The Washington times., 1912-08-16
PLANS FOR EARLY
|. ADJOURNMENT GET
A SEVERE SETBACK
Taft May Be Forced to Veto
Another Supply Bill
First.
CONTINUED from First Page )

(COntlnued from flrst Page.l
editorial columns to the pernicious
character of the limited tenure pro-
posal and the threatened return to
the old 'spoils system" which for
years made the Government Job q
politicians football.
Veto Is Advocated.
When 1t was ascertained that the
Government clerks had not sufficient
number Of friends In the House and
Senate to strike out this Objectionable
legislation, The Times strongly advoca-
ted the Presidential veto, on the belief
that this one bit Of legislation on an
annual supply bill would be of such
far reaching effect as to kill the ambi-
pede the growth and prosperity. of the
Capital, and return 70 power the pro-
fessional spokesman and the autocratic
bureau chief In whose hands would lie
the power Of reappointing Government
clerks every seven years.
President Taft vetoed the bill and put
particular emphasis on the disastrous
results to the Government service
which would follow the enactment Of
legislation limiting the tenure Of those
in the classified service, which was re-
moved from politics largely through the
efforts OF former President Roosevelt
An Hour of Debate.
AS bOOH tnt NctO lhcbod6c-Wdb icoo
in the House yesterday. Mr. Fitzgerald
moved to pass the bill over the head
of the President. There followed an
hour Of partisan debate, In which Con-
gressmen Mann, Cannon, and other Re-
publicans assailed the Democratic habit
of attaching legislative riders to- ap-
preparation bills. Congressman john
son, Fitzgerald. and other Democrats
who fathered the legislative bill. as
serted just as earnestly that too much
importance was attached to the seven
year tenure rider, and that the results
Members of Congress have regular
tenures of office" argued Congressman
Burleson of Texas. Does that make US
uneasy or unfit US for our work? Does
that cause us to lose hope ana amoi-
tion?" .E.
The conflicting Views of numerous
members on the wisdom of the seven
year tenure and the abolition, Of the
Commerce Court--both given as reasons
for the veto of the bill-were expressed
by Congressman Steenerson, an insur-
gent Republican, who said:
80 far as the objection to the aboli-
ton of the Commerce Court, am not
convinced. voted against the creation
of that court l voted to abolish 1t. II
it came up as a separate measure 1
would again vote to abolish 1t.
Destroys Civil Service.
"As to the seven-year tenure clause in
this appropriation bill, to my mind, the
gentlemen who have argue dthis ques-
ton have not met the objections Of the
President, and 1t seems to me that the
merits of this provision are not as clear
as they should be. 1t seems to me this
provision would go far to destroy the
whole civil service Of the Government.
and I am not prepared to vote for 1t
Upon reconsideration. This practice Of
attaching general substantive iegisla-
ton upon appropriation bills is agred
en- all hands not to be a good practice.
II has been criticised by members on
both sides of the House as an evil.
"Ono of the inevitable results touching
the practice of attaching general legts-
lation upon appropriation bills Is to min
imize the functions Of the other COM
mittees Of this House. to render them
useless. l think 1t Is a tendency that
ought not to be encouraged, and 1t seems
to me that the majority of the House,
the members on the other side OF the
chamber, ought to have no difficulty in
both of these propositions as
measures, one reported
from the Interstate Commerce Commit
tee and the other reported from the
Committee on the Civil Service. When