The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-09-30

| A.-Well. we do our cheating honorablv. II
they catch Us az it. it's all right: it's fair.
even carried the box home with me on one oc
casiOn. ! have broken up more than one elec
ton.
All this was formally reported 70 the
president and to the department chief:
Of the men concerned, and yet neither
OF these precious scoundrels has ever
been removed or asked to resign from
the public service! How long would
any business man keep in his employ
men whose moral sense made discrim.
nations between honorable" cheating
and the other kind: These open pro.
fessors of the ethics Of the highwayman
who also "honorably" takes his risks
in his depredations-have never had it
in any way suggested to them that their
moral conceptions are below the stand
ard which the government is entitled to
exact Of its employees in positions Of
financial responsibility.
In his official report Mr.. Roosevelt
says that Charles b. Ray, one Of the
! custom house witnesses, was caught in
the most fragrant falsehood. and adds:
IL recommend that his dismissal be
asked for on the ground that he has been
guilty Of hagrant mendacity with intent
to impede an official investigation"
The civil service commissioners Of
| fcially indorsed that recommendation,
but neither the president nor any Of his
subordinates has ever taken any step
toward the mans dismissal.
Again Mr.. Roosevelt reported, and the
commission indorsed his words. that
'the evidence seems to be perfectly clear
that both Of these offices (the postoffice
and the marshals Office were used with
the purpose Of interfering with or con-
trolling the result of the primary cleo
ton. and that there was a systematic.
though sometimes indirect, effort made
70 assess the government employees in
both fo- political purposes.
This was in direct violation both of
department regulations and Of the crimi-
nal law, yet johnson is still postmaster.
aud Airey, who. Mr. Roosevelt savs.
furnished the brains" for all these pro
ceedings, Is still marshal. and the gov
eminent employees they control by vir-
tue Of their official positions are still
closely banded together for facaonal
work, and are known indifferently "a
the Johnson-Airey faction or the admin
istration faction
Mr.. Roosevelt's chief concern. how
ever was not with the general moral
condition Of the government officers
and clerks at Baltimore, but with
specific violations of the civil service
law-acts for which the statute pre-
scribes the removal and the criminal
prosecution Of the offenders.
He drew his information exclusively
from the culprits themselves. He fore
bore 70 make adverse recommendations
In any case which was open TO the least
doubt. He gave heed to every possibly
mitigating circumstance.
Yet ne was constrained 10 recommend
the dismissal of two men from the mar
shals office, two from the custom house
and tventy-one from the postofice-all
for fragrant and admitted transgressions
Of the law, for which they were liable
not only 10 dismissal, but 70 criminal
prosecution as well. He mentioned
others by name, inviting their superiors
TO inquire whether they were fit persons
TO be retained in the public service. In
urging the disnissals Mr Roosevelt
gave il as his conviction that the time
has come 10 show by an example which
everybody must understand, that pun
ishment will follow proven guilt"
But punishment did not follow proven
guilt" The example set taught quite
different lesson. 1t gave notice to all
concerned that under the present ad-
ministration the prohibitions Of the civil
service law are dead letters: that the
administration, in spite Of its promises
and pledges, scorns the spirit Of the
statute and is ready TO evade its letter
for the sake of shielding proven guilt
on the part OF those whose ofenses are
Offset by partisan zeal for the admins.
tration.
Not one Of these men, high or low.
has been removed or even subjected 10
censure. Those Of them who are in the
postal service have been protected by
the postmaster general himself, who in
that behalf has resorted TO quibbles,
misrepresentation, perversions of truth
and other devices of a shifty kind
" '---S-- - ~ N-S 5AOoS Acbtt4. 70 Gail d
merely unbecoming.
At the time Of the election Of dele.
gates TO Minneapolis the better element
of the Republican party, the men Of
character and self respect throughout
the state, rose in revolt against the
Johnson-Airey crowd with their organ
lied force Of government employees.
and defeated them so completely as to
leave them but four delegates in all.
But Notwithstanding this popular rebuke
TO their misdeeds these men still enjoy
the countenance of Mr.. Harrison and
his cabinet, who thus, in effect, license
crime and aid in setting the laws at
naught. These men are still in Office in
spite Of the earnest protests of the three
civil service commissioners-two of
whom are Republicans-and in spite of
a scorching report on the subject from
a select committee of congress, whose
proceedings and report will furnish the
basis for another letter in this series.
So much for Mr.. Harrison's solemn
rrOnnise for the s.faitbful op1 ,-;,-;lo,,n