The Greenville Times

Proceedings in Congress.

[Special to Times-Democrat.]

Washington, Dec. 8.—The Democrats and Republicans had a skirmish to-day in the Senate over Beck's resolution to investigate the Jay Hubbell collection business and Hale's substitute to include in the investigation the Democratic campaign fund.

Mr. Beck led off by saying that if the salaries of government employees were so large that they could afford to give 10 or 20 per cent of them for political purposes, the best thing to be done was to reduce the salaries, and thus effect a saving to the government. He did not believe, however, that the government officials could afford to give away part of their salaries, but that they were forced to give them up to hold their places. To stop this assessment business was, in his opinion, the beginning of civil service reform.

Hale replied that he had no objection to the investigation, but that he did not intend that the party secrets of one party should be laid bare without the party secrets of the other party were treated in the same way. There was no danger, in his opinion, to the institutions of the country from the small sums obtained from government employees. The chief danger was from the great corruption of interests like the whisky and beer interests and from rich men. The Democratic Congressional committee, he said, was made up of rich men and they were put on the committee to tap their purses.

Mr. Beck, in answer, admitted his readiness to vote for Mr. Hale's substitute as a separate measure, but didn't want his resolution encumbered by the substitute. The Republicans last fall had broken the law of 1876 by levying assessments on government employees and by turning hundreds of men out of office for not paying these assessments. This violation of law was a proper subject for investigation.