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CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1874

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to the courtesy of Councilman Farley of ward three. Through the efforts of this councilman, the saloon keepers, brewers, and the gathering of whisky bummers in the lobby were compelled to listen to a little plain truth as set down in the columns of a paper which they never mention save in connection with curses. Farley commented upon the article, pronouncing several of its statements false and hurling the word "lie," with demoniacal fury at the "editor who wrote it." Councilman Farley was suffered to charge on unmolested, and the LEADER, as will be seen, survived the attack. The investigating committee reported that Messrs. Hill, Bennett, and Rebbick had been guilty of unbusinesslike conduct and irregularities and recommended that they be discharged. A motion was made to refer the subject to the board of fire commissioners. The refusal of the Democrats in the council to refer the matter to the fire commissioners, furnishes ample grounds for the opinion expressed in yesterday's LEADER that the committee was determined to find something rotten whether it existed or not.

A decision on this question was not reached until nearly one a.m., and after that the repealing Sunday ordinance was briefly discussed and then read a second time. A full report of all the proceedings will be found in our local columns.

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827 L July 30; ed: 4/1 - The PLAIN DEALER says: third ward is a thorn in the side of the LEADER.

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Councilman Farley of the

"If Farley is a thorn, he is a most prodigiously blunted one, and can prick nobody."

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828 L Aug. 3; ed: 4/4,5 "It seems to us about time city council should take some account of the character and conduct of its members outside of the council chamber." Purcell, Democratic councilman of the fifth ward, chairman of the gas committee, and member of the committee on city officers and offices, made a public exhibition of himself on a prominent street in the second precinct. He was drunk, boisterous, and he cursed three policemen. The third locked him up. The council wishes the LEADER and the public to keep out of such matters as it feels it can care for itself. "No legislative body entrusted with the care of the government of a city can, without wholly forfeiting public respect, permit one of its own members to figure unrebuked, as a common brawler and disturber of the peace.

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829 L Aug. 3:8/1 Thomas Purcell, fifth ward councilman, arrested on a charge of drunkenness and disturbing the peace, was bailed out by a friend who received permission from Judge Abbey.

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830 L Aug. 4; ed: 4/1 Only two lines of local news in the HERALD and not a word in the PLAIN DEALER recorded the fact that a councilman from a prominent ward, a representative of 15,000 people, was arrested on the street as a common "drunk and disorderly" brawler and dragged to prison. "Fortunately for Purcell he has both the HERALD and PLAIN DEALER by the He voted to give them the city printing, and he is a license man.'

ear.

CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1874

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831 L Aug. 4; ed: 4/3,4 - The "point of order" in the city council is always in order. It is one of the useful pieces of parlimentary machinery that may fit in anywhere and may be handled by anyone.

He who arises in the council with this weapon can block up a whole debate right in the midst of a most eloquent and important speech. "If any reader doubts this let him take his position this evening near the railing on the south side of the hall and watch the countenance of the gentlemen opposite him as they arise and make their 'sententious remarks in order.' All that betokens human joy is spread forth on their features as they exclaim, 'point of order,' and drop into their seats."

(17) 832 L Aug. 5; ed: 4/1,2 In the eyes of the PLAIN DEALER it is contemptible business for the LEADER to upbraid a drunken councilman because he may be "powerless to resist temptation.

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The PLAIN DEALER appears to pity his weakness. This is a queer compound of feeling. (5)

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833 L Ang. 5; ed: 4/2 Tom Purcell, fifth ward councilman, was again arrested on charges of drunkenness and assaulting an officer and was again set free on bail secured by a friend. Being in no condition to attend the council meeting the repealing of the Sunday liquor law was postponed. "What a majestic piece of legislation it must be that hangs upon the vote of a man like Purcell.

"Have the HERALD and PLAIN DEALER a word to say about this, or is the city printing gag so deep in their throats that they are afraid to speak?"

