The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-15
Dismissal Of the New Terrs Haute Postmaster
Probable Unless Senator Voorhees, Cracks
the Whip Over the Presidents Head.
Letter Carriers Reinstated by Instruc-
tions from The POStmaster.General.
Testimony Taken by W. d. Foulke and Lucius
Swilt-Statement from Donham That Does
Not Satisfactorily Explain His Conduct
PROBING THE OUTRAGE.
William Dudley Foulke Takes Testimony
Concerning Donham's High-Hsnded Acts.


up. and Mr. Cleveland is to be called upon
By the Civil-service Commission TO decide
whether he will stand by the law, his own
declarations and his party platform. or by
Senator Voorhees,. who detests the law and
the ciyiLservice reformers. There has
never been, say those best informed in civil
service matters. case which raised the is
sue 80 squarely as does the one made by the
action of John Lambs "whiffet" postmas-
ter. The civIl.service reformers are gath
ering here to prepare the case to be pre-
sented to Mr.. Cleveland. Mr.. Lucius Swlft.
of Indianapolis arrived last night. and Mr..
w. Dudley Foulke. president of the State
CivIl-service Association, came this morn
ing. 1t is expected that Theodore Roose-
welt will be here in the next twenty-four
hours. These activ o friends of cIvil-service
reform believe Mr.. Cleveland can do no less
than summarily remove Donham, and that
be will do so. Some of them go so far as to
say 1t will be done this week.
MIR. SWIFT INDIGNANT.
Mr.. Lucius Swift, In an interview with
your correspondent. said: The case here
Is this: The platform upon which Mr.
Cleveland was elected said that offices ought
not TO be subject to change at every cleo
tiOn. nor be prize fought for at the polls.
nor be brief reward of party service. Mr..
Cleveland. on numberless occasions. has
declared for the destruction of the spoils
system. He desires this with sincerity
that cannot be doubted. Here is en- office
which has been transferred TO the classified
service. A few clerks ana carriers places
are involved and these excite the greed of
political buccaneers: They secure the
postmaster's removed upon charges. He
had seven weeks to serve and he
was blind. They are welcome to the glory
of that triumph. They yet lack time, for
an examination has been ordered and Is
approaching. They secure q postpone
ment by charges against the examining
board which they cannot prove and do not
make the least attempt to prove. The ex-
animation was IN pursuance of the prinoi-
pie of the party platform and in pursuance
of the principles of the President. 1t repre-
seDted the fairest aud most democratic
method of selecting public employees that
has ever been devised since the govern
ment was instituted. Yet, the day before
the examination the new postmaster re-
ceives his commission aud, with unusual
haste seeks possession of the Office, and
on the same day, before he is In full posses
ts:ttl, he dismisses every government en-
pio5 in the Office and puts his partisans
into the vacant places.
AS he does this, he says he does it for
plan.' He has thus trampled upon the
party platform and made these offices
prize fought for at the polls, and rev ard
of party service. He has put upon the
President q demeaning insult. He is doing
all he can TO harm the only democratic
ystem of choosing officers. and to keep up
the federalistic system of the chiefs. whose
tool he Is. he has proved himself deadly
enemy of the olvil-service law and wholly
unit TO hold any place connected with il.
CASE LIKE DOMAINS.
"The other day the Democratic post
master at Columbus. Ca. sent to his en-
ployes the following notice:
"Sir-The change of administration carries
with 1t a change OF patronage which necessi-
tates the REORGANIZATION of the clerk ana carrier
force at this office. You will therefore hand in
your resignation at once, TO take OBJECT the
3lst inst.
"When he had In this manner vacated
the places in his office and given them TO
Democrats the Civll-servlce Commission
made q report of the facts and requested
his removal In the meantime the post
master went 10 Washingt to brag of his
exploit. When be had related IL to the
Postmaster-generalM MIR. Bissell SAID: Yes. l
have heard of you before. i have q state
ment from the Clvil-service Commission
about you, but ON very glad to have your
story from your own lips. lou have saved
me the trOu b}e of reading the report Of the
commission. | shall remove you now on
your own statement of your case, inst as
soon as l can find suitable man to take
your place."
Donham's offense Is worse than the Geor-
gis mans. Donham did not even ask for
designations. He peremptorily dismissed
the men. In doing SO he told two of them
that he did 1t for political reasons These
two were the money order and registry
clerks. and they to-day put in writing q
full statement of what was said by the
Al =
service law Is In effect, which would di-
rectly bear upon his case In removing the
men. he has violated other law as well as
the cIvil-service reform spirit advocated
by Mr.. Cleveland. and this open declara-
tion of his reasons for doing what he did Is
looked upon highly important in closing
the issue. Lamb is depending on tech
nicality. contending that the civIl-servico
law did not extend to this office until after
the examination of yesterday. The civil
of this point, but will appeal to MIR. Cleve-
land on the broader ground of complaint
against Donham that he has willfuily gone
contrary to the Presidents views.
MIR. FoULKE TAKES TESTIMONY.
Soon after Mr. Foulke arrived this MORN
ing he began taking testimony with q
stenographer at the Terre Haute House.
When the Journal correspondent asked
permission to be present Mr.. Foulke said
he had no objection. but that he wanted 1T
understood be was not soliciting publicity
of the testimony. Ex-postmaster Greiner
told, in detail. the story of the past few
DAYS as printed in the Journal One
letter carrier described the manner In
which the notice of his peremptory
dismissal was placed in shutter
at his house late Friday night Other
letter carriers described the manner in
which the Donhsm mob tried &c keep them
ont of the Office Saturday morning. Testi-
mouy was also taken showing how the
crowd forced it's way in Friday night. Mr..
FouIke elicIted the information that the
crowd was composed of Democratic office.
holders-the sheriff. q deputy, a Demo-
cratic policeman-and that United States
Marshal Hawkins was at times on the out
skirts. The latter told the Journal corre-
spoDdent Friday night that he happened
10 be passing through the cityn and
was requested TO stop over" This was
after the burglarious entrance to the build
ing. He said he did not know that
il had taken place; that be had been "out
making n call" It was reported that he
had been In Lambs Office. where orders
were issued to the gang. He was asked If
he had seen Mr.. Lamb during the evening,
and replied that be had. There Is possi-
bility that he may find himself called TO
account for aiding In the direct affront to
the Cleveland civil-service policy.
Mr.. w. L. Lawes, the registry clerk. who
Is secretary of the local examining board
said In his written statement regarding his