Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-10-15
ITEMS OF INTEREST
AT NATIONS CAPITAL
Special Representative Will Keep
Public Opinion Readers Posted. 4
SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN
TO NEWS OF IOWA PEOPLE.
Interesting Developments of Ma
tion's Affairs Tersely Described
by Former Iowan for Iowa
Readers.
Public Opinion Bureau,
Washington, d. c., Oct. 13.
Spoils-or Civil Service.


Spoils-or Civil Service.
The Democrats of the Senate
have been trying to separate a num-
Der of internal revenue jobs from
the civil service, thereby raising a
storm of debate and protest. Sen
ator Weeks of Massachusetts relat-
ed to the Senate incidents in con-
nection with the Consular Service
which he said showed "that the Ad-
ministration purposes to repeal,
step by step, every provision of the
civil service law" Senator Norris
of Nebraska decried the intent to
trespass upon the good work of the
civil service commission and to
turn the offices over to the "politi-
cians," drawing the retort from
Senator Reed, Missouri Democrat
that every man in the Senate of the
United States lis here because he
is a politician" The Senator fur
ther declared that every man who
got into the Senate without being
a politician was misplaced. Sena-
ter Hughes of New Jersey, declared
that there was no chance of the
civil service being destroyed, and
NE grew eloquent in defense of the
civil service, declaring that he was
against what was sometimes and
improperly called 1.-The spoils sys-
tem" Senator Thomas, of Color
ado, declared that while the Demo
Gratis, of which he is one, are in
power, they are entitled to the
fruits of Office He paid his re-
spects to the Republicans who had
developed "a very vehement, en-
thusiastic civil service spirit" Mr.
Bristow, of Kansas, who always
hoists the flag of warning, declared
that 1.-The political spoils system
is one of the dangerous things in
American politics" And as straws
show which way the wind blows, il
is clear that the old time struggle
between the political spoils plan and
the merit system of the civil SER
vice, is to be brought to test
whenever occasion offers.
Judges and Justice.
Senator O'Gorman of New York
who was formerly Supreme Court
Judge joined with Senator Nelson
and others in saving the judges oi
the Commerce Court from losing
their judicial headgear, by reason
of the failure of Congress to con-
tinue the court Senator Owen OF
Oklahoma recalled the fact that the
Senate at three times voted to abol
ish the Commerce Court, and he
declared that the reason was be-
cause the decisions of this body
were not regarded as in the public
interest. The concensus OF Sena
torial opinion as shown by the fna
vote was that it would be an inJus
tice to the Members of the court Il
deprive them of the Lille tenure o
Office, when they had been appoint
ed with that understanding onl!
three years ago. This is the cour
of which Judge Archibald, the blacl
sheep of the Judiciary, was Mem
her, and doubtless the odium OF his
trial and impeachment was respon
sible for much of the prejudice con
cerning the court. However, the
remaining judges will be retained
as United States circuit judges TO-
the remainder of their lives, sub
iect, of course, to good behavior.
The Tariff and the Goat.
1T is not tariff for revenue on
w because it free lists the most i'm
nortant revenue producing articles
that our people consume" declares
Senator Bristow, and Senator Smith
of Michigan finds that the people
of Canada are "gloating over th'
fact that they rejected that treaty
meaning the reciprocity measure
and that they now have all the ad
vantages with none of the disad
vantages growing out of it," In al
Of these tariff debates the angor'
goat and it's wool, immortalizet
bv Representative Garner of Texas
has entered into the debate. Sen
ator Mattine OF New Jersey is th'
first to turn the tables OF satire OF
his Republican opponents by de
c,aring in the course of controver
sy with Senator Penrose ! Deg U
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