New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-22
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
rrvocp,r,c REroRMpRs DISAGREE.
.,,,,cv ruouAN TO CHAIRMAN KENNA-"wH STAND
sSh'-

.,rcr ruoMAN TO CHAIRMAN KENNA-"wH STAND
BY OUR UTrERANcHs."
WASHINGTON, Sept 81 tSpec'dn.-Chsirmah henn"'
=, .ha Dsmonrato Congressional Committee to-day
s,a that he bad received a. letter from e1-OVn ser
vice Commissioner Thaman taking the committees
90 task for the untruthfnlness and ignorance eAh'
tied in the chapter on Civil Service hefor" III '"o
Democratic campaign book Senator hehna see"S
80 hnk that story we'll stuck to is as good as the
-. " Cor he said: aldo not intend that Judge
Thoman or any other defender OF past Republican
.,hoas shall draw this committee into any contro-
- As 10 the campaign book will say this IL
- ruhlish,d after mature elaboration and its con-
.or,s are statemcnts OF facts have no apology 10
make for IT, We stand by all its utterances.'
Now Judge Thomsn probably is quite "a trust
,or,bv n man "a Senator Kenua any member OF
u,e Congressional Committee. aud he certainty II ar
vood n Democrat. In this matter. too, he mas '"o
,Ascial records and cloud of impartial witnesses 0"
b side while all that Chairman keuua can do Ia 10
,,ten,nt TO ignore Judge Thomans Criticisms anu oo-
clare in lofty way that we stand by all the ner-
euces of the campaign book. One OF these u'tor
.noosris After the Commission appointed 1t
WAS constituted 4, purely partisan Commission All
three of the Commissioners were Republicans, every
1,,ri,er aud officer under it Republican, and
~ 1o0 of its aopoutces were Republicans Reply
inc tn this suterance of tho Democratic committee
Judse Thoman in his letter to Chairman henna says
al yvond he impossible 10 force falsehood into
A few words Ii you plead in extenuation OF the
or,,icsm ignorance then you show ourselves THOR
cuvhly untitled for the trusted and honorable posi-
hons YOU occupy The Commissioners were not all
Repnhlioans as YOU we'll knew when you wrote ana
caused TO be published thar statement OF the snoor-
din ate force Charles Lyman chief examiner. was the
only Republican. W. s. Rouhac. the first secretary,
vVpr
Alter the death Of w S Rou!hao in june 1854. K. ID
Graham was appointed secretary and he is Demo
Graf In july 1884 one clerk OF class No. was
given the Commission and Charles +. Adams was
aupointed and be is DemocI AT. The snOordinaies
were not selected account of their political aiiIa-
mons but with their special ttnss TOT te
work before them. As TO the political complexion OF
the persons appointed to the several branches OF ne
public serv,e coming under the provisions OF .he
Tiv,l Servlce law know nothing, but do know that
suenocratc Senators Members OF Congress, influential
politicians and leading DemocfaHc % aspdc,
without any information to the methods OF conduct
ing exam nations marking and grazing papers,
making certificates maintaining the appointment.
ctr r., led upon he Democratic youth OF the country
moi TO attend the examinations. do know that the
most wiliul misrepresentation was made Oy theSo
same men and cwspapcrs TO the work done Oy tue
Commission aud it wonld not surprise lie 10 KNOW
that in the first eighteen mouths of the work under
TIE Pendleton law than 20 per ceut OF those ex
smined for positions in the Civil Service were hephb-
Icans | do know that during the .hirtN two months
i'm which was q member OF The Commission no poIItl
cal test was required ana no. complain. M's ~
of an attempt 10 discriminate by appointing oicers on
account Of politics until after the 4tb oil Mach 1888,
ma II ia not in INV Judgment, c-eitable to those
Democrats who applauded the attempted violations
OF the law" E.
Commenting other utterances" OF the Commit,
fee Judge Thoman among other things says olvi
Service Reform will be in 1888 as 1t was ~ 1881 one
OF the quest which the contest Will 0e waged
II the President had the earnest support oil the
leaders of the Democratic parts he could place 1t IN
All impregnable position But unfortunately: he Is
hammered with the persistent and frequently snc-
cessul usurpaton OF his prerOgstvc by Senators ana
Members OF Congress making appointments oil persons
20 the public service The Presidents action OF nam
ns the persons designated by them is merely per-
fne.ry dutVn