Year: 1871

DeDAEe ON EkoEfencnm@NE


WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-Mr. Anthony
offered a resolution providing for Standing
Committee of Investigation and Retrench-
ment, TO consist Of seven members, to be
elected by the Senate, and have power to
investigate and report upon such subjects
as may be committed to it by the Senate.
Mr.. Trumbull moved to amend by provi-
sion directing the committee to inquire into
the expenditures in all branches of the gov
ernment service; whether any, and if so,
what Offices ought to be abolished, and
what salaries ought to be reduced, ETC.; also
giving it power to sit during the recess of
Congress. ... ... ra..s- i.


Mr.. Sherman favored the original resolu-
ton. If any Senator knew of any abuses
be could easily have them referred to the
committee.


Mr.. Wilson favored both propositions. :


Mr.. Thurman favored the amendment,
and said that a committee which should
have power to investigate only such charges
as might be referred to it by the Senate
would be useless as means of reforming
the public service.


Mr.. Trumbull said II Senators were earn
est in their desire to correct abuses in the
public service, they would not hesitate to
create committee with sufficient powers.


Mr.. Edmunds said, considering the num-
Der of persons employed in the public SER
vice, and their duties, the administration OF
the Government for the last three years
would compare fsyorably, for efficiency and
purity, with any previous administration
with even that of George Washington him
self There was, therefore, no need for





Thurman said there were many persons
throughout the country who would not
take the round and whitewashing state
ment of Edmunds for the purity and eff
cheney of the public service, but would re-
quire further evidence. The Senate might
either pass resolution which would indi-
cate real desire to discover or expose
abuses, or might pass the pending resolu-
ton of Mr.. Anthony which would show
the people that the frauds and corruptions
in the Government service were to be white
washed and covered up. The country
would hold the party of the majority re-
sponsible.


Casserly contended that the committee
proposed by Anthony would be mere null
lity, having no power to originate inyestiga-
tions. He had heard of transaction con-
nected with one of the highest departments,
and fit subject for investigation, but
would not take it upon himself to move an
investigation unless there was committee
like that proposed by Trumbull, with pow
er to originate the investigation.


SchurH.


Mr.. Schurz remarked that this was not
by any means new proposition. 1t was
merely a proposition on the part OF MIR.
Trumbull to revive the old committee on
retrenchment armed with the powers that
made the old committee so useful and eff
cient. The Senator from Vermont, (Mr.
Edmunds) had told the Senate that the
civil service had improved greatly under the
existing administration and it undoubtedly
had. Yet in the whole history of the
country it would be difficult or impossible
to find four consecutive months during
which so many defalcations and embezzle-
ments have been brought to light as in the
last four months. Most of these cases had
been discovered without careful search or
Investigations; they had been almost stum-
bled on. Therefore it was fair to
infer that a careful investigation would ex
pose a great many more now hidden.
Now, gentlemen, / tell you, whatever may
be said of the improvements that have ia
ken place, the people of the United States
are startled at the frequency and enormity
of the disclosures which are made from day
to day. Do not give yourselves up to any
delusions on the subject. The American
peopls are on the point of demanding an
honest government, and they want to have
all the means used for that object that are
compatible wiki the laws Of the country.
o,nI Ba
of corruption, regardless OF the interests Of
any party or any person. 1t seems TO me
we are standing at the thresh
hold Of moral revolution that
bids fair to go beyond the overthrow of the
Tammany ring, and in that revolution the
science ofhow not TO do it will be of very
little avail. Neither will cheap declama-
tiOns against corruption in the abstract or
against the sinfulness of sin in general and
the beauty Of virtue avail much. We
have had enough of all that. The people
will not much longer take that worthless
currency as legal tender. If We wish TO
serve the country and to command its con-
fidence we have to make clear to the country
that we hate no party no more than we
hate corruption, and that we love no party
more than we love good government.


Mr.. Conkling-The question before the
Senate is whether committee about to be
created shall be created in the ordinary
way or shall be given powers Of an extra
ordinary character. It is no credit TO the
Republican Party or to any member Of it to
profess to be willing to investigate its ad-
ministration of affairs, and to purify what
ever is found to need publication, for | un-
dertake to say that never in American his
tory was there party that had less to deter
it from a rigid investigation and more to
tempt it to go forward. The strength of
the Republican party resides largely in the
fact that it is able and willing to purify
and purge itself. He referred to the Hodge
case as evidence that the republican party
means to hold public servants to a strict ac-
cOuntabiity.


Morton Chat atechised.


Morton declared himself in favor of An
thongs resolution because it was broader
than Trumbull's, and embraced all matters
relating to retrenchment. He also spoke
of the extraordinary purity of the present
administration, and of its promptness in
Furnishing dereIiction of duty in its officers,
and cited the case Of Hodge as an illustra-
ton.


Casserly asked whether the Senator from
Indiana (Morton) could mention any other
case of the prompt punishment of default
ers.


Morton said he did not remember any at
the momsnt, but he would venture the as
sertion that wherever there had been de-
falcation brought to the knowledge of the
administration, the defaulter had been pun
ished.


Mr.. Casserly-How about Pension Agent
Lawrence and Collector Bailfy?


Mr.. Morton-They ran away before they
were found out.


Mr.. Casserly-Is it an evidence of vigi-
lance for the Government to let its rascals
get away? The Democrats Of New York
did not let Tweed run away.


Mr.. Morton called attention to the fact
that men who had committed depredations
generally were not of class that could
not be weeded out by any system of civil
service reform, because they were intelli-
gent, accomplished men, who could undergo
any examination successfully.


Without reaching any conclusion, the
Senate adjourned.