St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-21
MURMURS OF A MINORITY.
Senator Blackburn Discusses the 0p-
Grafton of the Civil Service.
EVILS OF ANCIENT ORIGIN.
All of the Abuses of the Present We're
Inherited From Previous Ad-
minisirati0ns.


Special TO the Globe.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 20. - Senator
Blackburn submitted to the senate this
morning the report of the minority of
the special committee appointed to
examine into the OpeI abiOns of the civil
service. In his report Mr.. Blackburn
says that the minority was not asked
to call witnesses and was not noti-
fed that the case was closed until
the report of the majority was presented
to the senate. When the unannOunced
report of the majority was presented
there was but one member OF the mi
nOrity in the city, ana 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,
persistently construed to limit the III
vestigation to the time covered by the
present administration. In this he says
they acted with wisdom. for it appears
in spite OF efforts TO suppress the facts,
that the evils and abuses of to
day were inherited from pre-
viOus administrations. The testi-
mony. says tie report. shows that
the leyying of assessments upon govern
ment officials and political dlScrlmina-
ton in appointments existed prior TO
March. 1888. The majority report. says
Mr.. Blackburn, rests on the testimony
of Appraiser Mullen. OF New Ork. and
the
WIDOW M'GINNIS' PIG"
and it is composed largely of news
paper clippings, unsworn statements,
hearSay evidence not even developed at
secondhand. and the noisy clamOr
raised 10y the gang of dismissed officials
who had been in Office 50 long and had
been cHnging for so many years TO
the teatS of the Federal treasury
that they concluded that their title
to place and pay constituted life es-
tate" Mr.. Blackburn goes on to the
conclusion that the report and eXami-
nation show that something was
needed in the shape OF a campaign doc
Ument to meet the desperate needs of
political contest" Much of the teSti-
mOny. he says, would never have been
admitted IN a court Of law. OF the In
diana testimony IN particular he says:
sit will not be claimed by any one that
W. d. FOulke ever incurred the pains
and penalties of the statute against
perjury when he appeared before
less than a quorum OF this COM
mittee mo 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 balderdash into
the Record, aud into their report Mr..
Blackburn then goes into an elaborate
analysis of the testimony to show by 1t
as printed that the claims OF the ma
jOrity
ARE WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
He denies that there were removals
for political reasons IN the collectors
Office at New York. He denOunces the
investigation into the selection of a site
for a public building at BinghamptOn,
Y. Y. and into the internal reve-
nue. system as unauthorized. but
says the minority IS content
tOC rest on the testimony taken.
1t is not easy TO conceive OF anything
more ludicrous than the Republican
party ciamOring for an enforcement of
the civil service law. says Mr.. Black
burn. 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 pub
lie service has ever suffered harm by
reason of a single office-hOlder neglect
ing his duties TO serve his party. and
that after nearly four years of Demo-
cratic rule there are ten Republicans in
service where there was one Demo-
crat on March 4. 1855. Under Demo-
cratic administration, the report says,
il is not to be wondered at that Demo-
Gratis We're given the preference in ap-
pOiutment. Whether tie fidelity with
which the 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 execute
it can not be truthfully denied In
conclusion. the report questions whether
there was ever a more desperate effort
made. employing more reckless and
desperate methods. to serve or save a
more desperate cause than has been
by the majority Of the committee"