St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-14
hot SHOT FOR LYMAN
A Congressional Committee
Roasts a Civil Service
Commissioner.
Charged With Being Lax in
the Discharge Of His
Duties.
Dooc;JoD% u,:, c.yk
President Harrison Selects
Three Of the Nine General
Appraisers.
Representative ButterWorth
Wants Uniform ClaSsifiea-
tion of All Grains,

WASHINGTON, June 13.-The house
committee. on reform in the civil serv-
Ice, which, during the present session of
congress, conducted an investigation
into the charges filed against the civil
service commission, held a meeting to-
day, and finally agreed upon the report
and be presented to the house. 1t is
said it has been signed by all the mem
bers of the committee except two
MeSsrs. Stone and Anderson. Chairman
Lehlback, of the committee, will pre-
sent 1t in the house at the first opportu-
nifty. In concluding its report, the COM
mittee says: With regard to the conduct
of the civil service commissioners. in the
matters submitted to your committee
we find, first, that Commissioners Roose-
velt and Thompson have discharged
their duties with entire fidelity and in
tegrity; second, that the official conduct
of Commissioner Lyman has been char
acteriZed by laxity of discipline in the
administration of the affairs of the COM
mission, and is therefore censurable.
Your committee will proceed at once to
investigate the workings of the system
and present subsequent report when
said investigation shall have been COM
pleted, together with a report of the
conclusion. We submit the following
resolution:
Resolved. That copy of the report and
testimony taken before the select committee
on reform IN the civil service in the investi-
cation of charges preferred against the
United States civil service commission be
forwarded to the president
In the body of the report the commit
tee says, respecting the charges against
the personal actions of the present and
former commissioners, that it examined
twenty-fOur witnesses. On the first
and promotion of Alexander G. Camp
bell, the brother-in-law of Commissioner
Lyman, the committee conclude that it
was clear that Campbell copied the
questions which were furnished to
Flynn, who gave instruction to persons
desiring to take examinations; that the
questions were not obsolete, and that an
investigation properly conducted would
have disclosed the fact. If the admin
istration of the civil service was not to
fall into disrepute. Mr.. Campbell should
have been dismissed. His retention in
dicated gross laXity in discipline as
showing that the administration of the
commission was not such at that time as
to receive or merit public confidence.
His promotion would not seem to have
that if the commission had dis
charged its duty with proper vigor and
regard for the public, it would have be-
come manifest that Campbell's reten-
| ton was not defensible. and it would
seem to follow that if his retention was
not proper his promotion was not war
| ranted. The committee cannot accept
as satisfactory the answers of Messrs.
Oberly, Lyman and Doyle that they be-
| lieved that the questions Campbell cop
| led were obsolete. The facts convince
| the committee that the omission to as
| certain the truth was as reprehensible
as to have disregarded it after it had
been ascertained, and whether they fail
| ed through Indifference or partiality to
learn the facts, or knowing failed to take
| such action as the public service Obvi-
| ously demanded, is not matter of
| great consequence-the neglect of the
duty in either case is condemned. The
| committee does not share the view that
Commissioners Roosevelt and Thomp-
son are deserving of censure for not
having taken action in the Campbell,
case. 1t is learned that Mr.. Campbell
who is referred to in the first part of the
report of the committee, has submitted
his resignation as clerk to the civil
| service commission to take effect in two
weeks.