New-York tribune., 1886-07-10
POSTMASTER VEAZEf'S CASE.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION REPORT


AND THE LETTER OF THE LAW.
WASHINGTON. July 0-1he Civil Service
Commission to day made public iis "opnion on the ac
ton Of Mr.. j. Parker Neszey as postmaster AT b"u
In making appointments Tor partisan reaso"'-
The documt Mt is long one and starts Oh by ah account
OF the wholesale discharges OF Repubicahs oy hi
Veazcy and the appointment OF Democrats In their
stead. The comments on Mr.. Veazey's actoh ny ,o"-
missioner Lyman are given as follows:
Firs,-That in removing en- poves against whom there
charges. except that tney were krLuDncahhs ans
Postmaster Veszey grossly vio ated the spit o ,he @
act, especially II the avowed object OF me
removals Is cousiaered VIZ To make vacancies 10 "hch
Democrats might ne appointed - 49,,
secoud-That in appointing Democrats because they
were Democrats. aud IN passing over Al" a "
appoint Republicans because ney were keIu"iI,"n, ,
Postmaster Veazey distinctly violated Rule Will whicn
nfatlon of an applicant is known. discrimination
shall be made by reason thereof ny the cAamlhcrs te
commission or the appointing power.
Replying to Commissioner Ly man. Mr. Neazey hoIhs;
Frst-That the Civil Service act and rules leave the
authority and duty OF removal untisurbed WIN tne
exception that Rule IfoIb removals for refusing TO
perform political service or TO pay political assess
ment. tnat, therefore, while ne postma.ter at
Baltimore he had right to remove empoyes ~ MS ",
the Clvi for cause satisfactory TO
himself except the cause mentioned IN Rnlr H. ana Una.
doing did violate the CNn -ervlce art or
rules thai :hc United States Civil Service Commission
has authority make inquiry concerning removdH'
and that when IL or any member thereof does SO, So
thing is then done outside the scope OF the comnison
secoud-That in appointing Democrats because they
were Democrats, AMI refusing to appoint hepnp'%%ns %
because they were Republicans he dld not NOid'o '"0
civil Service act or rules.
TIE report quotes cxhsusvely from the Civ Service
rules TO prove the falsy OF Mr. Nesley's position IL
says in conclusion:
But Mr.. Veazey "to select IL not to dlscFlni-
nate" True nut to select because fpaFcnar know rug
or for particular reason is TO d.srrimnate n"I
select b.o OF the knowledge that an app lcan ~
Democrat or Republican IS a discrimination In""''"
If Inis is the proper construction Rnle VIII. "how
asks Mr. NeaZey, shalt p0siinast asieI Hthc !"
from the four ma mes certified when he knows
rell d lie A
of the rue. continues Mr.. Ne'zr5 "carre'Ii Iis iplca
ton IN, o realm where even Civil Service Commissioners
cannot travel and that is the hidden region o hio,Ne
that II, maintaining silence c"ncerninS
his conduct, an appointing oineer hsNihg - W.
the political opinions and Affiliations oi applicants Nere,
dscrm nate in his appointments brcauseo of such know-
edge and circnn santIa evidence ana not SEQ" hs ~,
tentlon. lie could not with pIrty De chaf2ei WIN
unjust discrimination public officer. y" Que could
without hs consent enter into the hlheh region "' 'ne
Of his action. But If. after making such ulscrlh
nations. H. were 10 lead the pntc with Ms own pdnd
INTO the hilGen region OF his motive aud say: thrrr
tai. TO that II was for partisan reasons
10 ,Iscrnnato in making appo ntmruts favor Of the
applicants who were members oi my own party ahd u
discriminate against To- applicants VINO we're III mpert
OF any other party If hc appointing officer were 20 DO
TINS certainly the conclusion woud DO inevitable that
his action and words taken oZetner were confession
that he had been for parisan pur cSes guilty oi a" un
just discrimination denounced by Jaw. .,
Mr. Veazey has excluded the publ from his hid
den region OF motive He has sad 10 not hesitate
to acknowledge that made no attempt I" secure non
partisan service; that appointed Democrats because
they were democrats that WIN Two or tnrce eNei
uon- all the persons selected and appointed ~ m, 10
to be Democrats ard selected aud appointed by me
because they were Democrats His acdon cann"t be
excused by his assertion that hs dd not appoint me
Democrats appointed by HIM FOR the reason thai they
Dcluocri;- tor that reason alone. LII view of all
opinion Postmaster Veazcy violated the spirit of
TIE Cv Service ct and not only the spirit but also the
IDst-whcn. a an appointing officer. he sought for
information concerning TIE political opinions ana ANNA
tons OF the persons who, wDle lie Was postmaster at
Baltimore, applied TO him Tor entrance AT his once 10
the classified postal
Sccond-When. as appointing officer he failed to dis
nlenance disclosure. made To nan concerning '"o
political opinions and ar iations o such hpp!canis.
1hird-Whrn, appointing officer, he sclecI"i from
ceri ncaIe sent 70 hin ny the Board OF E1an'ner'
ia knowledge Of the fact. The ia &C OF y no. ra
and then appointed the Democrat because lie WAS
fotrfh-when as an appointing officer he refused TO
appoint h pGbcHn, -pary rihei 10 him. because
the Kepunllcap wasa Republican.
The questions thai have been raised by ih CON
teu'Ion The Commission does Il" gee proper 10 discuss.
avn .no t SERVER throlr fne de- door ga;
from the broad b ghvay OF The "sDolls system me
re"ic ,r. r,rer M n tpe non. they occupy by ihc
friendly voices of mis- AIKEN friends of tNh sew ro
nioIs ineinoels OF the BON ca orgalz non tie
former palti- methods of winch tnee proie nccane
at once the incompetent 8nd uhdhtnI servants oi me
people, lui the iGufu every-rei y. ,Xiui servan.soI
The parts whose Influence procured for t.e their
places Ant the Commission Is not af 70 a. itrrAt
assertion hal the Civ o~rvtce aci va, formerly "im"-
iserrd irely ID the interest Of 0ne ppc Al par }. an
assertion which though on ia'ion "s- i made nla's
lie by tn fact th"t The Civ Stvcc ac vas nnl 'trE
adminst r'd almost exclusively by m uhHrS Of orc
party. With these matters the tnuiHi = 81 cthh"t
deal hut 1t is determined that Ia the pr
ent the tlYil rciN!cc att a1O IHl'N
shall be executed IN their spiiit a we'll
rs their le ter tna with the lOwl'dge o the co
mssion no hart Of cXaminer at any cnsi'm h"u-r or
post Office shall b" formerly, C1mppsrd entirely %
members OF the parry c0nrollng the custom house or
post office that all examinations. AL certf railon- fro
ell. ble registers, all the action of eXamnlug boards
shall be nOH-parsau: that violation or The CYL
rules called 10 attention OF the
| MISSION shall escape It's denuucatIun.
In this nOiptrtsan sp rlt the commission has con
sderec the questions raised by the BIltim ire Post
ONCE controversy. and has To the concIus.ons
stated In this paper.