Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13


NrssIoS-coxMIssIosER LYsfkS's srArxxrSr-
THE HEARING BEFORE THk CIVIL SERVICE H.
vEsTrGArIxa COMMITTEES .cLosEl ron TEE
PRESENT SESSION. =
Representative Grosvenof appeared today be-
fore the House committee ON civil service re-
form to supplement- his testimony respecting
the appointments made by the civil service
commission from his district He disclaimed
any intention of rejecting upon the
commission in regard to the ap-
pointment of Rufus Putnam. He
gave the ancestry of the Putnam family down
to DIR. w. ID. Putnam, the father OF the young
man who had received the appointment He
said that young Putnam, seven years ago. then
q boy Of fourteen years, was brought to WASH
ington by relatives and had never since
retained to Ohio. He had worked
here for Witness and, taking q
civil service examination. requested witness to
indorse him to Commissioner Morgan of the
Indian Office. Putnam said he was resident
OF Marietta, and witness recommended him to
the commissions upon that statement.
Soon afterward witness questioned Put
nam, and to his amazement found that
he knew nothing about Marietta, and upon
writing to one of his alleged relatives he re-
ceived denial Of the young mans residence
in in Ohio h and was assured that he
IL
shamefully and criminally misrepresented
witness statements. He had never
SAID that no clerical appointments had been
made from his district. The Commissioners
had bounded him (Grosvenor) through the
newspapers; had set spies on his track to injure
him, and unless they could prove the statement
they put into his mouth they stood in the
attitude Of falsifers and maligners. Not one
OF the eight appointees alleged to be from his
district were really so. They came from
another and old district. from part of which his
district was made. He had no knowledge of any
appointments except Putnams from his district.
and the commissioners did not produce evil
dence. but turned loose upon him the batteries
OF SANDER of public officers who seemed to
have nothing else to do. Putnam was poor boy
with dependent relatives, and had made the
mistake lnnocently; and rather than have him
cruelty turned out witness would let
him stand accredited to his district
COMMISSIONER LYMAN's STATEMENT.
Commissioner Lyman said that the evidence
of residence required of en- applicant was CT
parte and was not investigated, except when
called in question. Putnam had produced the
necessary evidence Of residence and was ap-
pointed, When challenged by Representative
Grosvenor Putnam wrote witness letter
alleging that he was born in Ohio; that he was
a Taxpayer in Ohio; that he intended to re-
turn there, and that Representative Grosvenor
himself had Endorsed his statement of resi-
dence. The commission had assumed that per-
son retained his legal domicile in one state until
he had acquired another elsewhere, and alb
sence made no difference il he intended to re-
turn. Therefore it held that Putnam was a
legal resident of Ohio.
Mr.. Grosvenor declared that the commission
had reached a conclusion without any warrant
of law or common sense. He had, however,
no criticism to make of the COM
mission for its action in that matter
What he wanted was to show that he had not
lied. His three-minute speech had caused
him to be holly pursued by tho minions of the
commission.
Mr. Lyman protested that the commission
had no minions.
ADJOURNED FOR THE SESSION.
At this point, as Mr.. Grosvenor had
completed the statement he desired
to make. the committee adjourned
with the understanding that the further
pursuit of the investigation into the practical
workings of the civil service law should be
deferred until the next session of Congress in
December