L Aug. 29:4/1 - See Newspapers

834 L Sept. 25:7/1 - The case of Thomas Purcell, councilman from the fifth ward, who is charged with drunkenness, was scheduled in police court for Sept. 23. He failed to appear, and his bail was declared surrendered.

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Ɛ35 - L Dec. 15:5/2 - City council last night passed a resolution requesting the committee on finance to purchase an additional safe for use in the auditor's office.

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Finance

836 L Feb. 12; ed: 4/3, 4 Most of the leading city department funds are
overdrawn, the deficit amounting to $400,000. The fire department fund
is overdrawn nearly $96,000; the infirmary fund, $6,196.71; the house of
correction fund, $36,000; the sewer fund, $106,000; the gas fund, $79,516;
the street fund $39,798; the police fund, $70,732; and the bridge fund,
$21,000.

It is proposed to fund this floating debt and clean up the whole slate, keeping each department within its allowance. The city has been growing

CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1874

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rapidly, and there has been a great temptation to spend money faster than it comes in. The city must learn to live within its means.

837 L Apr. 15; ed: 4/1 - The annual report of Mayor Otis shows that the receipts of the city for the past year have been $1,027,362 and the expenditures, $1,263,664, leaving a deficit of $236, 302.

"This is burning the candles at both ends until we are now paying $120,000 per annum of interest."

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838 L Apr. 15:7/2,5 - Mayor Otis delivered his annual message to the new council last evening by saying: "Gentlemen, the mayor is required by law to report to you annually upon the affairs of the corporation, and make such suggestions and recommendations as will in his judgement advance the public good." The total expense of the city for the year of 1873 was $1,263,664.32, with an income of $1,027,362.05. Our expenses exceeded our income in the sum of $236, 302.27.

There is in the hands of our sinking fund commissioners $1,688, 793.79, consisting of bonds, stocks, and other securities, $925,000 of which has been pledged to pay a portion of the principal of this debt, and the balance may be applied for the same purpose.

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839 L Apr. 15:8/3 City council last night passed an ordinance authorizing the mayor to issue bonds to the extent of $200,000 to pay certain indebtedness of the city.

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840 L May 27:5/2 - City council last night passed an ordinance authorizing the mayor to issue bonds to the amount of $200,000.

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841 L May 27:8/4 City council last night passed an ordinance authorizing the mayor to issue bonds for the main sewer district No. 2.

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842 L Dec. 1:6/2 City council last night discussed the neglect of the committee on finance to record Chief Engineer Hill's salary for the past month on the pay ordinance. The ordinance was then amended to read $14,614.99.

See also Politics & Government Cleveland & Cuyahoga; Printing &
Publishing

CIVIL SERVICE

843 L Jan. 9; ed: 4/1 - The Indianapolis JOURNAL says that two-thirds of the department clerks in Washington are actually needed.

"But said clerks are constituents, and are therefore not to be spared."

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844 L Feb. 6; ed: 4/1 - One of the saddest blows ever inflicted upon government clerks was the unearthing of an old statute, which has never been repealed, requiring the department to keep open eight hours each day from Oct. 1 to Apr. 1, and ten hours each day the rest of the year.

CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1874

Abstracts 845 - 850

CIVIL SERVICE (Cont'd)

The clerks who have considered six hours a hard day's work are in a quandary and will make a united effort to secure the repeal of the law.

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845 L Mar. 13; ed: 4/2 We are indebted to the Hon. Columbus Delano, secretary of the interior, for a copy of the official "blue book," giving a list of all government officials and their salaries.

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846 L Apr. 23; ed: 4/1 - "The civilians in the employ of our government, in all frontier stations of New Mexico, are said to be suffering in consequence of the failure of Uncle Sam to pay them their wages. This statement is worth an investigation.'

847 L July 3; ed: 4/3 The reduction of clerical forces in the departments at Washington has its unhappy features. The clerks are very uneasy for fear of being dismissed, and one day nine young ladies fainted upon receiving their dismissal.

