Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-05-12
VIOLATING THE RULES.

Secretary Foster Testifes Before the House
COMMITTEES on Civil-Service Reform
Commissioner Roosevelt Severe on the
Conduct of the Baltimore Post ONCE Of
ficials.
WASHINGTON, May 4.-The house com
mittee on civil service reform yester
day resumed the investigation into the
conduct of certain employees in the civil
service at Baltimore.
Secretary Foster was the first wit
ness He had heard of the charge made
by Commissioner Roosevelt against two
men connected with the customs service
in Baltimore of collecting money fo,
political purposes. They had been
reprimanded by the commissioner and
he was inclined to think this punish
ment sufficient, but finally said he
should very much doubt if it was con-
sistent with the good Of the service to
keep such men in office, but he should
want to know all the facts before tax
ing action.
Commissioner Roosevelt was then ex-
amined He said he had made an ex-
animation of the workings Of the Balti-
more post Office and custom house and
recommended the removal of twenty
one employees for violation of the civil
service law, but no action had been
taken He said it was absolutely impos-
s1bie to upset his conclusions, for they
were based on the confessions of the &C
cused persons made at the very time the
events took place. Bearing on the
statement of the postmaster general
that it is not the duty of the commission
to make any report to the head of de-
partment, Mr.. RoosevelS produced two
letters from Mr.. Wanamaler asking the
commission to make just such examina-
lions and report to him Mr.. Roosevelt
quoted from the testimony of Mr.. Wan
amaker when in speaking Of the accused
men he said: 'eWhen they declare to
the postoffice inspector that they have
not made such statements and they do
that under threats. you are not bound
TO take their Statements
''It seems to me-" said Mr.. Roosevelt,
that If in a private business an inves-
tigation into one of it's branches should
disclose that twenty-one men were
cheating, the men being caught red
handed and confessing their guilt, it
would be very unwise to accept the
oaths of these same men, six months
later, that they were incorrect and that
they had lied when they made their
confessions"
''The amount of it is that all these
men are plainly guilty, upon their own
confession; that they have made this
confession in terms which it is impossi-
bic to misunderstood and as equally
impossible to retract; that nothing they
have said since or can say in the future
can in any way explain away this con-
fession and that their subsequent con-
duct as implied in the report of the
post office Inspectors simply shows that
they are not entitled to a particle Of
grace or consideration. I fail to see
how there can be a particle of doubt of
these mems guilt after reading the evil
dence, and if these men are not guilty
then 1t is absolutely impossible that
men ever can be guilty under the civil
service law; and if they have not de-
served punishment then it is impossible
that man can do anything in violation
OF that law which will deserve punish
ment- This is not the time to consider
whether the law is wise or not. 1t is
on the statute book and am appointed
to see that it is enforced and have
simply done my duty in pointing out its
violation and in recommending the pun
ishnlent of the wrong-dOers.