New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-29

COMMISSIONER RoosEvELT.s REPORT.
REVIEWING THE VIOLENCE AND TRICKERY OF
POSTMASTER DOMAIN APPOINTMENTS
THAT SHOULD NOT STAND.

Washington May The Civil Service Commission
Yesterday transmitted Po>tmas tcrGcncIal IhNSe
the report OF Commissioner Roosevelt upon what Is
called by the Commission The Tcrrc Haue Posiofhce
scandal. Mr. Donham Democrat. was appon'"d
by President Cleveland postmaster at Tcrre llau'e'
Indiana. senator VOORHEES,, home in place Of Mr.
Gicincr. Republican. Under President iIarrs'n'S
order. issued just before his retirement from oir'
placing the frrc-delivery poSioficcS Of the country
under The classified rules OF the Civil Service. com
mi>sloncro Lyman and Roosevelt arrived NJ tho con
clu>lon that any changes made In the force o'
clerks. etc, in the Tcrrc IIautc Office must b. made
only after examinations held by the local board OF
Cvil-servicc Examiners, and that all appointments
except to the exempted places. must bc made from
the list Of certified cgibcS. May last was inc
date fixed Tor the holding Of This examination. bh'
in consequence OF protest from senator voorhees,
who stated that the local board was composed q"
three intense partisan Rcpubican workers and that
20 far a. he knew Democrat contemplated S"lne
before ii for examination feeling that justice conid
not be obtained the examination was deferred unnl
May 13 pending inquiry into this charge Of senator
Voorhees,. Mr. Roosevelt subsequently arrived at me
conclusion that senator Voorhees, charge was not
sustained by the facts.
In the mean time. MAY Il. Mr. Donlan. ~ 'h'
report saws claiming That he In fu possession and
had the right To make all the appointments, proceeded
make early clean sweep OF the po'iolhc" iorce
for avOwrdly political reasons, sending notices oi us
missal 10 all old mcmbcrs Of the force save hr'e
and appointing their succr>sOrs these successors me-
Ing men upon whose appointment he had settled be-
fore receiving hi, commission. lie was encouraged
the Commissioner asserts, to make this violent effort
TO obtain possession OF the Office by the opinion Of NJ
orncy General Olncy. rendered May D. that In" fr''-
dents order including the delivery ohcc, IN TIE
classified service did not bccOm" effective until ait'r
examinations had been held by the local boards. tn,
Tcrr,. llauc examination, under the circumstances AL
ready narrated. had been postponed until May i3 The
report proceeds:
The examination having been thus deferred advantage
Wa, tancn Of il t. Try make clean sweep o! th"
Office removing al the Republican appon''c' ana putting
Democrat, in their places The Republicans In oiire
were men appointed the old -oll, sy>t'u by the
Republican postma-tcG Nj Grn~i who Oh uHing on e
four years aeo made cl'"n sweep OF ur Dei"T"iic
employees, appointing Republicans in their places and the
reason Mr Gincr strovr hard 10 keep po-''on
of the Office without doubt because H." d"'f'u 10
keep the Republican employees In until after thc cNah"a
tion had been held hcy wou he covered bs the pro-
Vision, Of the Chil-Servce law. Th" OBJECT oi MF'
Donham was to make clean sweep In his turn PIE
ci-,y a. ,rcncr the Icpubican pctma'er ha zone
in 1883 and Mr. ''rrn'i' pi d'c"''oi' tn' p'"''
cratic po,tms-tr. had Gone IN lo-1 Inc ''iW u'''
Nr pouhan, dismissed the Republican enpcyc, be-aus"
of in.uboainaiion !, sheer nonscnsc. lie trtH ta
h lad spent three months picNiol> 70 hi' aPp'ntm"
in caavls-inc the dlhcIrnt ap b"io'- nm ana
hal in nj, own mind carefully chosen all the positions
whom
the afternoon Of the 18th he TUNED ont The Rpuoian
farce and put In the D'uorrat- whom hc h'a D'.h
selecting for The three months preceding IL 3!p'h~l
,b. ncw men al { O'Clock in thc at moon D" 'fl"S
,l.r In al that time aad Inserting tn" blanks a. a
Gus. for the removal Of the oil! cmfloycs "ioF tAo
GOOD of tho service The alleged n-ubofdnaton took
according hi, own statement after o'o H. a'p
.o sub,eaucnt = 80 O'Clock he ln-eT'l m "1-'""h
:, ,bo c,n.e "for the good Of Ae service" general
charge Of .lnsiboriination against each emp"le' in
o,he, words. the 10 the Oh incn"hnN were
lotos several hour, baoc iho alleged m'ubo- i"'ii''
-. - which Il b, now stated that The" incunb'nt'
were removed took place
Mr. Roosevelt further says:
NJ ponbsn failed IN his cIoit- IrpaTd, the carrier
The carriers are appointed D.! thc f"7i"a''-' i' nc
,a,ld no, himself ap. out them. The mon whom boz bal
, - carrier. m, rc.orc wcrr not appointed lf.or q,
h hol,nc Of ;hc examination. AMI under thc Attorney
'e,,i.. decision cannot bc appointed save regularly
,t.o,,b ,tt cNaunatons. In 10 event VIII u Dc I"--
,. for thc carrier, nominated Tor appointment bY III
n,nhau on May l. enter the service III AeI" hanie
,, q. the, may subsequently pa.- our examination ''i
,nl, With our rulc-. The clerk. he may nave hdn inc
lowc. to appoint, but the appointments '"O''' ''''
not b. vcru,it'1 10 stand.
lie concludes his report by recommending that tn"
commission -ug.c-t To- the President u" advi'aiily
n, f,r,hvi,h issuing a ruic That whichever hereafter
,pbn service j. classified. such classification shall b"
hla ,o take effect at once. the rue- ioroddine re-
mov for political reason, being n"ld 10 apply from
ia, beginning. % ~ 10 prevent Improper A+yani'g
being taken .of any necessary o'l'S ]" PRIV '''- -
am.nato1-. . ,,i ,..r, (. ~.
missioner johnson dt->cni> nom lA' ,ph' q"
f,,h nj but agrees that ihr report ana iAr i'-ill"N
hall be- sent To the IOslma,tcr-hcnrid without com
H.nt.