Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-02

40 SeAA1 ohSSseASAs
WASHINGTON, March 1.-At the open
ing of the session of the House ommitte
investigating the charges against the Civi
Service Commission to-day, Representa-
tive Ewart read telegram from e1
Civil Service Commissioner Edgertor
saying that the charges that Camp
bell had given out civil service
questions was never made known to him
(Edgerton) until the evening before ht
wrote his letter to the President.
He added that the reason why it was with
held was best known TO those who condoneC
it. Ex-Commissioner Oberly had testified
the other day that Mr.. Edgerton refused tt
have anything to do with the charge agains
Campbell.
PORTER WAS FOOLED.
Superintendent of the Census Porter was
the first witness called and gave the com
mission his story of Shidy's reappointment
to clerkship in the Census Office. Com
missioner Roosevelt had come to him and
said that he (Roosevelt) thought Shidy wa:
unjustly dismissed from the Milwaukee
Postofice, and asked him 10 appoint Shidy
to a position in the Census Bureau. Before
fair examination.
On cross-examination by Representative
Ewart, Mr.. Porter said he would not have
appointed Shidy to the place had he been
told that he had made false certifcations in
the Milwaukee postoffice. In answer to
further questions Mr. Porter said that
ShIdy's appointment had not taken place
until six weeks after the request OF Mr..
Roosevelt, and that protests had been filed
against his appointment. He further recol-
Iected, he said, that Mr.. Roosevelt had said
to him that Shidy was a weak man and had
yielded to coercion, and that Postmaster
Paul had turned him out because he had
testified to the truth.
RooSEvELT'S STORY.
Commissioner Roosevelt was then called
and gave the committee history of the last
Investigation of the Milwaukee postoffice.
He said that Shidy, although reluctant, had
come forward at once to testify. The COM
mission told him that it would do all in its
power to protect him from the consequences
OF telling the truth, but not from the conse-
quences of his wrongdoing in the Office.
Mr.. Roosevelt then related how the COM
mission had made efforts to have Shidy re-
instated, and, failing in that. to have hi m
appointed in the Census Office.
"Remember," he said, "that Shidy was
not dismissed for doing wrong, but was dis
missed for trying to atone for it by doing
well, and he had confessed, and expressed a
deep, humble and apparently sincere regret
for what he had done"
He (Roosevelt) felt, he declared, that the
Government must protect its own witnesses
who are prosecuted for telling the truth. He
would not interfere with the punishment of
fhoca fb air nnloipD
THE WRONG MAN.
Commissioner Thompson, having taken
the stand, said that, after hearing Shidy's
testimony of yesterday, he did not think he
was man who ought to have a place under
the Government, for the reason that be
showed moral obliquity which untitled
him for employment in the Government
service. In mis- testimony before the COM
mission, Shidy freely confessed, and said he
would not commit such a wrong again,
although yesterday he had said that he
would do the same thing again under SINH
lar circumstances. Such man was not to
be trusted.
Commissioner Lyman testified that the
preliminary report made in the Milwaukee
case by Messrs. Doyle, Secretary, and
Webster, the Chief Examiner of the Com
mission, previous to the reorganization Of
the commission, had not been acted upon by
the Commission because he (Lyman) could
not get Mr.. Edgerton to cooperate
with him. He did not feel auth
orzed to act upon it himself,
because of the conflict in the testimony OF
the various witnesses. Commissioner
Oberly, his colleague, had then been ap-
pointed to the Commlssionership of Indian
Affairs. When he Oyman) became sole
Commissioner, the work upon him was
overwhelming and crushing, leaving him
A LAUGHABLE FEATURE.
Ex-Commissioner Oberly also made a
statement concerning the preliminary re-
port, saying that it was submitted in writing
after he had left the office, although he had
known its nature shortly before he left. He
caused good deal of laughter by saying
that when Postmaster Paul, Of Milwaukee,
had been appointed by President Cleveland
he was Vice President of the Milwaukee
Civil Service Association.
Postmaster General w anamaker was called
as witness, and asked particularly concern
ing his action in the case OF Shidy. So far
as he remembered, Mr.. Roosevelt had told
him that Shidy had aided the COM
mission in its investigation of the
Milwaukee postofice, and the post
master had taken ofense and dismissed
him. Mr.. Roosevelt had conveyed the i'm
preston that Shidy was an excellent man
and worthy OF the interest taken in him,
and Mr.. Roosevelt asked him whether he
had any objection to him (Roosevelt seek
ing a place for him. He told Mr.. Roosevelt
that he had not. He subsequently wrote
letter to the Superintendent of the Census,
saying that he saw no objection to Shidy's
in the Office.
wANAMAKER DID NOT KNOW.
Mr.. Roosevelt had not told him of the
charges that existed against Shidy of max
ing false certifcations in the Milwaukee
Postoffice. He had read the commissions
report on the postoffice before this action of
his with regard to Shidy, but he had read it
with reference to Postmaster Paul, and not
with reference to Shidy. He did not think
that either of the civil service commission
ers had asked for the removal of johnson or
Fahsel, the other members of the Board of
Examiners of the Milwaukee postofice.
He was asked whether, if it had been
stated to him that Shidy was guilty OF the
charges against him, he would have enter
tanned request for personal Endorsement
for position for him. Mr.. Wanamaker re-
piled certainly not, and that he would con-
slider it his duty to warn the head of a de-
partment against such person.
The committee then adjourned until Mon
day.
MANY ABSENT MEMBERS