The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-08-06
POSTMASTER JONES
Investigated by the Civil Ser
vice Commission.
THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM,
A Voluntary Resignation-The Dory
Neptune = No Authority
baseball.
Inrs,tigation of Jor.,.

| WASHINGTON, Angus 5.-The Civil
Service Commission, to-day, made its
report to the President in regard to the
charges against Postmaster Aquilla
Jones. of Indianapolis, referred to the
committee for investigation by the
President on July Is. The commission
begins by stating the charges as follows
First-Whether for the purpose of
securing patronage, or for other I'M
justifabie reasons, one or more persons
had been removed by the Postmaster in
violation of the civil service act or rules.
Second-Whether the Postmaster had
by his public convention or declaration.
at the tunes referred to in the charges
expressed his purpose to disregard the
law and rules, especially by selecting
only those of his own party, and by re-
iecting those of the other party, among
applicants certified for appointment.
Thlrd-Whether the examination
held on the 10th day of June last, at
his office, or marking and grading pa
pers of those examined was so irregu-
larly or unfairly conducted as not to do
ljustice to the applicants.
The report then says, the charges
were forwarded to Mr. Jones, and his
L
sioner Thoman and Chief Examiner
Lyman also went to Indianapolis, Ind,
and examined twenty witnesses. whose
test mony. filing 13l pages, is in the
spirit and letter o1the rules. Such dec
larations very naturally awakened dis
trust, and the suspicion that his action
had been in accordance with his words.
These facts naturally resulted in the
presentation OF charges and Che commits
sion has found abundant reason for
thinking that they were prosecuted with
the comendable purpose of promoting
a just enforcement of the civil service
law, and the rules, and that they are
likely to have effect. 1t is due to the
postmaster to state that, he declares
himself not to have been well informed
as to the full effect of the rules in re-
gard to political discrimination at the
time of the conversation, and that what
he stated as to selecting those OF his own
party and rejecting those of others, had
reference to places not submit
ted to the commission. The
cenclusi Ohs are as follows: 1t
does not appear that the postmaster
has made any appointment or removal
in violation of any provision of the civil
service act, or any rule only the first
and second rules; that any limitation
upon the authority to remove, and no
violation of either of them, has been
charged or proved. The facts as to the
conversations or declarations charged
related rather to matters of taste and
official propriety than to anything
which is in itself subject of
investigation, except in so far as
those declarations might shed light
upon any questionable case OF appoint
ment or removal. The evidence shows
that the postmaster, in conversation,
declared IL his purpose to make re-
novals and appointments according to
the theory of political discrimination
In dism;ssing this part of the subject,
as to which it is not possible to
reconcile testimony, the Commissioner
thinks he does not know any intention
of resisting The rules, but that he now
more clearly understands that any
tions from among these examined will
be in violation both of the spirit and
letter. The fact that one of the exam
liners held that position under the pre-
ceeding postmaster, and continuously
since that inauguration. of the system 4
and that three of the first FIVE places
made yacaRt BY removais, were filled by
promotion f-cm eElorg old employees,
are not without. Significance as the pur-
pose of the postmaster.
Third-It was matter of regret on
the part of the commission that it was
not practicable for the chief examiner,
or any one of the commissioners, to be
present at the examination, June 10th,
as only one of the three
examiners was familiar with the duties
of his position. Investigation has shown
that the examination was not as thor
oughly supervised as was desirable.
But the most searching inquiry has
failed to show that there was any
cheating attempted or any in
Justice done, Indeed, there is
no evidence OF having such suggestion. |
Commissioner Thoman and Chief Ex-
aminer Lyman received the marking
papers of nearly halt of all those exam |
ined, including those marked the high |
est and those marked out. and failed in
a single case to discover evidence of I'M
fairness or discrimination. 1t will be |
borneon mind that the papers can be-
as readily and accurately as !
one day after an examination. 1t is |
a significant fact that not a single |
person, whether marked high or low, or |
altogether marked out, although the
opportunity has been ample, has COM
planned that any injustice has been done |
hsm or any favor shown any other per-
son, In view of these facts, and making |
due allowance for inexperience. the |
commission regards the action of the |
examiners as creditabie to their intel |
Iigence and sense of justice, and finds
not the least occasion for disturbing the
examination.