New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-11
A GOOD FIELD FOR INTES7IGATION.

Asamlc. the appointment Of an investigating
committee by our Legislature at Albany is
open to serious objection. Too often, in tho
majority of cases perhaps, such bodies serve
no useful purpose. They manage TO spend a
good deal of money for which the public re-
ceiyes no benefit Not infrequcnily they are
organized for no other purpose than to stliic
investigation. and are simply the opponents OF
the art of how not to do it.
But while saying this it occurs to us That
the Legislature really ought to investigate the
removal of Mr. Riley from his Office OF Chief
Examiner of the state Civil Service Comin's-
sion. i'm all that il implies. As we have Al
ready pointed ont Mr.. Rilcy-who was removed
solely for partisan rcasons-has made distinct
charges Of n very grave nature which bear very
hard. not only on the Commission itself, but
upon Governor Roswell T.. Flower. According
to Mr. Riley-a thoroughly responsible man, be-
sides being an orthodox Democrat-thc Com
mission and the Governor have been guilty. OF
fragrant violation Of their Official duties so
far rs Civil Service Reform is concerned. Tan
the members Of the Commission afford To re-
main silent under snch a charge from such
source? Can the Governor?
Let us see the nature of the indie tment which
Mr.. Riley has drawn up against these prominent
Democratic officials. lie states that some OF
the machine managers have threatened the re-
noyal of the Civil Service Commission and OF
himself "becausc of attempts made to enforce
the Civil Service law" He further states that
recently "the reports from several OF the State
departments showed that appointments had
A. "a, violation nf iho Stainless and
bo adds that except as to the State hospitals
and n few minor State institutions the Civil
Service law has been practically nullfed dur
ing the year., Now there is nothing ambigu-
ous about this. Mr. Riley talks clearly and
TO the point And assuming that he speaks the
truth, the Civil Service Commission of late has
been wrctched fraud, public cheat. why.
| then. do not tho officials in question ask from
the Legislature a committee OF investigation
As for Governor Flower here is what Mr..
| Riley has to offer concerning him: :" 1t may
| not be unintcresting to note that on several
| occasions when the Civil Service Commission
failed TO change the classification Of employees
| so as 10 enable the heads of departments TO
| make selections without reference to the merit
system, Governor Flower had promptly ordered
| the changes, Is this true Governor? Did
YOU use your power as Chief Magistrate OF New
| York TO break down Civil Service Reform and
restore the spos system? The late Chief Ex-
aminer OF the State Civil Service Commission
declares that you did. Why do You not join
then with tho Commission in demanding com
mittce of investigation?
If neither the Commission nor Governor
Flower moves in this matter, then it is to be
hoped that some member of the majority either
in the Senate or the Assembly, out OF his regard
for Civil Service Reform and his loyalty to
the law will introduce the necessary resolu-
ton providing for an investigation. President
Clevcands inaugural address contained a
hearty expression in favor of Civil Service Re-
form. Does Governor Flower desire to have the
President and the rest Of the American people
understand that that reform has more or less
relentless enemy in the Governor OF Ncw-iOrk