Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-18
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE.
Report on the Baltimore Post Once Signed
by Democratic Members Only.

THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE.
Report ON the Baltimore Post Once Signed
by Democratic Members Only.
If the report made yesterday by the House
committee on reform in the civil service was
msterialized then Civl Service Commissioner
Roosevelt would be sitting heavily upon the
PROSTATE form of Postmaster General Wanna
maker. The report is signed only by the DEM
ocrats on the committee, the republican MEM
beers having concluded that they had better
keep their fingers out Of a contest in which one
Of two republicans was sure to be worsted.
1t was that Baltimore post Office case which
provided the committee with material for the
report.
fkK REPORT
Says the committee: From subsequent state
ments of the Postmaster General it appears
that he did not dismiss the parties charged with
violation of the law on the following inconsist-
ent and contradictory grounds:
/. That testimony of men given before the
civil service commission was not fairly
ported, the examiners frequently answering
their own questions and having the answers
taken down if given by the witnesses. The
questions asked were leading, and the men we're
not allowed to explain or to have the assistance
of counsel.
2. The men were not under oath hence &C
Acknowledgements of guilt were not reliable and
presumably required confederation.
8. The men made no acknowledgements of
guilt.
L. The men denied under oath the acknowl-
edgments they had made.
s. The men did not violate the law The con-
tributions proved to have been made were to
pay the expenses of primary election, and
therefore not within the prohibition of the law,
and in this he says he is confirmed by the opin-
ion of the assistant attorney general for the
Post Office Department.
6. And finally, that the men being innocent
have been sufficiently punished by having
charges made against them.
1t is singular that the Postmaster General
should have Endorsed the idea that men charged
with violation of the civil service law were en-
titled to notice before any inquiry as to their
guilt was entered upon and that they were en-
titled to the assistance of counsel in the nvesti
cation. The rule prescribing that any employee
found guilty of having violated the civil serv-
ice law shall be dismissed certainly did not
contemplate q regular trial and conviction for
such offense, because such construction
would practically destroy the authority of the
removing officer and render it necessary that
the party accused should have been convicted
under section Is of the law before his re-
moval could be effected. The rule is evidently
provision entirely independent of section Is
and established for the purpose of giving
prompt and efficient enforcement OF the law.
The removal of an employee under general rule
No, i would not interfere with prevent MS
prosecution or conviction under section Is. 10
which the objections of the Postmaster General
would he entirely annlicable II being clear that
a party could not be convicted of the INSIDE
ment and presentment and by the verdict of n
jury.
TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE INSPECTORS
Inc examination OF the testimony taken by
the inspectors, and upon which the Postmaster
"enef"i 'ialns " nave aeou' SLOWS ma'
. .aeir AZ .i no. ~: arg o
the contrary. the testimony reported bv the in
srectors confirms and corroborates fully that
taken bv the civil service commission Sub
stantiallv the same facts admitted bv the parties
before the commission were sworn to before
the inspectors and the severe structure and
criticisms which the inspectors passed on the
work Of Mr.. Roosevelt in making the irvestiga-
ton are not borne out by any facts stated by
the witnesses on their examination.
The acceptance by the Postmaster General