Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-01
CIVIL SERVICE INQUIsITION.
Census Superintendent Porter on the
Stand-Shidy and the Milwaukee Post
Once.

stand-shidy and the Milwaukee Post
Once.
After recess yesterday the civil service inves-
tigating committee took up the fourth charge,
| as follows:
'Ttis further charged against the commission,
| a. now constituted, that Theodore Roosevelt, q
member OF the commission, secured the ap-
pointment Of one Hamilton Shidy to q place in
| the census bureau, when ii was VIGOROUSLY
known to the said Roosevelt that the said Shidy,
an officer Of the civil service comission as secre-
| tary Of the board of local examiners of the
post Office at Milwaukee had persistently and
| repeatedly violated his oath of Office in making
| false certifcations and in not reporting viola
| tons Of the civil service law by the postmaster
at Milwaukee to the commission at Washing
| ton"
Hamilton Shidy was put upon the stand and
he proved an interesting character study as
well as surprisingly entertaining witness.
With With quite Gilbert and Sullivan paradoxieai
humor he argued away many OF the long-estab-
lished moral ideas. With something Of the man
| ner of a man who was proud in the possession
| of a new philosophy which enabled him to de-
| tect shades of difference between right and
| wrong which no one else could he pro-
| ceeded to show the committee how he Justified
] himself in his own mind for his part in the
Milwaukee post Office scandal.
He was the man who testified before the
commission that he had been forced by Post
master Paul of Milwaukee to falsify
examination papers secretary OF
the local examining board at Mil
waukee, and upon whose testimony the
postmaster was dismissed. In his testimony at
| that time he confessed that he was tool used
| to operate the fraud, but that he was acting
under duress and was anxious to expose the
| fraud. At that time he showed great contri-
ton, as was stated by the commission and as was
proven by his admissions on the stand yes ter
| day.
THE TESTIMONY.
Witness testified that his duty as secretary
| Of the examining board was to keep the books
| and papers. He was clerk in the post office
and was put on the civil service local board, in
addition to his other duties, without extra COM
pensatlon. The service for which he was the paid
employee of the government was that of the
superintendent ct registered mails. Nominally
he had control of the books and papers as
| secretary of the examining board, but as a
matter Of fact, the books were not al
| ways in his possession and not al
ways under his control. He testified
| that irregularities we're practiced in the Mil
waukee post Office with his knowledge and
that az servant Of the postmaster he had
taken part in the false certifcaton on exami-
nations; that he had not reported the matter to
the commission, though he knew it was wrong,
but that he had told them all he knew when
| they asked him. He thought that under the
circumstances that was the best he could do.
Proceedings Today.
The investigation now being made by the
House committee on civil service reform in the
civil service was resumed today at 1890 The
first witness was Commissioner Theodore
Roosevelt, but before fairly commenced he was
requested by the chairman to give way to
Superintendent Of Census Robert P. Porter.
who was in a hurry to get away.
Mr.. Porter said that the first time his atten-
ton was called to Shidy was when Mr.. Roose-
welt spoke of him as having aided the civil
| service commission in securing facts relative
to the management or Encouragement of the
post Office at Milwaukee. He was asked if he
| could find place for him, and said that if the
| man was competent he would recommend his
| appointment
HE WROTE TO Mr.. wANAMAKER.
As Shidy had been dismissed from employ
ment in the Post Office department Mr.. Porter
said he thought he ought out of courtesy, to
write to the Postmaster General asking him if
he had any objection to Shidy's being en-
ployed in the Interior department. Mr.. Wanna
maker said he had no objection. Shidy came
here, was examined and appointed. He passed
only fair examination-65 or 81 per cent-but
he had somo executive experience and was
usefnl man; something above the average.
Cross-examined by Representative Ewart,
Mr.. Porter said he understood that Shidy had
been unjustly dismissed MIR, Roosevelt did
not tell witness that Shidy had stuffed or gerry
wandered the eligible lists. The main idea
conveyed to witness by Mr.. Roosevelt was that
Shidy had been unjustly dismissed Shidy was
appointed at S720 and had been promoted
to $500.
WOULD NOT HAVE APPOINTED HIM.
iDc Tod NJ NJ 4
told you that Shidy had manipulated impor-
tant papers, had stuffed certifcations and gerry
wandered the eligible lists would you have APP
pointed him?'
NO" replied Mr.. Porter, 81 don't think l
would"
liam sure you would not" said Mr. Ewart,
"from what know Of you"
To this comment on the part Of counsel Mr.
Stone OF Missouri took exception.
In reply to Commissioner Roosevelt Mr.. Por-
ter said there was a period Of SIX weeks be-
| tween the time Mr.. Roosevelt first spoke of
Shidy aad the date of Shidy's appointment.
This delay was because number OF persons
had been protesting in general way against
any official recognition or rewarding Of Shidy.
MR.. PORTER CRoss-ExAMINED.
Commissioners Thompson and Roosevelt
then jointly examined the witness. who said
that he would have looked more carefully into
the circumstances surrounding Shidy's removal
had he known what he knows now He was
positive that Commissioner Roosevelt did call
attention to the fact that the Milwaukee post
master and Shidy had been mixed up in some
wrong doing some violation Of the law; that
Shidy had come forward and confessed, and
that he had been dismissed for telling the
truth. Witness was not aware, however, that
Shidy was in any way connected with the civil
service commission.
Il would have had no right to speak to You
of matters pertaining to the Post Office de-
partment," said Mr.. Roosevelt at was be-
cause he was connected with the local board of
the civil service commission that mentioned
his case"
This concluded superintendent Porter's ex-
| animation but before he left the room he was
| recalled in order that he might state that he
did remember of Mr.. RooseveIt's telling him
that Shidy was a weak man, who had been
guilty of helping Postmaster Paul in making
certain improper appointments.
COMMISSIONER ROOSEVELT THEN TOOK THE STAND.
He was not at first subjected to any ques-
tioning. but made a statement. He said the
postmaster at Milwaukee had been investigated
| four times. The first investigation was by
Secretary Doyle of the commission and his
report disclosed such condition of affairs that
another inquiry was made by Chief Examiner
Webster and Secretary Doyle. They had re-
| ported when Gov. Thompson and witness were
was pending The three commissioners then
went to Milwaukee and their report has been
| published.
sI,nxk r.