The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-16
BAILEY A SPOKESMAN
MAKES ATTACK ON THE CIVIL i SERVICE.
Says the Party in Power. Should, Have Complete Control of the odices to Be
 Distributed.

- , Washington, April 15.-After a day of quiet routine proceedings the Senate was treated to asspirited speech by MT. Bailey Just before adjournment on the question or civil service.s The subject came up in connection with a paragraph In the sundry civil appropriation bill. Mir. Bailey announced in plain terms that he mad no sympathy with the 'irridiscent dream Of civil service. He declared that each party should control the patronage while in power, and ayowed himself a spoilsman.
 MT. Hale was in accord with much that Mir. Bailey said. but cited that Congress could not be induced to change the law even though convinced that it should be changed.
 The Panama canal bill occupied the major portion of the session and was passed without division. MT. Spooner made a vigorous speech in support of the bill and was replied to by. Mir. Morgan
 The civil service appropriation bill was taken up and when the Senate adjourn cd about half of it had been read.
 There was no debate when the amend nent authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to appoint agents for the pro- tection of the public timber without re- gard to party affiliation" was reached.
 Mir. German made an inquiry, concern ing the civil service features of the pro- vision. whereupon. Mir. Bailey made an attack on practices under the civil service law. He spoke of the civil service re- quirement as dream and "an iridescent dream and added: That the present President has suspended the civil service law in order to make political appoint ments more times than of his prede-
 He then announced himself spoilsman and said that he delighted in it," adding that he never had been able to attain the intellectual enthusiasm of those who would entirely dissassociate an applicant for office from political conviction. T believe" he said fatly, that to the victor the spoils belong and If I had my way under a Republican administration l would not allow Democratic endorse- ment to be filed. nor would I I'as a Demo- crat permit the filing of Republican endorsement under a Democratic admin istration."
 He added that he would ask no favor of political enemies and said that If such favors were granted he would not think much of those who granted them as he would know that they would expect favors in return.
 He had no complaint. he declared, that the Republicans now appoint their parti- sans, but he did complain when there was violation of the law under the politi- cal dilettanteism connected with the ser vice under present conditions. There never had been more scandal in the de- partments than since the present system was begun, he said,. and if the Republi- cans had been able to turn the Demo- cratic rascals out of office when they took control of the government they would not be able to plead every time the postoffice scandal was mentioned that one of the chief offenders had been a Democrat. Partisanship, he went on, never ran too high to suit him, provided 1t was intelligent enough to discriminate. He predicted that if the present system should be continued the country would soon have a civil pension list. Mir. Hale interrupted Mir. Bailey with the state ment that he fully agreed with much that the Texan had said; yet, he added, it was impossible to get a change be- cause of the unVillingness of Congress to put itself on rdcord. He called attep- tion to the fact that whenever there was roll call on the subject in the House of Representatives 1t failed to sustain other votes against the civil service system. ''fn view of this fact" he asked docs the Senator from Texas think there is the slightest chance of a changer"
 MT. Bailey replied that he did. not think there was and MT. Hale said: "Is there not q sort of pail resting on Congress which prevents it's expressing it's con vlction as |" whnt should be dorfe?" '''1
 Mr. Galllnger asked concerning execu- tive order creating civil service positions for many hundred employees in the rural delivery service. You might have some one in the Senate ask the Postmaster General what members of Congress recommended their appointments" re- marked Bailey and a laugh was pro voked at this indirect reference to the recent controversy insthe House.
 At $40 the Senate adjourned.