Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14

The following letter of resignation from Mr.
A. C. Campbell of the civil service commission
was given to the commissioners on the 18th of
last March, after he had completed his testi-
mony about giving out the examination papers
before the House committee that was investi-
eating the civil service commission.
The commissioners accepted the resignation
at once, to take effect ten days after the COM
mittee should have made its report The res
ignatiop was not made public at the time, of
course, but, now that the committee has re-
ported, it was given out this afternoon. The
letter explains itself.
Mr.. CAMPBELL's LETTER.
March Is, 1890.
Gentlemen: When called to testify before the
committee OF Congress now investigating the
civil service commission concerning the mat
ter with which my name has been connected,
was laborlng under great excitement, pro-
duced by great and long-continued mental and
physical strain and suffering, which wholly
united me to testify in any important matter,
and especially in a matter SO vitality affecting
myself, and in this condition was led into MAX
ing an incorrect statement as to when the ex-
animation papers were copied and the motive
thereof.
The statements made by me to Commits
sioners Lyman and Oberly at the time the
matter was first investigated were made when
the facts were fresh III my mind and were the
truth. The same statements were made to
Commissioners Roosevelt and Thompson in
September last and were to the effect that l
took set of examination papers from
the room of the certifcation clerk, copied
them, questions and answers. and gave the
copy to u clerk in the Pension Office at her re-
quest to enable her to judge of the scope and
character of the examination, stating to her
xknxy Nll a 4
used and would not again be used in an ex-
animation. did not do so knowing or believ-
ing that I was betraying the secrets of
the commission, or giving any private
or secret information, or information that
could not have been obtained from the COM
mission itself if it had been asked for. The i'm
propriety Of my act, or the offense committed
by me, il it was an offense, consisted in the
copying the papers of an eligible and giving
them out without the knowledge or consent OF
the COMM ssion or any one of them.
No one can possibly regret more than do
and no one could possibly suffer more than
have suffered from the publicity given to this
matter and the Importance, out of all proper
ton to its true character, into which the act
has been magnifed. While all this is true, 1
painfully realize that the error into which
was led in my testimony, and which l sought
to correct at the time, has put me In a
false position and is likely to prove embarrass-
ing to the commission. or at least to impair my
usefulness IN the service and Ill view of this
fact, although have faithfully and to the
best of my ability served the commission
and the public in the past, except as to
the matter which has been the sub
ject of investigation. and believe that
/ could do so in the future, yet feel that it is
perhaps due to the commission that should
place my resignation at their disposal.
l therefore hereby tender my resignation to
take effect at such time may suit the con-
venience of the commission.
Yours very respectfully,
[Signedl ALEX. c. CAMPBELL.
The Honorable the Civil Service Commission.