The Portland daily press., 1888-03-29
SENATOR HALE's INVESTIGATION
How the Administration Works the
Civil Service Law.
postmasters Removed for Reasons
of Which They are Not Informed.
President cIeveland's Attempt to
Explain Affairs In Indiana.

WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator Hale's
committee to inquire into workings Of the
civil service law, was addressed this morning
by William Dudley Foulke of Richmond,
Ind. president Of the Indiana Civil Service
Reform Association. Mr.. Foulke said he did
not vote for either presidential candidate in
the last election. Shortly after the appoint
ment of Postmaster Jones Of indianapolis,
the association investigated the condition of
that Office, and Lucius l. Swift of the asso-
citation came to Washington and conferred
with the President in regard to number Of
abuses discovered, but nothing was DONE
Swift thereupon made long report to the
association upon the condition of the Indi-
annapolis office and the condition Of the civil
service generally. The witness compared
the report with the affidavits upon which it
was for the most part based, and found it
correct The witness submitted copy Of
the printed report, and verbally stated some
of its leading points. Postmaster Jones, he
said, ON taking office on April 10Th, 1885, re-
moved the assistant postmaster. cashier,
stamp clerk, messenger, the superintendent
of the registry department and the carriers,
and filled their places with Democrats, and
it was not long before he made general
sweep. To each employe removed, Jones as
signed no other reason than that the place
was wanted for another. A man who passed
the civil service examination asked II there
was any chance of his appointment. Jones
replied by asking him whom he voted ior.
Another asked If any Republicans would DC
appointed, and Jones answered no., :,
Senator Hale asked what was the condl-
tion of the public business after these many
changes.
The witness said that complaints were
very numerous, and made almost every gay.
bsx fff.a hoA rd nf
three weeks elapsed between the mailing
and delivery of drop letter. carrier was
appointed who was unable to read the super
scriptions on letters. Another. appointed 10
collect the mail, failed so badly that an over
flow of weeks accumulation was lett In
some of the mail boxes. These and many
other abuses were cited and embodied IN tne
report of the association, and forwarded 10
the President and Postmaster General:
The witness described the investigation
made by himself personally into the causes
of removals Of presidential postinaSters. lie
addressed circular letter asking Tor lntor-
nation, to 1893 suspended postmasters In In
diana and 102 suspended presidential posi-
masters in other States. To theses ne re-
ceived 158 replies. In 101 Indiana cases, and
in 80 in the other States, no notice was gwen
by the department, or by any one, OF cnarges
having been filed, nor was there any inves,
tigatiOn. These were all cases OF removal
before the expiration OF the incumbent
Term. In large humber Ol CaScos thO hioo
information received was by the newspapers
or from the presentation by the successor OF
the order of suspension. The witness dld
not suppose the President had personal
knowledge of these occurrences. He ac-
cordingly came ON to Washington and laid
the facts before President Cleveland.
HE found" he said, ''that the President
knew of it, and appeared to approve OF IT,
He said it was not possible to make an in
yestigatiOn, or to let the parties know what
the charges were; that would be to turn each
case into judicial Investigation which he
could not do. / asked him then why he re-
quired that any charges be made. lie SAID
that they were trying to do the best they
could. He said that he regretted that we
had made an investigation. l told him that
most of the charges were made by persons
utterly irresponsible, and sometimes by those
who did not pretend to know the facts.
Sometimes the charges were false and 1t was
not possible to procure correct Information
at all until both sides had chance to be
heard. He said the department had TO ges
its information the best way 1t could ana
and that he hoped we would go slow. lie
had great difficulty in bringing some OF MS
party up to his idea of civil service reform,
and Indiana was particularly bad State l
told him knew this and appreciated the SIT
uation. left him lists which embodied the
results of the investigation. The witness
stated that there had not, to his knowledge,
been any change in the condition OF affairs
since he laid the matters before the Presl-
dent. The subcommittee will probably go
to Philadelphia next week.