New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-14
IN THE GUISE OF REFORM
HOW THE PUBLIC SERVICE HAS BEEN DE-
GRADED IN INDIANA
MIR. FouLKE's TESTIMONY FULLY coRRoBoRAT'
ED-THE CAREER OF POSTMASTER JONES
fpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

ED-IHE iAEEEi W IVS1''@'I' -"
JBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRDUSE-l
Washington, SEPT. 13.-when senator BlacKourn
alluded in public debate 10 Mr. Fouhc of Indianapolis
once witness before the Hale select committee 10
investigate the operations OF the Civ Service, as
tramp he stirred UP good deal Of indignation IN
Indiana Mr. Foulke Is widely known In that oiste
not only as man of means and standing, but as one
Of public spirit and improbable integrity mr.
Foulke's testimony consisted mainly OF matters whch
had been developed In Investigations conduc'eh Dy
Luclus + Swift, prominent lawyer OF Indianapolis
a member OF the executive committee OF the ONh
Service Reform Association and chairman OF the III
dependent state Committee organization OF hs-
publcans who worried four years for the elecuon
of Grover Cleveland. Mr. Foulkc's credib'hy nav
ing been tmpeachcd Mr. swift volunteered TO appear
before tho committee In person ard substanua'e IT,
and to-day az opportunity afforded him to do 80
Senators Hale spooner, Chace and Blodgeu were
present.
Mr. Swift testified in the warmest terms OF praise 10
Mr. Foulke's trust worthress witness ana stahu-
ing as citizen and then sketched the career OF AGiia
Jones' the postmaster Of Indianapolis as niiefh OIL
cal Of this Civil service Reform Administration. az"
the effect the public service OF Indiana when ms
appointment has had jones' first Official step was
TO secure a new local examining board. and then al
though he had on hand full list Of elgibles he ser
about securing a new one The new machine man
aged 10 pass Democrats only. Tho witness ana
another member OF the Reform Association called on
Jones and were informed by him that he proposed 10
turn out the Republicans, and that he would not ap-
point single Republican TO succeed them no mat
ter what the standing might be on examination MT
Swift brought this to the attention Of the Pi'slden
with specific instances Of Mr. Jones's peculiar methods
bit beyond an alleged Investigator hy that eminent
rcformer, judge Thoman. late a member Of the
Clvn Service Commission, nothing was done, and Mr.
Swift declared in substance that with the facts re-
pcatedy brought the attention Of the President the
Jones theories Of reform had been continued 10 TINS
time with the result Of entire decentralization OF
the postal service
he exhibited the envelopes OF letters, plainly an
dressed, and IN instance bearing the address IN
print which had gone astay, being delivered TO other
persons in other cities and in other states lie toH
again the story OF Bowling, the mail messenger, who
va. retained in office after II fully known that ne
had successfully brlbed CITY councmen in the mat
ter Of street-car franchise. Long aftcrwaTd DOW
ling got drunk and made his from Indianapolis 10
Terre Haute without asserting his mail, returning with
/ It to indianapolis. and then suffered his car to 20
/ back TO Terre Haute without any messenger Union
soldiers, Of proved efficiency in Office were discharged
without cause TO make places for Democratic strikers
who not soldiers, and Mr.. Swift declared his BE-
lief that not ore place in vacated by ex-solders
was relied by an ex-solder.
As Illustrating the kind Of removals Mr. Jones
makes the cases Of Foster and Wheat. clerks, were
narrated. Foster ex-sOldier, and "as stone
deaf but was efficient in the distributing department
1t was given out HAT the places OF these Two nen
would not be filed, and il was supposed ihdI Mt
Jones intended 90 placti.e economy nier jones =
predecessors the as--taurOsf mss'er had Ieli' meu
/ with hi, own duiic. the function, q cashier Jones
/ turned him out. OK course am appointed John W
DOdd 10 be as7stantp postmaster and his own son Va
/ le cashier Long aitcrward n va, learned tha
roster and Wheat had beer discharged In older tha
their salaries might be added to those OF Dodd and
Mr. Wilmington. an ex-sodier, thirteen years az
| emplOve In the office. was discharged and Mt Jonc'
told Mr. Swift personally that there was noihln-
against him This was trOu -ht 10 the attention ~ IN
President. and ono OF the cases inquired mo nN
Mr. IhOman. When f. was known th2' II wa, 10 bo li
vest gated, Jones got rp charge. I'D Wli'n lr pl'
/ cured six signatures. that Wilmington had Dren
challenger al the polls when Cleveland As elected
Mr. swift called upon of the gners. who declared
/ nat they had never said that Wilmington W a.
challenger ard had not read the paper they hfl signed
One OK the Fer called or judge lhorian ana tcs
apology was offered was the man relnstated
The books OF the office showed that Wilmington haf
been all day on duty al Union Depot giving receipts
! for packages.
Out Of force Of zixty-0ue or Jones had ALREADY
removed all but nine. The carTer-serylce had 0eeI
increased IS per cent exclusive " the add ton made
necessary by the Eiy htlour law. while the popula
ton had only increased II per cent yet the service
Swift made II clear that the President WIS fully aWar
OF the practices OF lis postmaster vet no Steps haf
| been taken to effect a change of these practices.
On cross-cxamina ion by Senator Bl0dgeit Mr.
swift admitted that his evidence Of d scharges wihou
| cause largely based upon the sw' m statement
Of the discharged mrn. yet IL had never hen denied
and II untrue, he swift was making himself liable
to heavy penalties under the laws Of Indiana