The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-09-30
REPUBLICAN RECORD.
FOR PARTISAN SERVICES HARRISON
SHIELDED CRIMINALS.

The Baltimore Civil Service Law Nio-
lators-The President and wanamalser
Both Disregsrded the Commission's :
Recommended for Removal.
Nothing could more accurately show
the attitude Of the administration to-
ward morality in the public service than
the simple story Of the Baltimore Incl
dent to be here related.
1t reveals, first, the administrations
complete contempt for the civil service
law and its refusal to enforce the stat
utes against administration workers
even in case where those statutes had
been criminally violated by acts punish
able by a fine Of 5000 and by three
years Imprisonment.
1t reveals, second, an absolute disre-
gard Of ordinary standards Of morality
ON the part Of the administration in the
selection and retention Of men as public
servants-an entire willingness to re-
tain in the service and TO protect by ev-
cry shitty device men who had not only
committed crimes denounced by the
civil service law, but who had testified
ing in elections, ballot box stufing, the
destruction Of ballot boxes, false count
ing and other otfenses possible only to
men too destitute Of moral sense to be
safely trusted in any position Of respon-
sibihty.
II reveals, third, the methods BY
which the administration has nodded
the civil service into a compact cohort
Of workers for the denomination and re-
election Of President Harrison.
The story does not rest upon the testi-
mony Of any one hostile TO the admins
tration or TO the Republican party Ii
IS told by Theodore Roosevelt. a Repub-
Ecan civil service commissioner, upon
the testimony Of his own observation IN
part and in other part upon that Of the
men implicated in the rascalities. 1t IS
indorsed By the entire civil service com
mission as an official report 10 the presi-
dent.
The Republican party il Baltimore Is
divided into two factions. One OF thes=
Is called the Johnson-Airey faction.
after the postmaster, johnson. and the
United States marshal. Airev, who a-o
It's organizers AID leaders. Il repre-
sents the federal Office holders il Ralti-
more. The other is called the Hender-
son or the HenGerson-StOn faction.
after its leaders, who are disappointed
applicants for the Offices Of postmaster
and marshal.
In the spring of 1891 Republican
primary election was held which in
volved the question Of dominance BE-
tween the two factions. The contest
was one Of great bitterness, and was at |
tended by extraordinary rascalities and !
some violence. The employees Of the |
government, particularly those in the |
postofice, were the most active partici- |
pants in it, the authors Of the violence
and the instigators and perpetrators of |
the frauds.
Complaint was made to the civil serv.
ice commission that the law was being |
violated; that assessments were levied |
and collected for political purpose
among government employees, by gov
ernment officers and in government |
buildings, ofenses specifically forbidden
by the law under heavy penalties Of fine
and Imprisonment.
Commissioner Roosevelt was sent 70 |
Baltimore to investigate. He witnessed
the election and afterward diligently
questioned the men who had been guilty
OF the transgressions Of the law.
He found, by the mems own contes-
sions, that money in considerable sums
had been raised for factional purposes in
the government buildings by assessments
upon government employees; that gov
eminent officers had exacted these con
tribunons and had received the money
IN short, that the law on this subjec.
bad been fagrantly violated in every
possible way and the service debauched |
N an extraordinary degree. He found
that the men who had criminally levied |
and the men who had criminally paid |
the assessments, instead Of attending to
their duties on March 80, devoted them
selves TO the work Of carrying the pri-
maries for their faction chiefs, though
this is specifically forbidden by the postal
Incidentally he discovered the i'm
moral methods they employed in doing
this, and he tells Of these things in his
report. He tells rs that there was cheat
ing Of every kind; that pudding" bal
or seven ballots folded together
and cast as one-were freely used; that
ballot boxes were broken open: that the
judges Of election themselves perpetrated
the boldest frauds with brutal openness;
that it was perfectly understood that
side happened to have two of
the three judges at any voting precinct
was certain TO win there. He tells Ms
that where cheating failed violence and
orawls were resorted TO; that Marshal
Airey himself tried to control results by
dragging a judge from the window; that
at another precinct custom house en-
ployee pulled down the window at which
the votes were received and tried 10 stop
the election; that the faction fighters
stood in with the police to avoid ar
rest themselves and to secure the arrest
Of their opponents; that bribery, repeat
ing and illegal voting were everywhere
Employed.
All this Was freely cou fa.sad %n ~ |