Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-21

the funds or Improvement in the methods Of
collection; or In the modes Of keeping and ex-
that was not cheerfully adopted and carried
out to the utmost conception Of the purposes
for which they we're devised. An examination
OF the methods now In use in the Office will at
test the fact and the books and records will ct
the same time show that the same methods
have been in use for the several years pest. No
new devices have been introduced or change
effected. As to the "objectional" manner in
discharge Of duty. the tax-paying public and
citizens OF all degrees, very generally, have &C
q |
the duties OF the office, and am quite willing
to submit the whole of this thinly-disguised
pretext for predetermined purpose controlled
by other motives.
Ex-AUDrToR TIcHENoR's STATEMENT.
The Press to-day published interviews with
several OF the persons removed by the Com
missioners, and about whose cases the Commits
sioners in their reply gave more elaborate ex-
plantations than in other cases. Ex-Aud.tor
Tlchenor is quoted as saying: Il am astonished
at what you show me as being the statement or
text OF the report to Congress from the Com
missloners relating to the recent removals. No
attack shall go unchallenged by me in relation
to the matter OF my removal and which reflects
upon my official conduct. The intelligent COM
munity construes the whole thing to be the
turning out of a republican to put in democrat.
The law requires duplicate of assessment, and
the Commissioners know that they broke that
law through the action of Mr.. Wheatley. and
there are some serious discrepancies recently
detected through the working of the new sys-
tenn. SO far as Mr.. Wheatley is concerned. he
came into Office with it in his heart to remove
me when the opportunity was offered, but
had little to fear, as thought that the best cit
have handled more than S15,OOO, 600 of the
peoples money, and I have paid for school
sites, and have none of the public money in my
pocket. shall soon appear before a commit
tee Of Congress, and l shall then have an OPP
portunity to say more. For the present ask
to be excused from further expressing myself"
WHAT Mr.. SMALL SAYS.
Mr.. James Small, late sealer Of weights and
measures, said:
Il was removed for political reasons; the way
/ understand it was that the brother of my sue
cessor, Mr.. Howard, went to Commissioner
Wheatley and said, Sam, now it is your chance
to make the change; we have Webb's promise
to stand by u.s. Mr.. Wheatley receiving this
information Immediately proceeded in the
matter Of my removal, and at meeting of the
Commissioners moved for the revocation of
my appointment. The Engineer Commissioner
voted no, and Mr.. Webb rOted yes.
Il held office fifteen years in this District,
and the Commissioners and their predecessors
all know that no charge or complaint was ever
ulhut against my personal OF Olnclai ACTIONS.
never received one cent Of money for the pur-
pose of purchasing any material Of any kind,
and the routine of my Office was so carefully
guarded that not one article was missing when
my successor took charge. The Commissioners
took snap judgment They never intimated
that should know Of my intended removal
but led me to believe by their action that was
to be retained. The cause of my removal was
my republicanism. 1t was Webb, Wheatley,
Lamont combination to make place for a
friend of Lamont. If Major Dye was here he
could give you some very important news, and
am sorry he is not in the city. The Com
missioners, in their letter to me Diminishing me
from office, said: Said order is based on con-
siderations of public expedency and not upon
any charges against your official or personal
character"
WHY CAPT. BURROWS WAS REMOVED.
Capt. j. ]. Burrows, ex-superintendent Of
streets, is quoted as saying: Il don't care to
say anything, as there is really nothing to
answer. I was put out to accommodate a
democrat, who did not take the place after it
was given to him, although he is now doing
something at the District building
who got your placer"
"a man named Stanhope"
DID Major Raymond aI have anything to do
mot thing; in fact, he was away at the
time, and my removal was made by Messrs.
Webb and Wheatley."
MIR. Cook Corrects a Misstatement by
the Commissioners.
WASHINGTON, D. c., February 81, 1889.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
I have examined at the U. s. Treasury
department the voucher of account Of Messrs.
Dunlop & Clark, of Philadelphia, Pa, the
printers of the statement Of taxes in arrears
for year ending June 80, 1887; find they were
paid the amount of this bill. The amount so
k1ov~~ nIzI l.
Commissioners ID. c. account in March, 1888,
and finally allowed, on letter Of explanation, in
December, 1888, and it appears that no one was
hurt by the jeopardy they were placed in, but
the collector of taxes, d. c., who was removed
for not giving intelligent supervision to print
Respectfully, JOHN F. Cook.
Mr.. Small Charges classification Of the
Records.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
see that the District Commissioners, in
answering the Senate inquiry as to removals, say
that I was removed on account Of ''being
obnoxious to citizens generally, many of whom
his removal" Now, sir, that is q
deliberate Justification Of facts. The record Of
their Office will show the following in the let
ter of dismissal, forwarded to me Of the date of
April g. 1887: "Said order is based on con-
siderations Of public expediency, and not upon
u9 c"yeS uyu'eSe youT OVtCtuI |" peTSOhut
character" Respectfully, JAMES SMALL,
Ex-Sealer Of Weights and Measures.
s'Disloyalty'' to the Royal Triumvirate.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
The Commissioners have taken q long time
to answer the Senate request for the list of
removals from Office during their admins
tration, and their reasons for the action taken.
The result of their deliberations is highly
interesting in its disclosure Of an astonishing
array Of republicans weighed and found want
ing by Mr.. Webb's administration, and replaced
by honest and efficient democrats. Republicans
view it as peculiar that Mr.. Webb should have
found 80 large proportion Of the republican
District employees to be Objectionable, and that
in filling their places none but democrats could
be discovered sufficiently honest and competent
to serve. The extraordinary charge is brought
against Mr.. Marsh, brave Union soldier and
recent dismissal, of "disloyalty to a superior
officer" He is the clerk who is said to have
signed a petition for another candidate than
Mr.. Webb for District Commissioner. Judging
from some OF the appointments in the list the
republicans assert that personal loyalty to the
Commissioners seems to be the test of office
holding at the District building while loyalty
to the Union in its recent struggle is viewed as
OF no consequence. INQUIBINo MIND.
Commissioner Webb's Letter.
Following is the letter Of Commissioner Webb
to Chairman Ingalls,, transmitting the list of
changes in District government Offices:
Hon. John j. ingalls,, &C.:
In our conversation a day or two ago you
made special reference to the number of