Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-10-22
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The Minority Of the Investigating
Committee Makes a Report.
Mr.. BLACKBURN's VIEWS.
He Says the Evils and Abuses of To-day
Were Inherited from Previous Admin
isfrations-He Says the SIajority's
Report Was Superficial.

WASHINGTON, Oct. Ex-senator Blackburn
submitted to the senate the report of the
minority of the special committee appointed
70 examine into the operations OF the civil
service
In his report Mr.. Blackburn says that the
minority was not asked TO call witnesses ane
was not notified that the case was closed un.
til the report of the majority was presented
TO the senate When the unannounced re-
port of the majority was presented there was
but one member of the minority in the city,
and he has had no opportunity to follow out
the case in detail. Mr. Blackburn says that
the resolution of the senate has been, against
the protest of the minority, persstently con.
strued to limit the investigation to the time
covered by the present administration. In
this he says they acted with wisdom, for ii
appears, in spite of efforts to suppress the
facts, that the evils and abuses of to-day
were inherited from previous administra
tions. The testimony says the report shows
that the levying of assessments upon govern
ment officials and political discrimination in
appointments existed prior to March, 1886.
''The majority report says Mr.. Black
burn, 'rests on the testimony of Appraiser
Mullen, of New York, and the Widow Nc
Ginnis pig, and it is composed largely OF
hearsay evidence not even delivered at second
hand, and the noisy clamor raised by the
gang of the dismissed officials who had been
In office so long and had been clinging for SO
many years to the teats of the federal treas
ury that they concluded that their title to
place and pay constituted a life estate.n
Mr.. Blackburn goes on to the conclusion
chat the report and examination show "that
something was needed in the shape of cam
paign document, to meet the desperate needs
of political contest
Much of the testimony, he says, would
never have been admitted in court of law
OF the Indiana testimony in particular, he
says: "It win not be claimed by any one that
Mr. w. d. Foulke ever incurred the pains
and penalties of the statute against perjury
when he appeared before less than quorum
of this COMMITTEES tno quorum ever having
been notified of the meeting) and unloaded
his batch of newspaper clippings and street
corner rumors, and induced the majority of
the committee to incorporate all this balder-
dash into The Record and into their report"
Mr.. Blackburn then goes into an elaborate
analysis of the testimony, to show by it, as
printed, that the claims of the majority are
without foundation. He denies that there
were removals for political reasons in the
COhSNSOl OAllCc tlb 4NcW OIk- ueuOunCeS
the investigation into the selection of a site
for public building at BinghamtoA, N. Y,
and into the internal revenue system as un-
authorized, but says the minority is content
to rest on the testimony taken.
1T is not easy to conceive of anything more
ludicrous than the Republican party clamor-
ing for an enforcement of the civil service
law says Mr. Blackburn, and then he quotes
the Hubbell assessment letters of 1882.
Reviewing the testimony taken, Mr.. Black
burn reaches the conclusion that there is
nothing to show that the public service has
ever suffered harm by reason of a single
Office holder neglecting his duties to serve his
party; and that after nearly four years Of
Democratic rule there are ten Republicans
in service where there was one Democrat in
March, 1885. Under Democratic admins
tration, the report says, it is not to be won
dered at that Democrats were given the
preference in appointments.
Whether the fidelity with which tha
president and his subordinate officers have
sought to observe this law was wise may be
disputed, but the honesty of purpose with
which he and they have endeavored to exc
cute it cannot be truthfully denied"
In conclusion the report questions whether
there was lever more deperate effort made.
employing more reckless and desperate
methods to serve or save a more desperate
cause, than has been made by the majority
of the connr1iffen