The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-13
HOLSTERS AND THE SPOILS.
A Land Where Machine Politics Is Pre-
ferred to Civil-Seryice- Reform Law.
Views of Mugwump Leader-Federal Pat
rOnage Used to Serve Political Ends
YiOlators of the Presidents Order.

not very numerous, but they yet represent
very influential and representative class of men.
By some it has been estimated that the mug
wumps cast two thousand votes in the last cleo
ton.
had yesterday, talk with Lucius B. Swift,
a lawyer in this city, and one of the ablest and
most conservative of the Indiana mugwumps.
He, in company with Mr.. Louis Rowland, the
editor Of the Freeman, were the gen.
tlemen who were 80 conspicuous in
making a fight against Aquilla Jones,
the postmaster of this city before the President
for gross violations of the civilservice laws. Mr..
Swift is in the reighborhood of forty years of
age. He has q round, smooth shaven, fresh col
ored face. He wears large gold-rimmed spec
taces close up against his dark keen eyes Mr..
Swift said yesterday that the independent Re-
publicans have been absolutely deserted in this
State by the administration. They have not
been given the slightest encouragement Cases
made out by them had been met with mere par
tisan indifference. Indiana to-day Is given over
completely to the spells system much as is the
State of Maryland. Mr.. Swift confined all his
criticism of the administration to this State.
he said Il do not by any means intend to ex
press regret for having voted for President
Cleveland Whether shall vote for him again
in case OF denomination will depend upon what
the alternative is and also upon his course, not in
Indiana alone but in the whole country taken to-
gether."
when the President was inaueurated the in
dependent Republicans of this State" says Mr..
Swift, 'felt that during the terms of officers
serving with fixed terms and with all employees
In the unclassifed service, including laborers
serving without fixed term, and in all cases in
classified service, he was fairly committed to the
policy of making no removals nor allowing any
to be made without cause. The new postmaster
at Indianapolis, Jones, removed all persons under
him in the unclassifed service admitting that
he did so in most of the cases without cause.
He also began to make removals il the CLASH
fed service and admitted distinctly that he did
SO without cause These matters were laid be-
fore the President for the purpose Of making
test case The federal offices at Indianapolis
ice law applies. The President appeared
willing to give the case consideration. The
Independent Republicans said to him: You must
take stand In this case, for the reason that We
are seeking to get a oivil-service reform law
passed through the Legislature to apply to State
offices, and unless We receive encouragement
from you the cause of civil-service reform in In
diana will be killed during your term The
President referred the matter to the Civilservice
Com mission. It sent out Judge Thomau, whose
examination of the charges was a burlesque.
He found that the civil service law had not been
violated although two officials from the CLASH
fed service were removed without cause and
working politicians put in their place. Four
ldUlcS W6T0 GiuplOySO IN Lu0 IueOUlQE OF Days.
One of them was niece OF General Burnside.
The others were from soldiers families They
were put out and their places filed by ward pol
iticiaus The representative Of the Civil-service
Commission here only passes Democrats. After
Jones was whitewashed by Thoman he went
ahead still further ignoring the law Mr.. Swift
says that within the year over half the CLASH
fed service have been forced out of their places.
Every man appointed to succeed them was
Democrat. Among those forced out are eight of
VI IN tn arah A
1885, had obtained their places under the COM
petitive system.
There is no State In the Union where the civil
service-r reform law is go unpopular as here. The
President has made no pretense of enforcing it.
After appealing to him, Mr.. Swift by way of
variety, reported special case to the Postmaster
general to see If he could not get him to help them
The case selected by him was that of Bowling, a
postal clerk. Bowling was former member of the
Board Of Aldermen in this city. He boosted In the
presence of several gentlemen that he had bribed
a member of the board The next day he made
the same statement Ia the presence Of other gen.
tlemen. He was summoned before the grand
jury, and refused to make any answer concerning
the statement, upon the ground that he might
criminate himself by so doing. Mr. Villas de-
clined to dismiss him from the service, upon q
full presentation of the facts, claiming that he
was Endorsed by such prominent men in Indiana
that it would be better to give him q chance to
mend bis ways
There WIS an affidavit Ia one of the courts here
made by member of the City Council in which
he charges that Mr.. A. NJ. Kuhn, the Collector
OF Customs in this city, offered him 800 to vote
for the partner OF Congressman Bynum for the
Office of City Attorney Mr. Kuhn was also
delegate to the congressional convention which
renominated Mr.. Bynum. He was present in
the convention and used the entire custom house
staff to control and manipulate the convention
His attempt to manipulate the Council has been
reported to Washington by Cleveland Repub-
licans, but without result.
There is not the slightest pretense in this State
Of obeying the Presidents order to federal Off
Gals. Mr. Swift says that tho Democrats of
this State are just as good and honest class of
men as are the Republicans, but he saws
the Democratic leaders are the most unscrupu-
ious and ignorant of politicians They
are advocates OF the spells system and have
apparently received full authority from the
administration for the carrying out of their
peculiar political ideas because IN to the pres
sent time not a single removal has been made
for violations of the civil-service reform law
Neither has there been a single removal of any
one of the numerous federal officials who have
manipulated and worked personally in the polit- 1
ical conventions of this year.
At the civil-service reform headquarters in
this city, they have so far as has been in their
who have violated the Presidents orders A
positive can be made out against each one
of them. This list is as follows:
l. Norval Blackburn, postmaster at Decatur,
is editor of the Democrat, and is also the secre-
tary of the Democratic county committee He
is very prominent leader in local politics
z Lewis Doubaus, postmaster at Jonesville,
has openly violated the Presidents order
3, and 8. G. w. Walker, postmaster at Cen
terville; j. H. Marks, deputy revenue collector,
and John Holland, Richmond letter-carrier,
were delegates in the Democratic State conven-
ton.
g. John Algan, of the United States revenue
service, was delegate to the State convention
from LaPorte.
7. j. 7. Hill, postal clerk, has been great
worker in the primaries.
8. James ID. Kackley, postmaster at Vim
cenness, was delegate in the State convention.
9. John Van Stein, of the Indianapolis post
Office, was also delegate in the State conven-
ton
TO- Smith Myers, froup the same Office. has
worked necessarily for the denomination of Con-
gresham Bynum.