Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-25

The House committee on reform In the civil
service today began lie investigation INTO the
allegations that the civil service law has been
violated by the federal officials at baltimore
The resolution under which the committee IN
proceeding recites in the preamble that Theo-
dore Roosevelt, civil service cummiss oner in
May, 1891, reported TO the civil service
commission that u number of federal offce
holders IN baltimore took an active part IN che
primary election there. raised aud spent
money Tor political expenses and as they ai-
United violated the United State civil ser,ic~
statutes, the punishment for which is dis
mlssal from ONCE and imprisonment;
.bat the commission upon Rousoyslt's
findings recommended 20 tho Presidcnt
the dismissal Of the guilty officials. aud tina,
the civil service reform association OF Balti-
more called attention 20 the fact that no otf-
cial action has been taken IN consaauouce
Therefore the committee ~ directed 90 ascer-
tain whether any or all of the guilty officials
are SUI IN Office and whether they have beca
indicted or prosecuted.
Postmaster General wanamaker was the nrss
witness.
ALL STILL IN TIE sERyIcE-
Chairman Andrew briefly reviewed the pur-
pose OF the investigation. stating that twenty
one OF the employees found to have violated the
law we're in the Baltimore post Office. lie
asked whether any of these persons were still
IN office or had been indicted Tho Postmaster
General replied that the persons were ali in
the employ OF the government and none had
been indicted The reasons for this he would
state. Immediately after witness had re-
ctiTed the report of the civil service oon4mis-
slon the postmaster at baltimore had pro-
tested against the proceedings, calling them
star chamber sittings. where Injustice had
been done tue twenty-one employees because
tDey were not permitted 20 make defense
witness had thereupou ordered an invostiCa-
tion by the post Office inspectors to learn the
"hole truth, and the INSPECTORS had reported;
TIE r. o. INSPECTORS REroEr
ut is our opinion that the facts do not Justify
the dismissal Of tho tweuty-one employees or
any one OF them for violation of the civil
service laws as charged" The inspectors were
the best men in the service. They based their
opinion upon the nature of tho election.
which was not national state or county
but an election for making new rules for the
republican party. Witness did not know
whether or not that was good ground but the
inspectors opinion was sustained upon review
by the assistant attorney general for the Post
Office Department and by other
authorities. The employees in the
case we're poor men. soldiers and
SONS OF soldiers. and the amount of their con-
trIhuilons wcs not much larger than the sum
| that would be required 70 pay FOR printing the
report OF the civil service commission. They
declared that they were innocent OF any intent
| TO violate the laws, and TO some of them de-
med that they had violated the law at all
WHAT TIE MEN ASSERTED.
or course there was @ difference OF opinion
in the case. The men asserted that they be-
longed to a club, and that they were simply
| paying their dues. Their statements before
the civil service commission were not under
oath; before the inspectors tLey were.
The men had already been sufficiently
punished by having charges made against
them which were not sustained by the facts.
lhe inspectors who made the investigation
were Messrs. Wheeler and sharpe aud their re-
port covering 900 pages, was IN witness pocket
and was open to the inspection of
the committee. The employees involved
we're very ordinary men and according to
\ their statement were confused and
| embarrassed during the commissioners ex-
| animation by the Multiplicity and character
| OF the questions. They were also alarmed by
the newspaper stories that they were to be dis
| missed Witness felt that II his duty, IN
the circumstances, to orddr an official inyests-
| CATION.
| AUTHORITY FOR THE INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. Boatner, a member OF the committee,
asked if there was any law authorizing the in.
vestigation. The Postmaster General was I'M
able TO point ito any such law. but explained
| the presidents and the functions of the in
| spectors.
In answer to questions by Chairman An
drew, he said that the Postmaster General
could not dismiss a clerk in any post Office. He
could dismiss the postmaster.
Mr. Boatner suggested that request BY the
Postmaster General for the dismissal OF . clerk
| would be effective.
The Postmaster General, however, replied
that 1t had not always been 30. la this in
stance Postmaster johnson had been repri-
manded, and while no order OF dismissal had
| oeen Issued because of the inspectors report,
he (Johnson) did not know today that some Of
| his men might not be dismissed
O MIR. Andrew wished to know why the post-
| master had been reprmanded.
The witness replied: For allowing his men 20
be IN the position of making statements that
could be excepted 10.
liz these men gave an impression 10 the civil
service commissioners that could not be yeri-
he'd under oath that makes trouble for the
| commissioners.