The daily critic., 1890-08-27
ABOUT SCANDALS
TIE LATEST BRUTAL ATTACK ON A
FEDERAL COMMISSIONER
Row the civil Service Law Protects
Womon-EviIs OF Past Years-sone
Notable instances cited.
a Compartson

to strike over his shoulder at the whole
melit system. Thus far they have pro.
duced no effect upon the President. to
" vhom they appeal for the Commits
sioner's removal. Mr.. Harrison would
violate general precedent II he should
act, as his self interested advisers in.
sist upon his acting, on the strength of
report from q House Committee,
which the House itself has not vet
voted to accept or reject. The House
Committee on Civil Service Reform cen.
sured Mr.. Lyman's conduct while
serving as sole Commissioner, not be-
cause he violated any law, but because
they disapproved Of his course In mat.
ters which were subject to his discre-
ton. Until the House passes upon the
report the President can scarcely be ex-
pected to take official cognizance Of it.
Meanwhile, the form OF attack made
upon the Commissioner Is
PARTICULARLY DAsTARDLY.
In an examination he underwent the
other day he made the assertion-which
is entirely susceptible of proof, If any.
thing were to be gained by dipping
deeper into such disagreeable matters
that the merit system had been es-
pecially beneficent In It's effect upon the
moral atmosphere OF the service in
those branches where women were most
employed, as, in the old times. when
political influence alone was necessary
TO procure office, Il was notorious that
men In public life supported their
favorites at the Government expense.
Upon this very proper argument the
spoilsmen have seized to make fresh
assaults upon Mr.. Lyman At their In.
stigation, various workinrmeu's clubs
and associations and unions have
adopted resolutions most indignant in
tone, declaring the Commissioner unfit
to hold Office In view of his having cast
so slanderous an imputation upon honest
women whose only shortcominr IL the
poverty which forces them 10 support
themselves by daily toll and so forth.
and so forth. There Is enough of a
family resemblance between the various
rhetorical efforts TO mark them as
Cmanating from the same source, and
thus to expose their animus.
MR.. LyNAN's ENEMIES
are overshooting their mark The
House Committee passed Npon the Com.
missioner, In its legitimate criticism of
his official acts, censure which, though
severe, was at least dlgnified. Mr..
Lyman himself considered that Il
wrongCd him Many other persons
thought II was Cminentiy fair. How.
ever that may be, II charged him with
no specific conduct Of which he was not
guilty, and Il did not deny the existence
OF a state of facts which every observing
and intelligent citizen OF Washington
can testify to. Both OF these blunders
the Commissioner private prosecutors
have committed. They have accused
him Of statements which he never
uttered and they have attempted TO
throw discTedit upon the unsavory
truths which be did set forth. The re
suit Is that they have excited a reaction
of sentiment in his favor; and It Is quite
possible that when the House acts upon
the report Of its committee, and the re-
port comes officially before the Presi-
dent, friends of the Commissioner, won
TO him by
THE BRUTALITY or THE ATTACKS
he has suffered, will be found standing
by his side 10 ward of any serious reg
suits that may be threatened.
The evil Of which Mr.. Lyman com
planned has been largely modified by
the operation Of the civil service law,
but not wholly rooted out vet. There
are still IN the departments persons
who on the ground Of character, ought |
not TO be there, and whose presence Is a
source Of keen annoyance TO the legion
Of good women who are forced into
daily contact with them. One Of these
persons, appointed under the old system
and still In Office, has been for some
years the channel through which a GER
tain newspaper has received most of its
executive session news and committee
room secrets. Her original source OF
Information used 10 be a Senator OF con-
siderable note, who,
CoAXED INTO yOLUBLITY
during his leisure hours, poured into
the WOman's ear a thousand things
which he never would have spoken Of |
elsewhere. She knew how 10 measure |
their value for journalistic purposes, |
and where 70 find a constant market for |
them
Another such person is largely re-
sponsible for the ruin of a young Rep
resentative of fine promise, whose In
fatuatiOn caused him 10 neglect his |
work and gradually led to a habit Of |
hard drinking. In his irresponsible |
condition his acts have caused bis name
10 figure more than once in sensational
paragraphs
A late bureau chief In one OF the
great Departments appointed his brother
10 a place Of trust under him where one
Of The duties was 20 select young
women and recommend them for ap-
pointment 10 several unClassiied places
10 the bureau. The brother so abused
bis privileges IN this direction as 10
CREATE A SCANDAL
throughout the Department aud 10 pre
vent self-respecli women generally I
from Supplying for work during that |
regime. No complaint vas ever made
70 the bureau chief. because II was in
feued that lie would not be willing 10 |
disgrace bis own brother. aud the abuse /
lasted as long as both remained ia their |
places
A certain leading postal officer under /
the last Republican Administration Is /
known % have made au equally base |
use Of bis official authority iu al least
one instance. Dozens uf other cases. I
which are for an iuteuts. public prop
eriy might be cited IL necessary bat /
these few have been taken at random % /
illustrate the point which Mr Lyman /
made an effort To emphasize, aud which /
ought % be brought home % the under /
Of good citizens everywhere
II Is uOt a pleasant branch af the sub /
jeCt 10 discuss but it Is one which must |
not be ignored on CLOSED over Every
friend Of clean morals throughout tie
country would become the most aggres-
siFe Of civil service ref1Tmers lf be
could make With bis 0Wu ewes ana ears
) comparison bgtWeen TIE ola order and I