Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-17
WHAT 1T HAS SHOWN.
The Results Of the Civil Service Inves-
tigatiOn.

1t will take some little time yet for the com
mittee on civil service reform TO prepare their
report on the first branch of their investiga-
tion After they get all the testimony in print
they have to read it over carefully to weigh
and compare the evidence, and then they are
to hear the arguments Of the prosecution and
OF the members of the commission. But they
will dispose of the matter as quickly possible,
SO as to get at the other branch Of the investi-
CATION. the inquiry as to the general efficiency
of the law
The records are very bulky. 80 many side
issues having been introduced in the testi-
mony, but the merits of the case are easily
reached and it will probably not take the com
mlttee long to come to a conclusion after they
are through with all the arguments. One
thing that is apparent to every one who has
watched the investigation throughout and
heard all the testimony is that the searching
inquiry has resulted advantageously to the
commission and to the system under trial The
commissioners will undoubtedly be completely
exonerated, as. almost without exception, the
witnesses put on the stand by the prosecution
proved admirable witnesses for the commits
sion and not a word of testimony was intro
troduced which tended to show that the facts
were any different from what the commission
stated them to be at the start.
WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN.
No new light has been thrown on the matter
by the investigation, except to show that Mr.
Shidy was not truly as repentant of his mis-
deeds as he pretended to the commission that
he was and that Mr.. Campbell was not man
VINO could be relied upon to tell the same
story in the same way on all occasions. The
only responsibility OF the commission in the
Shidy matter was through their protection of
him against too severe punishment for doing
the one worthy thing he appears to have done
in connection with the Milwaukee post Office
affair. AS to Campbell's action, he
had already been exonerated of the
charge against him before the majority OF the
togas OF office, and it was not thought by them
to be their duty to determine whether or not
the decision of their predecessor. Mr.. Oberly,
had been the proper one. But, entirely in
dependent of this charge, it is generally under
stood that they have decided that Mr.. Camp
commission. And the reason for this has de-
veloped since the investigation began
and Is found in the fact that when
on the stand he told story under
oath which he afterward declared
under oath was false. No matter how efficient
he has been or how clean his record may have
been from positive evil doing, the fact that he
testified In this manner renders it unadvisabe
In their opinion to retain him on the commits
sion. and it is thought that he will surely be
dismissed probably within day or two, and
that certainly he will not be retained longer
than until the committee can make their re-
port His dismissal has been determined on
ever since he made the exhibition of himself
on the stand.
If Mr.. Shidy were in the employ Of the COM
mission he would it is stated, be as promptly
dismissed by them.
WHAT AN OPPONENT OF THE REFORM SAYS.
republican member of the House, who is
regarded as an opponent of civil service reform
and who has been watching the civil service
investigation with as much care as would be
expected of him if he were a member of the
committee, said to a STAR reporter the other
day after reviewing the testimony briefly:
There can be but one result The commits
sion has come out of this matter with honor
MIR. Roosevelt and Mr.. Thompson clearly did
all that they could be expected to do in the
Campbell matter, and whether he actually did
wrong or not does not affect them in the
least. The remarkable thing about the whole
affair is that this law should have been in force
as long as it has without being violated to some
extent. The fact that in all that time this
trumped-up charge is the only one that can
be brought against the commission speaks well
for the commission and for the law. Campbell
will undoubtedly be dismissed from the COM
mission, as lie should be. for swearing to con-
Trajectory stories before the committee. The
commission will be completely exonerated and
their worth will be better appreciated by the
people at large for the showing they have made
for themselves before the committee As to
the law, II has come to stay. l have become
convinced of that during the investigation. No
man who is not blind will attempt to fight it.
All that should be done, and all that will be
done, in my opinion, is to strengthen the law
wherever it needs it by giving the commission
greater powers and better facilities for the en-
forcement of the law in remote localities
Neither the system nor the commission has
been injured by this investigation"