The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-24
SENATOR DICK IS
 GIVEN THE OATH Senate Still on Indian Appro-
 priation Bill. TALKS OF CIVIL SERVICE German Says the President Is Relax ing in His Ideas on the Sub
 feet, as Shown by Ills
 Conduct.

Washington. March 23-The senate again spent the greater part of the day considering the Indian appropriation bill. Three hours of the time was gwen to the discussion of claim of $50,0OO for services rendered the Choctaw Indians It finally was eliminated from the Indian bill. The CIVIL service debate was renewed and there was considerable discussion of the policy to be pursued in securing employees Tor work on the Panama canal
 The opening ceremonies were marked by the offical introduction to that body of Charles Dick as the successor of the late Senator Marcus A. Hanna. Mir. Dick made his appearance in the chamber soon after the reading of the journal, but was un- able to occupy his seat because it was completely hidden by floral offerings placed there by friends and admirers. The seat assigned him Is on the extreme left of the democratic side of the chamber. A number of other younger republicans oc- cupy seats in that vicinity
 Joined by Colleague.
 1 Immediately after Mir. Dick appeared he was joined by his colleague, Mir. Foraker, | that he was ready to take the oath of of ice The two senators then walked arm in arm down the center aisle to the chair of President Pro Tenn Frye, who admin istered the oath. This ceremony perform ed, MT. Foraker accompanied MT. Dick to his seat and after introducing him to a number of his immediate neighbors sought his own seat on the far side of the chamber. MT. Dick was cordially con- graduated by many friends in the cham Der. The cermony was witnessed by | large number of spectators
 bill was passed authorizing the Osage indians to dispose of stone on their reser- vation for domestic purpose. Consider | alton of the Indian appropriation hill was then resumed
 The old controversy over Choctaw h. dian leases which was rife during the ad- mnistration of President Harrison and the second administration of President Cleveland was for time revived in con nection with motion by MT Kearn to amend the committee amendment for the payment of $50,000 out of the Choctaw funds to J. Hale Sypher, for services rendered the Indians in connection with | the leases. Mir. Platt supported the claim as valid but in reviewing it's origin said $92O00 had been paid to the lobbyists in connection with this claim. Tt was.' he said, lone of the most notorious instan- ces of lobbying which has ever come to my notice"
 Spoke for Sypher's Claim.
 Several senators spoke on the merits of MT. Syphers claim, all agreeing that his services to the Indians had been that of an attorney and entirely legal and legitimate, but Mir. Allison raised the point that if the payment of the claims | should be decided by congress the Choc- Jaw would have legitimate claim against the United States for the amount ordered to be paid. This claim was contested by ! MT. Spooner, MT. Patterson and other senators on the ground that the United States stood in the attitude of a trustee to the Indians. On motion of MT. Patter- son the amount to be paid MT. Sypher was reduced to s25,000 and then the l amendment as thus modified after three hours of debate. was defeated-23 to 3 | Mir Quay's resolution calling on the | secretary of the treasury for statement of the differences in value between the depreciated currency paid the Delaware | Indians btween the years of 1862 and 1878, and the same payment in coin, to which MT Hale objected yesterday was passed.
 The provision exempting farmers at In- dian agencies from the requirement. to un- dergo a civil service examination was re-
 
 service discussed.
 MT German reiterated his opinion that the civil service regulations should not be changed piecemeal, and said that inas- much as the President had entire control of the matter 1t should be left to him. He quoted from she instructions of the Presi- dent to the isthmian canal commission as tending to show that the chief executive | had receded from his advanced position on the general application of the civil ser | vice principle. No one had ever sup posed originally, he said, that the prin- ciple would be applied to minor places as it had been He wanted the doors op- ened to the small places 'as it has now been opened by the President to all who can live on the isthmus of Panama, and do work In connection with the canal.
 Could Not Be Made Applicable.
 MT Platt of Connecticut expressed the | opinion that the civil service law could not be made applicable to employment in connection with the canal work, and hence the President could not be held to have receded from his position on the ques- ton of civil service. MT. Lodge withdrew 1 his point of order against the amendment, but the debate went on. MT. Spooner said he never had supposed that 1t could | occur to any sane man that competitive | examinations would be resorted to In | connection with the canal work as noth- | ing would do more to retard that lmpor- | tant work. &
 MT. Hoar said the supplying Of em- | ployes for the canal work was very | different thing from filling places Tn the executive departments, and expressed the opinion that places connected with the | canal should be selected on the recom- | mendation of the public men, and he l (Hoar) would do this regardless of the | politics of the men consulted or chosen to office. Otherwise the recommenda- 1 tion might be unsatisfactory as are those | under the present system in vogue in filling federal places in the southern states. Turning to the point thus raised by himself, Mir Hoar said that if he were President he would invite the con fidence of senators and representatives from the southern states regardless of their political affiliations, in the matter of appointment to office"
 MT. Clay commended the position taken on the subject of appointments in the southern states and said he believed that | such course would be in accord with | the examination.