The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-07-09
HOW 1T RORS.

HOW 1T WOKS.
Washington special TO Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette: A short time
since Judge ChenowIth. the new first
auditor, needed a first class clerk. The
secretary of the treasury, according to
law, called on the Civil Service COM
mission for names from the eligible list,
and the required four of highest
standing were forwarded. Upon the
of the papers Mr.. Kellar
was found to have passed the best ex-
animation and to present on the face of
his papers the best qualifications.
His standing, as an accountant, was
such as to admirably fit him tor good
service ID an accounting Office, such as
the first auditors. He was therefore
and the following notification
sent him by Mr.. Higgins:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
WARRINGTON, ID. c., June 20, 1885.
Mr.. Owen Kellar, Caldwell, o.:
Sm-The United States Civil Service |
having certified you as chg |
lble for appointment to a clerkship OF |
the 81 200 class in this department, you |
are requested TO report to this office at |
once for assignment to duty. Very re-
spectfully, EUGENE HIGGINS,
Chief of Appointment Division.
The need for u clerk seemed to be |
pressing, for the printed form above the |
last clause reads: "You are requested |
to report to this office at your earliest
convenience for assignment TO duty"
MIR. Higgins had erased the words "at
your earliest convenience" aud written
IN their place lat once" Armed with
this paper, Mr.. Kellar promptly came
to Washington, and reported to Mr..
Higgins After holding him of for q
day or so, MIR. Higgins told
him It would all depend
upon whether ne was wanted and
finally said Judge ChenowIth did not
want him. Mr.. Kellar, as may be i'm
agined, having made his arrangements
20 come here To stay, and having incur
red the expense of the trip, insisted up
on knowing little more about the mat
ter, and was sent 10 Judge Chenowith.
This gentleman was ut least frank about
the matter and neither disguised nor
lodged any feature of it, He told Mr..
Kellar that he had received statements
showing that he was pronounced Re
publican. THIS Mr.. Kellar promptly
admitted TO be true and that il was q
matter he did not wish to conceal or
have any misunderstanding about.
Judge ChenowiIh thereupon informed
Mr.. Kellar that he did not want him be-
cause he was Il Republican, that he
would not have him, and If he was APP
pointed he would dismiss him. Judge
Chenowith was frank enough not only
tO tell Mr.. Kellar who had made the
charges of offensive partisanship against
him. but TO show him the papers. They
consisted of protest from Representa-
tive Warner, and a request to hold the
appointment till he arrived. He in
closed charges, ana said that either of
the two who passed below Mr.. Kellar
would be quite acceptable. These were
Democrats, and It made no difference to
Gen. Warner that the nearest one to Mr..
Kellar stood more than five below him.
The charges drawn up and forwarded
stated that MIR. kellar was so strong a
Republican that he did not hesitate TO
| insult men or women who did not agree
with him that he handled the Republi-
can campaign money last fall, and that
| il was doubtless the result of Represent
alive Taylor's influence with the exam
liners that Mr.. Kellar passed There was
no charge that he made
| any improper use OF the
money, and the fact that several Dem
ocl ats passed with him did not seem to
occur 70 those who signed the loose
charges
Such is this very remarkable case,
which, If sustained, enables Mr.. Hig-
gins and those like him in the treasury
department to effectually defeat the civil
service law, so far as that department is
concerned. But as General Warner, Mr..
Higgins and Judge Chenoworth have
each and all violated one of the Denal
sections OF the civil Service act, Il be-
| comes a very grave matter for them
| aside from its political aspect. II
also becomes somebody's duty
to see that they are pros
ecuted. Section OF this act pro-
vides that "anY person In the public SER
vice who shall, by himself or
| in cooperation with one or more other
| persons, = wilfully and corruptIy
| furnish to any person any special or
secret information for the purpose of
either improving or injuring the pros
poets OF chances of any person so exam.
ined, OF TO be examined, being appoint
| ed, employed. or promoted, shall for
| each SUCH offense be deemed guilty of q
misdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished by q fine of
not less than 500 nor more than 81 900,
or by imprisonment not less than ten
DAYS nor more than one year, or by both
such fine and imprisonment"
The rules in force by executive ap-
prevail provide as follows: "Rule 8. No
question in any examination, or proce5d-
ing by or under the commissioner or ex-
aminer, shall call for the expression or
disclosure of any political or religious
opinion or sffiliation, and If such opin-
ion or utilization be known, no discrimi-
nation shall be made by reason thereof
by the examiners, the commission or the
appointing power"
The case is too PLAIN to require CON-
ment. It Is now in order To see whether
anything happens to Higgins and Chen
i owIth.
Secretary Manning had the good sense
yesterday to appoint Mr.. Kellar to q
clerkship and set him To work immed'-
ately. Congressman Warner and Mr.
Chenowith now have the floor