Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14
THE CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY.
Some OF the Points in the Report Of the
House Committee.

There are some points in the report Of the
civil service committee deserving to be again
referred 20, which were given briefly in ycstcr-
days STAR. In giving their reasons for the
conclusions IN the Campbell case the commit
tee say:
II appears that the said Campbell Ga brother
in-lGw of Commissioner Lyman) some time dur
ing the fall of 1887 copied certain arithmetical
questions of the general examination series for
departmental service, together with their an
swers at the request of Mrs. Isabella Smith,
to whom he gave them. These papers came
into the hands of one Flynn, person engaged
IN coaching applicants for Office about to take
the civil service examinations. Itappears from
.he evidence of Miss Emily NJ. Dabney that
Flynn offered to sell these questions to her,
she being about to take an examination. She
refused to purchase them. attended the exam
ination and failed. She recognized the ques-
tons as being the same shown to her by Flynn
and consequently these questions were used in
the examination held December 3. 1887.
The attention of the commission was called
to the conduct of Campbell.
Mr.. Oberly. Mr.. Lyman and Mr.. Doyle sever
ally investigated, to II greater or less extent
the charges preferred against Campbell. found
him guilty OF breach OF discipline, and he was
reprimanded. But these gentlemen as it APP
pears from the testimony, failed to ascertain
definitely whether the questions copied by
Campbell and given Mrs. Smith were obsolete
or not They gave it rs their belief. however
that the questions were obsolete. 1t occurred
that they directed their inquiry to ascertain
whether the copy OF the questions i'll the
writing of Campbell an inquiry that was of
LITTLE consequence If the questions were in fact
obsolete. The real offense consisted i'll copy
ing and giving ont questions that could be used
In .he examination to take place thereafter,
and not in copying questions That were obsolete.
and hence worthless to Mrs. Smith to use or
sell. And IL is not probable that Mr.. Camp
bell copied questions and answers merely to
give Mis-. Saith an idea Of the character OF the
examination. since If that was so it would have
been quite enough to have copied The questions
only.
Obsolete questions are published now. They
might have been published then without in
Jury 20 the pubic service. Not Only Is Miss
Dabney clear and explicit III her statement
that She recognized the questions shown her
by Flynn to he the same that confronted her
on the examination but all the circumstances
confirm her statement. Mrs. Smith could have
no use for questions and answers unless they
were such as she could use for some purpose.
Flynn could hardly nave hoped to ind q mar
ket for questions and answers that were obso-
lete, and 1t was not SO important whether
Campbell did the copying as whether what was
copied was of consequence az pertaining to
In connection with other charges they say:
Your committee has further investigated the
charges against the commission in relation
to the promotion of Edwin ID. Bailey another
clerk of the United States civil service COM
mission, to the position of stenographer and
IN relation to the appointment of Thomas
Mitchell of Connecticut to a position ill the
Pension Office. They have found the action Of
the commission in both these cases was not
contrary to law and the rules of the commits
sion, and IN no way are censurable.
THE sHIDY CASE.
In the following review of the Shidy case
they find reasons for the vindication of Messrs.
Thompson and Roosevelt. A charge was also
preferred against the commissioners rejecting
against the course pursued by them in the case
OF one ShIdy, who was an employe in the post
Office at Milwaukee. II appears that Shidy was
employed III the post office at Milwaukee and
was charged with the duty of conducting ex-
or at least in preparing the list of
eligIbles from which appointments to positions
in the Milwaukee office we're made; that gross
occurred in the preparation of
the list of eligibles and the certification of
names therefrom.
IL seems that Shidy acted under the direc.
ton OF the postmaster In facilitating the APP
polntment of certain applicants for positions
IN contravention of the plain letter and spirit
OF the civil service law. The civil service COM
learning OF these Irregularities re-
ported to President Cleveland who immedi-
ately directed a thorough Investigation. An
investigation was prosecuted by Webster and
Doyle. employees of the commission, and in the
it was made clear that the irregu-
Iarltles complained of really existed
subsequently Messrs. Roosevelt and Thomp-
son. who had been appointed members of the
commission. had their attention called to the
violations OF law i'll tho Milwaukee Office and
proceeded at once to make a searching inyesti-
CATION.
They summoned Mr.. Shidy, who appeared
before them and expressed his Willingness to
testify fully as to what had taken place in the
Milwaukee office, but feared that it would re.
suit in his losing his situation, and a conse-
quence his means of livelihood as he depended
upon his salary for the support of himself and
family. The commissioners desired to have
him state fully and in detail every fact essen
tial 10 the exposure OF the irregularities that
had taken place, so far as the violation of the
civil serTice law was concerned; and they
further stated to him that they would use their
influence TO protect and prevent him from los
ing his situation as 4 result of his disclosing
the truth.
He did testify fully and at length. and was
useful in exposing the frauds that had been
practiced IN the Milwaukee Office and vindicat-
ing the law. He was discharged by the post
master for so doing, at least there seems to
have been no other ground for his discharge
The commissioners felt, and it was apparent.
that Shidy was being punished for disclosing
the truth and felt II to be their duty to aid him
by their influence in securing employment. and
thereupon recommended him for appointment
III the census Office and he was appointed