Wichita eagle., 1888-04-04
CIVIL SERVICE INVESTIGATION.
The Commission at Work on the Phila-
delphia PoSto1ice.

PHILADELPHIA, April 3.-The senatorial.
subcommittee appointed to investigate
the charges Of abuse of the civil service
| law in the administration Of the federal
offices in this city arrived here today and
| at once proceeded to work. Senator Hale
presided and the other members Of the
subcommittee, Senators Henderson and
Bioogett. were present. The committee
began with the postoffice administration
under the present postmaster, William f.
harrity. The first witness was Garrett c.
Hanley, discharged Republican letter
carrier. He testified that he was dis
charged without cause and without warn
ing. His successor was a. Republican
appointed under the impression
that he was Democrat, but
only allowed to serve six months when
he was replaced BY Democrat. Witness
safd that Dir. Harrity began as soon as be
was confirmed to make clean sweep, dis
charging fifty clerks at one time. In con
sequence the delivery and distribution ser
vice were demoralized and the mails de-
layed. The witness had heard that men
had been appointed as watchmen and then
promoted to be letter carriers or clerks
in order to evade the law. There are now
in the postoffice but eighty of the
400 Republicans who served with
him. The others had been dis
charged and replaced by Democrats
Witness had asked Assistant Postmaster
Drake why he was discharged and was told
that it was because he was Republican.
Old soldiers had been turned out to make
places for politicians, many of whom wit
ness had seen working hard at the polls
since their appointment. Some of the
Democrats who had been appointed to sue
coed the Republicans had been after
wards discharged because they were Ran
dali Democrats. Upon cross examination
witness admitted that he did not know the
Democrats who had been discharged and
only had such knowledge of the facts as
he obtained from gossip and the news
papers.
Stephen Montroy, a Democrat from the
Twenty-tirst ward, testified that in the
summer OF 1885 secret committee had
been organized in his ward to get the
party workers places. The committee by
ballots elected the men considered deserv-
ing and a subcommittee of five was ap-
pointed to seek to get such men as were
selected appointed Morris +. Withere
now chief stamp clerk in the postoffice and
d brothsr-in-law of Postmaster Harrity,
was member of the committee. Two other
u LIdU diSO SOU
but the workers got left. Witness said he
had taken list of Twenty-first ward
workers to Maxwell Stevenson, recently
the Democratic candidate for congressman
at large, and asked him to give them
places. Mr.. Stevenson said: ''Why don't
they go up and pass the examination,
first" The witness replied that perhaps
some of them could not pass, to which Mr..
Stevenson replied that if the men went up
for examination and cnul1 If
they could read and write, somebody
would be sent up to pass the examina
ton for them. Witness had heard, and
would privately furnish the committee
with the name of the applicant that one
man had been taken into the room adjoin-
ing the room where the examination was
being held and given a list of the questions
lieved that men had personated applicants
at the examination.
Mr. Withere said: eff the men get the
average we caunot keep them out"
Witness said, ''how about the Republi-
cans"" To which the reply was ooh, that
is another thing" Wlthere is member
of the state committee. ~.
Joseph j. Jeppens, an ex-soldier and ex-
Republican letter carrier, testified that he
was discharged without cause and Demo
crat put in his place. He had since
sought to get the civil service
commission to investigate his case, but
Mr.. Harrlty had informed them that he had
Incorporate habits and was an offensive
partisan and abused the administration
The first Of these charges was false. but
the commission had refused to investigate
the matter.
Captain Magnon, also an ex-soldier, who
resigned a clerkship testified that he had
resigned because old soldiers who
lost their limbs in the war
were displaced by Democratic stripplings
and the few experienced men who were
left had to do all the work He admitted
that he had, while in the office, furnished
newspaper men with ammunition against
Postmaster Harrity and his new force.
John Whitley testified to number of
cases of drunkenness among the Demo
cratic employees and said that Mr.. Earrity
had turned out nearly all of the Republi-
cans in the office When asked by Senator
Blodgett how many Democrats there were
in the Office under the recent Republican
admin stration he said he could only recall
the name of one man.