The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-13

employees to constitute the rural car
Irier examining board. He declared that
There was nonecessity for them ano
THAT II was the duty OF this congress
Ito retrench II the statement OF the
secretary Of h treasury be true God
knows" he said, Il want this govern
ment to stand inc be able to pay its
debts without issuing bonds or rails
ling ..dditional taxes"
This utterance brought from Mr.. Lit
ltauer. of New York, an endorsement
lof Mr.. Maddox's r-etrenchment ideas.
he sal the case in point happened
Ito he one of h few items Of the DILL
Iwhere retrenchnent was brought about
lby the acton Of the committee. because
the twenty-three clerks referred to Al
ready were at work by detail from 9TH
Ter offices.
The discussion shifted { the que5-
ltion OF the salary of the secretary OF
1.-THE commission. The commission had
Increased IL from $500 to $1,000 but an
amendment by Mr.. Bartlett, of Georgia.
putting II back to the former amount
Twas adopted.
MI Hepburn, OF Iowa, offered ar
amendment to strike out the appro-
ip-iatton for the commission and in bit
tier terms denounced the civil service
commission. He was not, he said, op-
IpOsed to a proper civil service, but he
ia AL AA6 LhC Ol0 GPoAAS
System with the present merit system,
tthe civil service was not being improv-
led. II was not, he said, as good as IL was
twenty years ago. 1t was constantly
Id~eteriorating, becoming every year
more and more OF an expense and less
land less efficient.
Mr.. Williams. of Mississippi, the MI
inortty leader. had offered a suggestion
THAT IL would be an improvement over
" No DrnQGnr cVCfom rn fx a rarrain n
Iriod for which an employee should
serve h government. Mr.. GTosvenor
lof Ohio, referred TO a package of pap
ipers which had come to him today
lof Ohio referred to a package OF pa
pounded certain questions by the COM
Imission as to whether or not he had
fused his influence in behalf of the eiec-
ltion Of President Roosevelt in the Ohio
campaign and whether or not on a Ger
tain day he had turned over his route
ITO his substitute and went to the polls
and worked for the Republican ticket.
Now think of holding up a poor devil
lof Il rural carrier like that. The man
had simply gone to the polls and vot-
LED"
In jocular vein. Mr.. Williams, direct
Ping his remark TO Mr.. G~rosvenor, said
ne had been wondering if Mr.. Grosve-
nor could punish the House with such
"a hard luck story out in Ohio, becaus+
II a fellow had shown political activ1-
" in the case of President Roosevelt
what might possibly have been the fate
Iof a fellow who would have dared to
shown political activity in behalf
of Mr. Parker. This reference to Judge
Parker produced considerable laughter
lon both sides of the chamber.
Ine are :" replied Nj.
IGrosvenor, which caused a renewal of
laughter, there We're a great many Of
them terrified.
From the n-umerousneSS of their
scarcity at the polls" responded Mr..
Williams amid more laughter, Il imag-
lne a great many of them must have
been terrified. Whether through the
rural free delivery service or i'm some
Iother a l shall not undertake 10
Ell was inclined, he sad. to agree
with Mr.. Hepburn and said thai the
IOld Spoils system was as good as the
Chinese system now in vogue. He
favored the appointment of men to Of
flee who were in sympathy with the
party in Power. The bill was laid aside
and the House adjourned until .tomor-
ROW