Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-14
AGAINST PUsrMAsrER JONES.
Hearing Before the senate Select Com
miflce,

~~AS~e
mitlee.
TESTIMONY or MEMBER OF TIE INDIANA CIVIL
SERVICE REFORM ASSOCIATION A. 10 THE METHODS
OF MAKING OFFICIAL CHANGES M THE INDIAN
APoLB Posr-oFFICR.
The Hale select senate committee investigating
the operation OF the civI-ssrvice law gave hear
ing yesterday. Mr.. Lucius b. Swift, Of Indianapo-
lis member OF the executive committee OF the In
diana Civl Service Reform Association, was exam
ined He said, In reply TO inquiries by the chair
man. that he had seen In some paper q statement
to the effect that senator Blackburn had intimated
that Mr.. Foulke, when before the committee, had
perjured himself, and, also, that Mr.. Blackburn
had alluded TO Mr.. Foulke as tramp. Witness,
upon reading these statements had told Mr..
Foulke that he would be glad to appear before the
committee and substantiate the statements which
Mr.. Foulke had made. The reports were made by
authority OF the Civil Service Association. The
was chairman Of the state committee OF independ-
ent republicans, who also voted for President
Cleveland. witness identified the reports sub
mitted by MIR. Foulke as those prepared by him
self.
THE CASE OF A DEAF SOLDIER.
As examples OF the operation OF the civil service
law In the Indianapolis post-ofice the witness
said that Wallace Foster had been a soldier, and
was stone deaf He occupied the position OF dis
tri0utlng clerk, which was work That he could do
satisfactorily. The first year that MIR. Jones took
another soldier clerk named Wheat IL was given
out that these Two places would not be filled, but
witness learned, after ne had made his first COM
plant 10 President Cleveland, that the salaries OF
these two men had been transferred from the
class lied 10 the unclasSlted service. Under the
form former Administrator, ASS slant Postmaster
Jones appointed John w. Dodd TO be assistant
postmaster and his Joneso son to De cashier.
They were not satisfied to divide the salary that
Thompson had had, and so Foster and Wheat were
dismissed 50 that they could get the money paid
to then. Dodd and Jones thus received 800
more than Thompson Tor the same service. A car
driver had reported TO Jones That Stearns, car
rier, had remarked that Hendricks Old Toe would
not not trouble HIM any more, Tor ne was dead.
StearnS was called to account and denied the re-
marx, Tut he was dismissed, and, although he az
terward brought the testimony Of reputable VIII
nesses support OF his statement, he was not re-
lnSLaLed.
OTHER EXAMPLES.
carrier named Sample was called before Post
master Jones, said the Witness and told that COM
plant had been made that he owed debt OF $40.
He acknowledged the debt, and promised to pay it
as soon as he could, and understood that he was
10 De given time 10 pay, but was shortly after
ward discharged. One OF Mr.. Jones appOintees,
named Crane, mad been complained OF for owing
debt or s47.96 lie was not disturbed In his oince,
ana Is In to-day, though the debt has not been
paid. man named Wilmington, an ex-soldier,
VINO mad been thirteen years III the pOstOlnce, VINO
had attended closely TO duty, and who was not
politician, had Deen discharged by Mr.. Jones. Mr..
Jones said lac had nothing at all against Whining
lon but merely wanted his place for another man.
Yet Mr. Jones got SIX men TO sign statement
tnat wilmington had been a Challenger at the
polls when President Cleveland was elected. Will
mingtOn sent Ior Two or The six signers showed
them The paper, and they declared at once that
they dld not say Wilmington mad been a cnal-
lenger, and had Signei the paper Without reading
IL. This was proven before The commission wnen
the matter Was unuer investigation, but Winning
ton was not reinstaJed, and nothing was SAID 70
him IN way OF apology. the COMMISSION, In eX-
aiming TINS matter, mad refused to permit wit
hess 10 De present or to see the testimony, but IL
should snow That Mr.. France called upon Comil1S.
sloner Thoman In person. Ieei1ng lnaJ he had done
great wrong, anu uld all he could 10 set 1t tght,
and stated TO Mr. ThOman that tine charge had no
foundation In TACT
SWEEPING CHANGES.
Witness said there were nine OF the old employees
two when MIR. Jones went in. The result OF these
changes, he said, was very bad upon the service.
IL had been very much dem0rdllZeu since Mr.. Jones
came into Office. The appolnLeeS were at least no
better than there mad Deen no civll-service law,
and the spells system was in Iull operation. The
persons appointed were active in campaign work
IN the different wards, running primaries, &C. he
tees since they were appointed. The present led
eral service In Indiana Was very poor.
CrooS-eXamlneu ny senator Blodgett witness
stated mat all The evidence he hal In most or the
cases was that OF the men who had Ueen dis
charged, but that had not been disputed. He
thought MI. Jones' method OF making appoint
menLs-preferring democrats who mad passed the
examination 10 reuuOllcanS-WaS a violation OF
the spirit OF the ciy-servlce law. And ne thought
IL Violation OF The spirit VI the law 10 discourage
examination and gained his place, 10 make
place for a democrat. There were only two demo-
Gratis in the poSJ-offce under jones' predecessor.
There were nine republicans In The Office now.