Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-24
THE CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY.
Mr.. Ewart Prefers Formal Charges
Against the Commission.

The House committee on reform in the civil
service was in session this morning, but did not
examine any witnesses.
Representative Ewart fled the formal charges
against the commission:
L That in April, 1889, without authority Of
law, Charles Lyman, when acting - sole COM
missioner Of the said commission. promoted
one Alexander @. Campbell, brother-in-law
OF the said Charles Lyman, to . 81, 200 clerk
ship in the civil service commission.
2 That the said Alexander G. Campbell
about the month OF January, 1883, had secretly
distracted from the files Of the secretary
division . list Of questions that had been
used In the examination of applicants for
positions in the departmental service
and gave them to q copyist in the pension
OF clerk, who turned them over to one Flynn,
principal Of the Ivy institute Of this city.
s. That the promotion of the said Campbell
was made by the said Charles Lyman, COM
missioner as aforesaid, with the full knowledge
that the said Campbell had distracted these
questions from the files of the Secretary's di-
vision.
4. That on the appointments Of Theodore
Roosevelt and Hugh S. Thompson as commits
sioners the attention of the said commissioners
was called to the fact of Campbell 8
abstraction Of examination questions, but
that the said commissioners refused to
investigate the matter any further than to ex-
anime the party charged with the offense aud
the secretary Of the commission, who stated
that he lCampbeID had been investigated and
censured for the Offense.
8: That the said Alexander c. Campbell is
still illegally retained as q clerk in the said
clVn service commission.
FURTHER CHARGES.
tits further charged against the commission
as now constituted, that one Edwin d. Bailey
in violation of the civil service law. which in
hibits the promotion Of persons in the classified
service, until examination, was promoted by the
commission without any examination to test
his fitness, as required by law, from a clerk
ship to the position of steno2rapher, an i'm
portant place in the said commission, when il
was VIGOROUSLY known at the time that the
said Bailey was not competent to fill the said
position of stenographer.
2. That this promotion was made when there
were several other clerks in said commission
who were expert stenographers, and, under the
principle governing promotions, undoubtedly
entitled to the said position.
1t Is further charged against the commission
as now constituted that, with the knowledge Of
its members, on the 10th day Of September,
1889, Thomas Mitchell of Connecticut was
appointed to position in the pension Office
as a copyist; that the said Mitchell was on
September &c. 1887, dismissed from the service
for cause; that the said Mitchell failed in his
ment, and that this failure becoming known to
the parties desiring his restoration to the serv-
Ice his papers were remarked and he was
raised from the ineligible to the eligible list.
ROOSEVELT ROASTED.
It is further charged against the commission
as now constituted that Theodore Roosevelt, a
member Of the commission, secured the ap-
pointment of one Hamilton Shidy to place in
the census bureau, when it was VIGOROUSLY
known to the said Roosevelt that the said
Shidy, an officer of the civil service COM
mission, as secretary OF the board of local
examiners of the post Office at Milwaukee had
perslstently and repeatedly violated his oath Of
office in making false Qualifications and in not
reporting violations of the civil service law by
postmaster at Milwaukee to the commission
at Warrington.
That this action on Roosevelt'spart was made
| with the full knowledge and consent of the
other members OF the committee.
IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
It is further charged that the civil service
| commission, since its organization to the pres
ent time, has, by the manipulation of the rules
and regulations, brought about results in vio-
| lation of the spirit and letter of the law.
That by collision with departmental officers
appointments have been made in violation of
the merit system, as provided by the law, and
that favorites have been secured places with
little reference to their qualifications.
That persons, relatives Of officers of the COM
mission, have been attached to the commits
| sion, gaining knowledge of the secrets of the
commission, handling the records OF the gov
ernment-a privilege denied Senators aud Rep
! COMMUNICATIONS compensation and in d.
rect violation of law.
That offenses which resulted in the dismissal
Of officers of one political party were condoned
when committed by officers of the other politi.
| cal party.
The members present were Representatives
Lchlbach (chairman), Butterworth, Green
haige, Lind, Dargan, Boatner, Stone, Stephen
| son and Andrew.
The next meeting Of the committee will be
on Wednesday at 10 an, when testimony will
be taken.
WITNESSES SUBPENAED.
The following persons have been subpenaed
| as witnesses to sustain the first charge
the promotion of Campbell by Lyman and
his retention by the other commissioners: j. II.
Oberly, VIM: E. Morgan, Miss Emily NJ. Dab
ney, s. W. Flynn, John T. Doyle, Alexander
Q. Campbell and VIM. j. Vickery. Mr.. Vickery
| Is in Cincinnati, but has been telegraphed for
The witnesses to be called on the charge of
the illegal promotion of Bailey are: w. T.,
Morgan, w. S. Sturges, Z. D. Bailey, II. T.
HOltz, John T. Doyle, Thomas Mitchell, Hiram
Smith, John c. Black, Cyrus Bussey and E. d.
Toner.
Other witnesses subpenaed are Geo. Fl. Paul,
expostmaster at Milwaukee; Hamilton ShIdy, j.
& Hussey and I. b. Coulter.
THE DISTRICT In CONGRESS.