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The government is a generous employer giving those fired two months additional pay. Nevertheless, the government is not a simple guardian nor a charity hospital; employes are simply a set of machines doing a specified work and as they are paid by the taxes of the people it is the duty of Congress and the heads of the departments to manage them as economically and effectively as possible. (7)

Reform

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848 L Jan. 3; ed: 4/1 The Pittsburgh COMMERCIAL'S Washington correspondent was informed by the House committee on civil service reform that it is doubtful whether anything will be done to reform the service this winter. Mr. Kellogg, chairman of the committee, thinks the service is good enough and is not giving the subject the attention it demands. The President and his cabinet occupy an advance position on this subject to which Congress must come. The party platform pledges a thorough civil service reform. If Congress does not redeem that pledge it will be the worse for Congress.

849 - L Jan. 14; ed: 4/2 - General Logan, who distinguished himself by leading an opposition to civil service reform, is reported as declaring that unless the civil service rules are abandoned, the Republican party will go down at the next election. If the general would only pay close attention to public opinion on this subject, he would discover that danger to Republicanism is to be found in a half-hearted reform and an abandonment of any futher pretense of maintaining it.

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850 L Jan. 24; ed: 4/1 - General Butler appeared in a new role yesterday. The hero of the salary steal now exhibits himself as a civil service reformer according to "a brand-new system."

He introduced a resolution in the special committee on the subject for the investigation of "the best civil service in the world." What is coming?

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CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1874

Abstracts 851 - 855

CIVIL SERVICE - Reform (Cont'd)

851 L Jan. 27; ed: 4/3 - Congress is determined to oppose any change in the civil service which shall take official patronage out of the hands of its members. An expression of public opinion brought about the salary repeal, and it can put in operation a fair civil service reform. The first thing proposed by the new plan is the abolition of the system of competitive examinations and the division of offices among the congressional districts so as to give each congressman a share of patronage. In passing this bill Congress will encroach very closely upon constitutional authority; but to General Butler and his followers the constitutional measures are only acts of impertinance. Congress is a long way behind the people in the civil service question. The people want to see the government conducted on sound business principles. When a clerk is wanted in a government bureau, the best man who offers should have the place, whether he is nominated by General Butler or Alexander Stephens, or has no nomination at all.

The service recommended by the commission and the President is what the Republican party pledged itself to give to the country, and servants of that party must not lightly regard that pledge. Let them profit by the lesson of the salary bill.

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852 L Feb. 2; ed: 4/2 The civil service commission presents its annual report to the President about Feb. 15, and it asks the House committee to defer any recommendations to the House until the report is submitted. The committee which is known to be hostile to a reform, expresses the willingness to await their report. The reason probably best known to General Butler and his other reformers.

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853 L Feb. 12; ed: 4/1 Gen. Steward L. Woodford of New York has introduced in Congress a bill fixing the hours of service in different departments of the government at seven hours a day from April to October and eight hours a day for the remaining six months of the year. This bill would permit the discharge of one-tenth of the present force and an increase of five per cent in salaries paid to all grades of clerks and messengers. This law would save $35,000 a year. General Woodford's bill is

better than the old law and might be adopted.

854 L Mar. 6; ed: 4/1 We received a copy of the Washington CHRONICLE containing a long and musty diatribe against civil service reform. "The country does not need any of the ideas of Washington newspapers

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on civil service reform. The atmosphere in which those editors write and live, is such as to destroy the value of their opinions on the subject." (4)

855 L Apr. 11; ed: 4/4 There is one more chance to see whether Congress is disposed to again ignore the popular will. We refer to General Woodford's bill, providing for a thorough reform of the civil service.

"The custom house frauds and seizures, the moieties system, the Jayne and Sanborn investigations, and the frequent revelations of similar cases in every department of the government are sufficient answer to the absurd statement with which the Congressmen are trying to stave off an urgently needed reform."

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