Year: 1876

GREAT SPEECH


Of Hon. Geo. w. McCrary al


Burlington.


A Strong Discussion Of the Issues


OF the Campaign.


CIVIL SERVICE REFORM, AS sILLUSTRATED
| BYTHE CONFEDERATE HOUSE.


But our Democratic companions
have great deal to say about the
civil service reform. Ever since they
have lost control Of the Government
they have been crying out about it
they have never told us exactly what
they meant by civil service reform,
but they have told us there is a great
want Of something in that direction.
We have discovered what some of us
suspected before, that what they
meant by civil service reform,is turn
ing out Republicans and putting in
Democrats, and that is the whole of
it. Applause. l am not talking at
random. They have had the patron
age of the House of Representatives
to try their hands upon; they have
had it under very favorable circum
stances; they have had it when every
body knew that they would put their
best foot foremost; they have had it
on the eve of Presidential election,
and how have they reformed the civil
service of the House of Representa-
tives? We have a right to presume
that they will reform the whole SER
vice of the Government upon the plan
which they have reformed the civil
tservfcc or the House. And how have
they done that? will tell you some
things that they have done. In the
first place they have made clean
sweep Of all the old officers, exactly in
the line of the old Jackson doctrine :
..To the victors belong the spoils."
And in doing that they selected their
own men to fill the places of men re-
moved, and in making removals they
removed some men who, upon any
principle of civil service reform that
l have ever heard of,they would have
allowed to remain. Take, for exam
pie, the old Journal Clerk of the
House, who had been for twcnty-sev-
Ell years at his desk serving alike all
parties; who had devoted his life to
the study of parliamentary law, SO
that he could stand there at the side
of the Speakers chair, and if a ques-
ton arose, could instruct him, and in
struct him right almost every time.
A most valuable officer. If compe-
tency and integrity be anything, If
long service be anything, if civil SER
vice be anything but a sound, we
might suppose that Mr.. Barclay
would be continued in his place. But
no, he was removed, and 1 will tell
you presently what kind of man
took his place.


Then there was the postmaster of
the House, private soldier from the
State of Michigan, who had lost leg
in the battles for the Union. who COM
mandcd the respect of every one who
knew him,and who had served i'm that
position with credit to himself and
satisfaction to everybody who had
anything to do with the Office. Grip
pied in defense of his country-if
such n man must be removed because
the party he belongs to has lost pow
er, what do you mean by civil service
reform, 1 would like to know! But
they turned him out; and they start
ed him on his one leg back to Michi-
gan, and then put in his place Colonel
Stuart, of the confederate army. They
discharged from the doorkeepers' de-
partment twenty-three Union SOL
diers; from the clerks office nineteen
Union soldiers; from the postoffice
thirteen Union soldiers from the cap
itol police two Union soldiers, making
in all fifty-seven Union soldiers dis
charged by the Democratic House
since December last. And who did
they put in their places? Why, they
put in their places lot of confeder-
ate soldiers. In the door-kcepers'
Office they put nineteen confederate
soldiers; in the postofiice ten confed-
crate soldiers; in the clerks Office
fourteen confederate soldiers; OH the
capitol police one; and three COM
mittec clerks, making forty-seven
confederate soldiers appointed under
your Democratic House of Represen-
tativcs.


But they will tell you they appoint
ed some Union soldiers. So they did,
where they could find a Democratic
| Union soldier. But what I claim is,
that that is not civil service reform to
turn out faithful, competent men, to
put in their places any other person
on political grounds. If you say that
is civil service reform, then civil SER
vice reform means nothing. l told
you they removed Mr.. Barclay. They
appointed in his place man by the
name of Smith, from New Hamp-
shire. Soon after he was appointed
having charge of certain papers and
the journals of the House, he entered
into little scheme of jobbery. He sci
himself up for claim agent. He sent
out his circulars all over the country
stating that Congress would proba.
bly, pass bounty bill, and that he
being in office and having chance t6
help it along a little, would be a good
man to employ. His little scheme
was discovered, and it was brought
before the House, and he was eX
PEELED, or rather forced to resign.
The removal of Barclay and the ap


pointment of Smith is good illus


tration of the civil service of tn,
Democratic House. But they appoint
ed door-keeper. And who did the!
appointY They selected man by tn,
name of Fitzhugh. Fitzhugh wa
selected. l suppose because he hat


been in a similar position In the Con
federatc Congress. But he had no
been there very long until he wrote .


lie tier to somebody, which you ma.


have seen, which exhibited him in 81
disgraccful light that when tn,
charges were presented, he was ex
PEELED. He did not resign-he stucl
to it until he was voted out.


Now, perhaps there is not q NOR
important position in the House thai
that of clerk of the committee o
4 ways and means. A gentleman ha'


served in that place for many years
8 He was removed and Q man by tn
4 name of DIR. Hamblcton was put in
} He had not been there long when
: was charged that he had named hi
| son in honor of the assassin of Abra
: ham Lincoln. He denied it. Th
Q charges were investigated, and tn
0 proof was brought home i'm such
: conclusive form that he could not dc


ny it longer, and he was removed
. simply because the matter wa
3 brought to the attention of the cour
I try and they did not dare to kee
/. him.


!. But do you suppose they didn'tkno'
q what kind of man he was?


I'll The position of clerk of the con
i mite on military affairs is an impor
+ ant one. A gentleman was appoin
Il ed in the place of the soldier who ha
n been removed. 1t was not long unit


he was charged with committin


frauds upon the revenue in Texas


An investigation followed and l


was removed. These are some san
ic pies of civil service reform as demol
J. strated in the action Of the democra
II ic House of Representatives If yo
4. desire such reform as that carried in
,r every part Of the government, and il
ic to all the appointments Of the Exec,