Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-03


PRosEour1oS-THE RETENTION OF CAMPBELL
Mr.. ROOSEVELT MAINTAINS THAT NO cHABaEs
HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED.
The House civil service investigating COM
mittee met at IL o'clock today to hear argu-
ments by the prosecution and by the commits
sioners. Mr.. Ewart opened the argument
He head his resolution asking for an investiga-
ton and stated that, in Offering that resolution
and framing the charges, he had no feeling
against the commissioners. Charges had been
persistently made and had attracted wide at
tention.
TWAS not his purpose, he said, to confine the
investigation to this commission, but to have a
general investigation of the present and past
commissions and into the operations Of the en-
tire system. He thought that the charges, with
one exception, had been fully proven and sus-
tanned.
THE CAMPBELL CASE.
He took up the Campbell charges. He said
1t did not matter whether the questions had
been stolen, distracted or merely taken. The
important thing to know was the time at which
the list OF questions was taken by Campbell
The irresistible conclusion. he said, from COM
parlson OF the testimony, was that the aues-
tlons were those of either the November or the
december examinations; that they were live
questions and were used after they had been
taken.
QUESTION BY MR.. BoArNER.
MIR. Boatner asked if it were granted that
these questions were stolen and that they
were sold and were used subsequently in an
examination, how that could reflect upon the
present commission.
MIR. Ewart said that it would sustain the
charge that they were neglectful of their duty
IN retaining Campbell He then called atten-
ton to the fact that Mr.. Lyman stated or i'm
piled that no questions once used were used
again. he then submitted copies of the Novem-
per ana december questions, one Of which must
ne said, have been those stolen, and announced
TO the committee that the mathematical
questions In both these sets of papers were
Identical.
MAKING BUSINESS OF IT.
MIR. Ewart reviewed the testimony Of Miss
Dabney and Mr.. Flynn and said he thought
there could be no doubt that Mr.. Campbell was
making business Of dealing in examination
questions, and that he was selling them to
Flynn through Mrs. Smith. Campbell, he said,
could nave mad but one of two motives either
TO serve female friend Of his, or, as Mr.. Ewart
believed, to make them q matter of mer-
chandise for profit.
Mr.. Ewart pointed out conflicts between the
testimony OF Mr.. Oberly and the letter from
RESPONSIBILITY OF MEssRs ROOSEVELT AND
THOMPSON.
The question now was where the fault of
Messrs. Roosevelt and Thompson lay. He said
he had nothing to say against these gentlemen.
lie ala not JOIN with the spoilsmen or the
spolIslnens organ In abusing them They
were gentlemen of too high character for him
to attempt any abuse of them. Their fault lay
ne sald. IN not going deep enough into
The investigation of the Campbell affair."
lie knew they were in a delicate position
having to investigate brother-in-law Of one
Mr.. Lyman, but 1t was their duty to go into
the matter deeply and to act promptly He
thought they could have no doubt now of Mr.
Campbells unfitness for the position he held
They could have discovered this earlier, and
that they dld not was because OF gross careless
ness on their part.
AT IL o'clock a recess was taken until 1:30
when Mr. Ewart will renew his argument.
THE sHIDY CHARGE
Mr.. Ewart then took up the Shidy charge
He expressed surprise at the Commissioners
having sent for Shidy and told them to keep
cool and tell the truth. He thought this was
an extraordinary course. He characterized
Shldy as wonderful study on the stand
He said he believed Shidy always swore to
the truth. Taking up the Milwaukee post Of
hce Investigation, Mr.. Ewart said that the
Doyles report made before Messrs. Roosevelt
and Thompson went on the commission, gave
all the substantial facts in the case That
was followed by thorough report by Mai.
Webster. Mr.. Ewart quoted from the testi-
mony TO show that Shidy told all about the
case freely. without reserve. to Mr. DOYLE and
Mr. Webster. He then said that the excuse
of Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr. Thomspon for pro-
tecting Shidy was in consideration of his
testimony to them. This, he thought, would
not hold good, Shidy had told his story,
given his testimony before Roosevelt and
Thompson had anything to do with the
case. lie then criticised Mr.. Roosevelt
sharply Tor recommending Shidy for an ap-
polntment IN the census Office. He said he
was called spokesman. If he was spokesman
he could say that never in his life had he
recommended any man for appointment
whom he knew to be guilty of perjury. Mr..
Roosevelt. he said. was in the position Of
recommending man he knew to be perjurer.
He explained that by perjury he referred to
the violation of the oath of office.
THE CASE OF MR.. BAILEY.
Mr.. Ewart renewed his argument at ten min
utes to o'clock. He then took up the charge
with relation to the appointment of Bailey as
stenographer. He insisted that the evidence
disclosed the fact that Bailey was not
AS good stenographer as others in the COM
mission. In accordance with the spirit of
the law Bailey should have been required to
pass a competitive examination. He said that
the commission appeared to have been con-
verted to the theory, as they afterwards gave
him an examination. Mr.. Ewart called atten-
ton to the statement of Mr.. Morgan that
he did not think Bailey was a competent
stenographer. He did not know anything he
could say that would make the evidence in tn
case any clearer than it appeared in the record
He quoted Mr.. Sturgis for the opinion that
Bailey was not stenographer. He then
passed off TO the question of Sturgis' removal
or transfer and expressed the opinion that it
was curious commentary on the operation Of
the system OF civil service reform that Mr.,
Sturgis had passed high grade examination
and yet was not qualified to fill a position in
the commission. As to the Mitchell charge
Mr.. Ewart said he did not think it had been
sustained.
He closed his argument at 2:45 o'clock. Mr..
Lyman then made an argument of half an hour.
MIR. Roosevelt's Statement.
Mr.. Roosevelt discussed all the charges in a
brief argument and then devoted some atten-
ton to the Shidy affair. During the course of
the investigation the prosecution practically
abandoned all the charges except that of the
retention Of Campbell and that relating to
Shidy, and in these cases the only question
was as to the construction to be put
on the acts of the commission. Mr.. Roosevelt
said the prosecution scarcely made an
effort to prove the charge relating to the