St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-02
RAUM Is ROASTED.
His Attempts to Screen His Dere
Lotions Denounced.

his attempts TO screen his Defc.
Lotions Denounced.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Oct. 1.-The mi
nority of the special house committee
appointed to investigate the charges
against Pension Commissioner Raum.
Messrs. Lewis and Goodnight, have
united in the preparation of report
setting forth their opinion of the results
of. the investigation. The report re-
views the evidence in the refrigerator
case, and says: "We lament the con-
duct of public official who invokes the
fine technicalities of criminal law to
screen himself from proper investiga-
ton and to hide from public view the
details Of a business which is being
conducted from one Of the government
bureaus. and concerning the char
acter of which SO many and such
damaging charges have been made"
As to the charge of the advancement of
pension claims for Lemon in considera-
ton of his indorsing the commissioners
note. the report states that no intimate
friendship is shown to have existed be-
tween the commissioner and Mr..
Lemon, and there were no business re-
lations before. Why should Mr.. Lemon
"a good business man-riSk $4,000
upon one who is afraid to have his sol
vency inquired into? The completed
files sy stem was Just what MIR. Lemon
demanded, and SO soon as established
he was ready to underwrite for the COM
missioner, which he had never before
done, though often consulted by the
commissioner about his needs during
several months before. 1t is thus clear,
says the report, that Mr.. Lemon was
favored and benefited. 1t is equally
clear that Commissioner Raum was
placed under obligations to Mr..
Lemon-something no rugged integ-
rity can approve, and no deli
cate sense Of propriety endure. 1t con-
clusiOn the report reads: THUS it
seems to US that the commissioner of
pensions has not properly esteemed the
delicate duties and serious reSponsiilf1i-
ties of his great office: nor has he meas
ured up to that high standard of patti
Otto consideration for the public service
which should prevail in this depart
ment. adjudicating the disbursements
of nearly one third of the entire re9e-
nues of the government. The pension
Office is altogether too sacred place for
the development of the personal thrift
and enterprise manifested in this rec
ord. 1t was established that the nation
might properly care for those to whom
it owes gratitude too sacred for tri-
fling. Ii is monument to the mlnifi-
cence of a grateful people, and its
hundreds of employees should be minis
tiers of mercy, not stock gamblers. That
place thus hailowed should have
been made use of for stock jobbiug
or speculation, converted into SPAWN
ing place for corporations. and stall
for bartering doubtful patents. is a re-
Election upon our government, degra-
dation of the public service which we
think cannot be too strongly condemned.
If the real and sensitive demands of the
occasion be measured by the example
OF the forbearing Nazarine, who
scourged from the temple merchants
and money changers, or by the COM
mendable conduct of President Arthur,
in removing an associate justice of the
Arizona supreme court for borrowing
money of an attorney practicing before
him, congress must agree with Is that
there should be betterinenl OF the
public service by q housekeeping in
the pension bureau" As the majority