Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-29
REMOVALS ON SECRET CHARGES.
a Civil Service Reform League Com
mittee Criticises the President.


mittee Criticises the President.
The special committee Of the National Civil
Service Reform League have made report on
the subject Of removals on secret charges"
Their investigation was conducted in the postal
branch Of the service with relation to the re-
moval OF presidential postmasters.
A large number OF examples are given Of
postmasters who ere dismissed upon charges
without the accused being permitted 10 know
OF the character OF the charges. and i. is shown
TO be the established practice of the Post
Office Department under Mr.. Wanamaker's aG-
ministratiOn to keep such charges secret from
the person whom they concern.
THE REPORT SAYS:
Out OF $50 answers received to our questions
whether or not any cause for the removal was
given to the man removed, il appeared that in
only 81 cases was such cause assigned, in 10
Cases the matter was disputed. and in 299 cases
it appeared. from uucOntradicted statements.
that the incumbent was removed without any
cause being gwen for his removal. In q very
large number OF cases he solicited information
from the Post Office Department to the
character of the charges; but this information
was almost invariably refused. IL he ever
learned what the charges were, he learned il
BY private inquiry from other sources gener-
ally from hearsay and rumor merely. In many
inquiry as to the causes of the removal, whIlo
declining to state these causes himself, refers
US to written charges on file in the department..
As Mr.. Wanamaker tells us that AL papers in
appointment cases have invariably been doomed
privileged and confidential with the depart
ment," and as the postmasters themselves are
refused access to the charges upon which they
are removed but httlo can be done to lift the
veil which conceals these secret accusations
CORRESPONDENCE WITH DISMISSED PosrMAsrERs.
r 4 -
dismissed postmasters, who demand to know
the character of the charges against them, and
the Post Office Department refusing or failing
TO give any satisfaction.
Vim. Il. Greenhog. removed from the Office
Of postmaster at HOrnellsville, NY, addressed
the Post Ofhce Department on the Sd Of De-
cember. lsoJ. asking II any charges had been
filed against his management of the office. He
received the following answer:
WASHINGTON. II. c. December 6, 1889.
against the management Of til post OH at Horneiis
vile. Stegi-n county, Ny, and requesting copy Of
TINS chre. In reply byE to INFORM you tint ii /. not
the eus'n Of The department 10 furnish posnasters
provided BY section -, ~. # tho Official
5 CLiaxsox. + L. . fo.tin4 .,its General.
Section % provides that copies of papers on
file mhy be procured when shown to be import
ant evidence III Il trial at law.
THE SYSTEM CONDEMNED.
The report says: Your committee cannot too
strongly express its reprobation of the con-
tluuance Of this system of removals upon Sc
cret charges by unknown accusers without on
pOrtunIty for defense, explanation or denial
II Is InquisItiOnal in its character. and totally
inconsistent with republican institutions and
with our present civilization. 1t encourages
falsehOOd and Islander, which are thus pro-
footed by the veil OF official secrecy and the
eonfiscation of the office for the benefit of the
InfOrmer completes the in Justice No efficient
civil service can be procured until such a sys-
tenn Is utterly overthrow. Ii leads to the ap-
polEtment of the men who are the most unfit
TO carry on the business of the government, the
slanderer and UIaligner receiving tho place as a
reward for his evil dOings. This system could
easily be abolished if the inspector or the de-
partment. previous to removal, should be re-
quired TO acquant the offic accused with the
nature of the cha-ge against him and hear
what he had to say. If such q vast number of
removals were not made for purely political
reasons, this would nos bs by any means an
impossible even difficu.. task 1t Is only
because tho energies OF the depar .lent and Of
the inspectors are exhausted in an Improper
and immoral effo-s TO turn men out without
cHuse for political reasons that they might find
1t difficult to give the necessary time to an in
vstgatlon of charges, where publicity would
be some guarantee that they were honestly
made.
1t would be just as absurd to expect Judge
to decide a case properly when he heard moth
statement to expect
removals to be properly made under such
system as this. Your committee is OF the
opinion that there is no evil in the spoils sys-
tenn as inherently wicked as this. whereby
both the livelihood and reputation of innocent
men are liable to be overthrown by secret and
false accusations.
QUOTATIONS FROM GEN. HARRIsoS's SPEECHES.
The report then quotes at length from a
speech made by Mr.. Harrison in the Senate.
reprobating this practice of removing post
masters on secret charges, in the course Of
which he says, among other things to the same
effect:
Il do lift up a hearty PRAYER that we NAV
never have President who will not pursue and
compel his cabinet officers to pursue a civil
service policy pure anu simple upon a lust
basis. allowing men accused to be heard and
deciding against them only upon competent
proof and fairly; either have that kind OF a
civil service or, for Gods sake let us have that
other frank and bold, If brutal method of turn
Ing men and women out simply for political
opinion. Let US have one or the other. They
Will not mingle."
CONCERNING THE PRESIDENT.
The report then says in conclusion:
II seems Incredible that the administration
OF the man who uttered these words should per-
petuate this system of removals upon secret
Charges. Yet such is the fact
Your committee concur most heartily with
the expressions quoted above. They furnish
the best standard of criticism possible of the
system Of removals which is still practiced in
the fost Office Department 1t can never be
unjust 10 the President to judge him by his
own standard of duty, by his own exceptions
OF justice and fair play. The fi,test condemna-
ton Of his own acts Is found IN his own words
Nor viii 1t DO to shift the responsibility from
the chief executive to the heads OF these de-
partments. Nr. Harrison has told us why il
cannot be so evaded: Il do lift up hearty
PRAYER that we may never have a Presiden. who
Will not either pursue or compel his cabinet
officers TO pursue a civil service policy pure and
simple or" dc. 1t Is not the Post
master General and his first assistant who, in
the last analysis. Is responsible 1t is the Pres
ldent, who appointed Wauamaker and Clark
son aud who permitted these things to be.
THE COURTS.