The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-14
CIVIL SERVICE
 IS A FAILURE Hepburn Declares t a Fraud
 and Hunbug WARM DEBATE ON SUBJECT Republicans as Well as Democrats Say the System as It Now Exists Is
 Wrong and Should Be
 Corrected.
WARM DEBATE ON SUBJECT

udy, III COIuInlltee Ol the WHOlet Dy 2 vote of 7S to 65, struck out of the legislative. executive and judicial appropriation bill the paragraph providing for the salaries and expenses of the civil service commits son and clerks employed under the com mission. The action was taken on motion of Mir. Hepburn of Iowa. He was sup ported by both republicans and democrats both in speech and in vote. Those who spoke in oposition to the civil service sys- tenn as 1t now exists, were Messrs. Hep burn, republican of Iowa, Grosvenor, re- publican of Ohio. and Bartlett, democrat of Georgia, while among those speaking for the service were Messrs Cooper, re- publican of Wisconsin, and Gillett, repub- lican of Massachusetts.
 No conclusion was reached in commit tee on legislative bill.
 MT. Cooper of Wisconsin, in discussing the report of Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bristow said that every one of the men under indictment except one in con- nection with alleged postoffice frauds went into the service under the spells system. Mir. Cooper read the letter of 
 vice Commissioner Proctor to the post master general in reply to statements con- tained in the Bristow report relative to the St. Louis appointments, prefacing the reading with the statement that MT. Bris- tow had done a good deal of heroic work and that he was absolutely fearless.
 Spoke Against Civil Service.
 Mir Grosvenor of Ohio spoke against the civil service as 1t now exists, asking why an appointment should not be as properly made upon the recommendation of the representative of a people as to have the President appoint foul puryeyor of all the ap. eintments. He asked why the committee on civil service reform had been sitting on the safety valve, saying that if vote was permitted the c.# service commission would be stripped a vast amount of It's power.
 MT. Clark of Missouri suggested that bill should be brought before the house so that the subject could be debated and be voted upon.
 MT. Grosvenor said the gentleman from Missouri, Mir Clark, could immortalze himself if he would introduce and pass a bill amending. enlarging, altering or af- fecting the old law which he said Is re- garded as the perfection of human wis dom. Concluding his remarks MT. Gros- venor said that an oigarchy of three men had been built up and up to recent date was controlled by one man.
 Is Not a Merit System.
 MT. Lacey of Iowa said the present system was not a merit system as it now exists. Men, he said, had gone Into gov ernment service without examination and had since been continued in the civil ser- vice.
 MT Richardson of Alabama. reading from the Presidents statement in connec- ton with the Bristow report, protested against any man assuming that the men under indictment are guilty before they have been tried.
 Mir Bartlett of Georgia also addressed himself to the civil service system, re- ferring to statements made by MT. Bris- tow.
 MT. Bartlett charged that in the ap- pointment of the chief supply division of the postoffice department according to the report of General Bristow the civil service law had been violated
 'I call the attention of all to this, be- cause 1t is on the very threshold of this report It meets you at the start at the very door and stands out a bold. bald violation of the law and the man who violated 1t Is former first assistant post master general Perry s. Heath, now secretary of the national republican com mittee."
 Civil Service Commissioners Cooley and Greene occupied seats in the gallery of the house during the debate on the civil service.
 Not Inclined to Criticise.
 MT Hepburn following Mir Bartlett, de- clared that he was not inclined to criticize the heads of the commission, "but the civil service, as it is administered, Is fraud and a humbug."
 This statement met applause on both sides of the house.
 Mir Hepburn declared that If the re- publican party was responsible for the administration of the affairs of the gov ernment, the friends of that party should hold all of the available places.
 MT Hepburn referred to an interview he had had with the head of depart ment having over 300 clerks, who had stated that he had fifty clerks who could not get to their desks. If the elevators in the building were not running, and that should he be permitted to select his own force he could do all the business with 200 clerks
 Mir Gillett of Massachusetts, chairman of the committee on reform In the civil service demanded to know why the head of the department in question did not make his own selections.
 MT. Hepburn replied that MT Gillett knew as well as any one else that this could not be done under the practice which prevails, although the law might permit It.
 Advocate Legislative Reform.
 MT. Cooper of Wisconsin wanted Mir. Hepburn to state why he did not adyo- cate legislative reform.
 Mir. Hepburn replied hotly that with the present makeup of the committee con trolling such legislation. it was well known that nothing could be done along that lire.
 Mir Giliett said he was in favor of merit system and not a patronage sys- tenn. He admitted that the system Is not perfect and can be amended.
 On the pending motion of MT. Hepburn, republican, Iowa. the paragraph provid- ing for the salaries and travelling ex- penses of the civil service commission was stricken from the bill-78 to 65-repub- licans and democrats voting together to strike out the paragraph
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