New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-31
BENEDICT IN HOT WATER.
. VAGUE AND EvAsrvE STATEMENT
ur.TEp pEBArE ~ TIM Housh-pH""
DRIVEN TO INVESTIGATION.

p
-. Lo,j time to-day Reformer hne
80 ,r;,ten stat ment was offered by Chairman
piobar,lson of the Printing Committee, as iun
s,a satisfactory reply to the resolution ohereo w
r,ono,,, C,,tcheou of Michigan January 20 Inc
rosolp,ion REQUIRED the Public Printer TO report
whether he had recently dischargcu Vi III"
laughed any part of his force; for what reasons
s,,oh discharges or furloughs. had been made when
che nrintinr for the House is largely III arrears,
ond whether in making such discharges ana
frr,onghs the law had been regarded which re-
onircs that preference shall be given to honorary
discharged soldiers and sailors OF the Union
As might have been expected Mr.. Benedict
rcplv did not meet the case. IL cohslsleu Va OH
abundance of irrelevant matter and ght'erHis
ccneralities" in regard to the past and present
nsnagoment of The Government Printing once.
For cvample IL was stated the authority ol
BENEDICT that he buys ink-nOt OF the same quar-
,r bowever-cheaper than did his predecessor
who Was continued in Office by Mr.. Cleveland iol
nearly two wears that oil costs less no" 'i',''' "
did when Mr. Rounds was the lhcullipeh' W ~
Office: that smaller force does NOR moi honor
than larger force did fGrnerH Sn DiIors and the
ably discharged Union soldiers anu >oIlo9l linen
widows and orphans of more deceaseu my, ~.
veterans are employed now than FORMERLY, ~ -. -
NJ Rcnedict did not state what is asserte9 70 pe
n1i c,sIv susceptible of proof that when ne
discharged some sxty-eiCht or seventy persons
few DAYS ago he selected men ana women WHO Mao
,yero nresumcd 10 sympathiIe with the RepuDncah
,artv In fact, he avoided giving frank answer
10 any of the questions asked by the House
Chairman Richardson OF the tft It Rnnndicts
statement and ne delivered warm speech IN IN
defence of that officer II consisted almost wnoy
OF statements made by fionedict. which the chair
man seemed willing to accept as g9spel-eXcn wisn
they reflected on the efficiency and integrity OF the
late Public Printer Rounds, VINO Is Ill MS ereNe
TIE PUBIC PRINTERS CIRCULARS.
an
pearancc when he stated as facts what were the
mere assertions Of Benedict in his own behalf
perbaps he did not know that within recent
period every emplOye in the Government FrHltlhs
office was required TO write down immaculate
answers 20 questions in a printed blank Which
was circulated by his emissaries, one copy oelng
given to each employe who was required TO return
II soon as the answers were wrlt,en III ~ con-
tanned such questions. in substance as IheSe'
When were you first emplOyedf -
Through whose influence did you receive 9oA az
By whose influence have you been retained1
or course the design of such questions from
man of Benedct's disposition and caliore is APP
parent lie was gathering information when
would enable him to weed out every Republican
and every person suspected of being In sympathy
with the principles of the Republican party
Mr. Benedicts excuses for the delay In printing
bills committee reports, executive documents
and other matters ordered by the House and es-
sentia 10 the Intelligent conduct OF the legislative
business were as lame and unsatisfactory as ms
evasive replies TO the other branches OF the IN
qury and Chairman Richardson did not sue
ceed in having them accepted by the House vi
the Republican side, short but very earnest
speeches were made by General Cutcheon, VINO
pointed out and commented on the eyaslVehesS
of Benedct's statement: by General henderson,
of Iowa who boldly declared that Benedict had
not only evaded but mlsrepresented the facts
by General GrJsvenor, who punctured the NSlI- |
mony OF Benedict's only witness In his own be, /
half: by Mr. Cannon, of Illinois. who defended |
the late Public Printer and by Mr. Laldlaw and |
others
COARSE EXHIBITION BY TaE MAJORITY.
General Hendersons imprisoned speech, in !
which he related how the and daughter of the |
widow of dead Iowa soldier had lost small
places one in the Printing Office and the other IN
the Treasury Department, provoked repeated ana
hearty applause on the Republican side and dis
graceful outbreak of jeering laughter on the Dem
ocratc side.
This lady and her daughter came TO see me |
OF my hotel General Henderson began, whereat |
there was an outbreak Of coarse laughter ana leer-
ing applause among the Democrats; some OF them |
appeared TO be disguised with the offensive eA- |
hIDitiOn of their fellows.
General Henderson explained that the son OF !
the widow had been summarily dismissed by
Benedict to make room for one of Germans MIN
BILE fingers from Baltimore, while the daughter
had been discharged, she was informed, because
she backed only by her ehclency, winch the
official said was unchaenged, In order 10 make
room for man who could vote ana otherwise ala
the Democratic party.
General Cutcheon offered as substitute for
Chairman Richardson's motion to refer the state
tn document b' referred TO a special committee
with instructions to make a thorough inVestiga-
ton of the management OF the Printing once ana
report why the force had been reduced AT TINS
busy season. the reasons for the dlsmlssals re-
Gently made, whether the law for the protection
of hOnorably discharged Union veterans has been
properly regarded. why the current WORK OF the !
office is in arrears, etc.
DESPERATE STRAITS or BFNEDICr's APOLOGIsTs.
The Democrats saw that an investigation was /
inevitable, especially when Springers demand
for the previous question on his amendment TO the
substitute was carried by q majority of only /
seven votes on strictly party division. His |
amendment was TO have the inquiry extend TO the |
management Of the Printing Office under Mr. |
Rounds. the efficiency Of which never before had !
been questioned by any DcmOcnt-and TO have !
the Investigation made 10y the Committee on |
General Cutcheon said that he would not object
to the amendment, provided the Committee on |
Printing should be increased to five members for |
the purposes of the proposed investigation.
The Democrats accepted the compromise with /
great reluctance but they knew that they could |
do no better.
The proposition to investigate the administra-
ton of an officer who is dead; against whose off
cial efficiency integrity not a shadow Of a
complaint brought while he living and
who kept in office by Democratic Admin
strition for than eighteen months. shows
the desperate straits to which the apologIsts and
defenders Of the present partisan and inefficient
administration of this public trust"
duced
TIE CONTESTED SEAT FROM ILLINOIS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80 iSpecial.-1he House
Committee on Elections to-day heard arguments
In the contested election case of Worthington
al ainst Post Of the Xth Illinois District Gen
eral Post appeared in his own behalf and was
followed the side by his counsel Mr.
Bancroft, of Gaesburg, Illinois, who dsSccted the
testimony and showed that, allowing every posi-
bic claim which can be allowed in Worthingtons
behalf Post has clear majority Of more than
20 votes, providing the statutes Of Illinois and
r. peated decisions of the Supreme Court Of that
State are obs rived and respected. The peri GUS
feature of the case, far the sitting member,
who is a Republican is concerned is his small
plurality Of 30 votes and il is upon that feature
that Worthington bases his confidence OF success,
which appears To be great. The returns OF the