vet they had been appointed without ex-
animation by the Civil Service Commls-
eion He protested against the payment
~ millions to uphold a descredited theory.
At O'Clock the general debate closed
and the bill was taken up for amendment
under the five-minute rule. Mr.. Gillette OF
NIassachusetts, replying briefly to Mr..
Grosvenor pointed out that the inefficiency
in the departments, according to the state
n1ant of Mr.. Hemenway, was due not 10
~ ci,Jil service law, but because political
inHnence was used to protect incompe-
tents.
The committee then rose.
Az NIiers of Indiana filed the minority
,,,aws in the contested election case of
pearson VS.. Crawford in North Carolina
At5 o'clock the House adjourned.
AT THE WRECK OF THE MAINE