been urged, and doubtless not without foundation in fact, that by solicitation of superiors and by other modes such contributions have at times been obtained from persons whose only motive for giving has been the fear of what might befall them if they refused. It goes without saying that such contributions are not voluntary, and in my judgment their collection should be prohibited by law. A bill which will effectually suppress them will receive my cordial approval.

Early in the session the matter was taken up in the Senate, where a bill which had been under consideration during the previous session was reported from the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment. After a considerable debate the bill passed the Senate on December 27, 1882, by a vote of 38 to 4, 33 not voting. In the House the bill was referred to the select Committee on Civil Service Reform and reported back without amendment by Mr. Kasson of Iowa, January 4, 1883, and after a brief debate was passed by a vote of 155 to 47, 87 not voting. On January 16th the bill was approved by the President.

It would be well, perhaps, in view of the contentions a year later of certain malcontents in the Republican party, to analyze both the vote in the Senate and House by which the bill was passed. In the Senate, the affirmative vote consisted of 23 Republicans, 14 Democrats, and one Independent, all the opposing votes being cast by Democrats. In the House the affirmative vote consisted of 101 Republicans, 49 Democrats, and 5 Independents. Of the opposing vote 39 were Democrats, 7 Republicans, and one Independent. Although the bill was introduced by a Democratic Senator,-Pendleton of Ohio, after whom it was known as the "Pendleton bill,”—yet it was passed in both the Senate and House by Republican votes and was signed by a Republican President. The bill provided for a Civil Service Commission consisting of three persons, not more than two of whom should be from the same political party, to be appointed by the President and to be confirmed by the Senate. It prohibited the political assessments and the appointments of more than two of the same family to public office. The act applied to offices of more than fifty

The Pendleton Law.

113

persons in the departments at Washington and in the customs and postal service, with certain exceptions, such as confidential clerks of heads of departments or offices, cashiers, and some other financial positions, deputy collectors, chiefs of bureaus or divisions, professional officers, officers required to be confirmed by the Senate, laborers, and workmen. It provided for local examining boards appointed by the commission, and for open and competitive examinations to be followed by an eligible list from which vacancies are to be filled from the highest names.

When the Post-Office appropriation bill was reported from the House Committee on Appropriations, there was a provision for a reduction of postage on letters from three to two cents. This matter was discussed quite at length in both Houses, and on March 2d the reduction was agreed to in a bill which contained other provisions, and the President approved the measure the following day.

The first session of the Forty-eighth Congress began on December 3, 1881 The Senate was composed of 40 Republicans and 36 Democrats, while the House contained 201 Democrats, 119 Republicans, 4 Independents, and one Greenbacker. George F. Edmunds of Vermont was chosen President pro tempore after Henry B. Anthony of Rhode Island had been. tendered and declined the honor. In the House John G. Carlisle of Kentucky was chosen Speaker by a vote of 190 against 113 cast for J. Warren Keifer of Ohio. There had been a sharp conflict over the Democratic candidate for Speaker, because of the different views of the leaders on the Tariff question. Samuel J. Randall was a pronounced advocate of the policy of Protection, while Mr. Carlisle was known to advocate a still further revision of the Tariff, leaving only such incidental Protection as might accrue from duties arranged on a revenue basis solely. Samuel S. Cox of New York was also a candidate, his views on the Tariff being similar to those of Mr. Carlisle. Mr. Carlisle was selected at a caucus and received the united support of his party.

During this session a bill was reported from the Committee on Labor of the House to establish and maintain a Bureau of

VOL. II.-8.

Labor Statistics.

On reaching the Senate Mr. Aldrich of Rhode Island offered by way of amendment the following substitute for the House bill:

Be it enacted, etc., That there shall be established in the Department of the Interior a bureau of labor, which shall be under the charge of a commissioner of labor, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The commissioner of labor shall hold his office for four years, and until his successor shall be appointed and qualified, unless sooner removed, and shall receive a salary of $3,000 a year. The commissioner shall collect information upon the subject of labor, its relations to capital, the hours of labor, and the earnings of laboring men and women, and the means of promoting their material, social, intellectual, and moral prosperity. The Secretary of the Interior shall appoint a chief clerk, who shall receive a salary of $2,000 per annum, and such other employes as may be necessary for the said bureau: Provided, That the total expense shall not exceed $25,000 per annum. During the necessary absence of the commissioner, or when the office shall become vacant, the chief clerk shall perform the duties of commissioner. The commissioner shall annually make a report in writing to the Secretary of the Interior of the information collected and collated by him, and containing such recommendations as he may deem calculated to promote the efficiency of the bureau.

This substitute with but a slight change was passed by both Houses and approved by the President on June 28th. A bill establishing a Bureau of Navigation was also successful in both Houses, and was approved by the President on July 5, 1884.

A Tariff bill reported by Mr. Morrison of Illinois, from the Ways and Means Committee of the House, was debated quite as seriously as if there was a chance of its being passed. The only result was that days and weeks were spent in Tariff argument, to the end that, when the vote was finally taken upon the motion that the enacting clause be stricken out of the bill, the yeas were 159 and the nays 155, a Democratic Tariff measure being thus killed in a Democratic House. The official changes which took place in the Government during the year were as follows: On the death of the Secretary of the Treasury,

Official Changes.

115

Charles J. Folger, Postmaster-General Gresham was appointed to the position, Frank Hatton being promoted to the place left vacant by Mr. Gresham. Mr. Gresham was soon afterwards appointed Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, when Hugh McCulloch was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. H. W. Cannon of Minnesota was appointed Comptroller of the Currency in place of John J. Knox, resigned. Mr. A. A. Sargent, the American Minister at Berlin, resigned early in the year, and was succeeded by John A. Kasson of Ohio. Alphonso Taft, Minister at Vienna, was transferred to St. Petersburg, being succeeded at the Austrian capital by John M. Francis of New York. Mr. Jarvis Patten of Maine was appointed Commissioner of Navigation under the act just created. Carroll D. Wright of Massachusetts was selected as the commissioner to take charge of the new Bureau of Labor Statistics attached to the Department of the Interior.

The political conventions, campaign, and election of 1884 proved to be of deep interest and importance.

CHAPTER VI.

CONVENTIONS OF 1884-NOMINATION OF BLAINE-THE "MORAL ISSUE "-ELECTION OF CLEVELAND.

THE

HE national committee of the Republican party had held a meeting at Washington in 1883, at which an attempt was made to change the basis of representation at the national convention, but no change was made and the old basis was readopted. A change, however, was made in the manner of choosing delegates by limiting the time for the holding of State conventions preceding the national convention to not less than thirty nor more than sixty days before the time of the national convention. By this the action of the latter could not be too early anticipated by the States. More power also was given to the minority. The date for the convention of 1884 was set for June 3d, and ex-Senator Powell Clayton of Arkansas was named as the temporary chairman of the convention.

The Eighth National Convention of the Republican party met in the Exposition Building, Chicago, Tuesday, June 3, 1884, and was called to order by Hon. Dwight M. Sabin, chairman of the national committee. At the conclusion of a short address, Mr. Sabin said:

In conclusion, gentlemen, and at the request of the National Republican Committee, I have to propose to you as temporary chairman of this convention, the Hon. Powell Clayton of Arkansas.

Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts then said:

In accordance with the vote of the majority of the committee,