The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-13

WAsHlSGroS, D. G., May l2.--Tho
house committee on reform in tho civil
scrvico to-day rcsumcdth tho investigation
Of charges that certain federal employees
in Baltimore have violated tho civil ser.
yico law without incurring punishment.
Postmaster General Wnnamakcr ap.
pcarCd, bringing with him, at tho re-
guest OF the committee, tho report OF
the postoHicc inspectors, giving tho re-.
suit OF their investigation into tho Bal.
.imorc pos,otllcc. lle desired to say, in
view OF the comment upon the time
.ha: elapsed between the investigation
and the dcniuls OF tho employees, that
more than four months had elapsed af-
Ter the commissions investigation be.
fore tho report reached the President,
solhat the men had had no opportunity
10 make al earlier answer to the charges.
The postmaster general said: 81
have had no disposition 10 defend
these men, but there were complaints
arising, and | cannot personally inves-
.icatc their cases. turn them over to
the proper oilicersanl must be governed
BY their reports" :"
Mr. Boa,ncr--It appears that these
PARTIES were before the commission au-
.horizcd TO make these Investigations.
They admitted their guilt aud the post
master, whose duty it was under the
law 10 dismiss these men because OF
their confessed violations OF law, took
no action ut all, and when the matter
cane to you, instead OF acting upon tho
confessions OF the parties, you institute
another investigation for the purpose
OF enabling these people to deny what
they had already admitted.
The postmaster general moved his
hand in rcmOnstrancc, while Mr. Boat
ner was putting his question and then
replied:
"a respectfully protest against the
statement that the Investigation was in
st!luted for the purpose OF having
these men deny. 1t is not the truth. "
Mr.. Boatner-But the report OF the
IINlA VIZ
The Postmaster Gencral-It does not
manage the postotlicc department.
Mr.. RainGs requested that the post
master general be permitted to proceed
with the statement he had prepared,
but Mr.. Boatner would not be diverted
and insisted that the committee wanted
light upon the point he had suggested.
The postmas ter general quietly re-
marked that he had no information on
the subject that he was not willing and
anxious TO lay before the committee.
but it is not true" said he, that any
attempt was made to shield these men,
or that any unusual course has been
pursued.
The inspectors report upon which
Mr.. Wanamakcr based his action in
tho Baltimore case was made by Chief
Postotiice Inspector Wheeler and In
spector Sharp November "a, 1891.
We are OF the opsnion, says the, re-
port, that the facts do not justify the
dismissal OF thetwenty-onc men named,
nor any one OF them. for violation OF the
civil service law as charged. Tho state
ments OF witnesses before Mr.. Roose.
yelt, and upon which his recommends
tlOls were based, were taken at time,
under circumstances and in a manner
that Iustities us in saying that they
were not proper material upon which
10 baSe recommendations for dismissals
or severe criticisms. 1t further says
mat the evidence taken and accom-
Panylns Mr.. Roosevelt's report itself
shows on its fuce that the investigation
was Unfair and partial in tho extreme.