Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-10
SHARP AND SARCASTIC
Republicans Charge Secretary Morton With
Violating Civil Service Laws.
He Denies Having Appointed Hi.
Sides of the Question.

New York Herald is devoted to an article
reciting the charges against Secretary Of
Agriculture ]. Sterling Morton. contained in
the recently published campaign book of
the republican congressional committee.
Secretary Of Agriculture Norton" says
the correspondent "comes in for some re-
markable criticism in the handbook of the
republican congressional campaign COM
m.ttee which will be published during the
present week. He is charged with viola
tioEs of the civil service law in appointing
to office relatives who have not passed the
civil service examination. The object, of
course, is to discredit the administration
In general and Mr.. Morton I'm particular,
and to manufacture party capital for the
coming campaign. The following, from the
advance sheets of the handbook. shows the
nature of the charges made:
Secretary Morton. the self-named sage
of Arbor Lodge, and the pretended origi-
Eator Of the sentimental Arbor day. holds
In high contemplate scorn, and by high
handed as well as underhaEded methods
persistently violates. the civil service law.
which is termed in his intelligent humor-
Gus vocabulary the law Of the snivel
service
zone of the most fragrant instances of
this executive officers defar ce of the law
he Is sworn tc obey and maintain is found
in the case OF the Skinner family, three
women and man, sisters and brother,
nieces and nephew Of the Secretarys wife.
The young women are employed in con-
tempt of law as clerks. No one of them
has ever passed the civil service examina-
ton, as required by the statute.
Mr. Skinner's Citixenship.
Their brother was made foreman OF the
department printing office at LOO a year,
taking the place OF a 900 man, after a
special non-competitive examination by the
civil service commission. Mr.. SINNERS ap-
plicaticn for this examination was formally
sworn to as prescribed by law. In II he
claimed citizenship In a state Of the Union
He is a British subject and a legal resident
Of the Dominion Of Canada.
These facts were brought to the atten-
ton OF the committee. and upon them due
complaint was made. Mr.. Morton was noti-
ned thereof. and drove hot foot to the COM
missioners office. where he demanded to
know what difference residence made Be-
ing informed. he gulped a little, swallowed
much and returned to his domain. whence
he wrote to advise the commission that
Mr. Skinner had. much to his surprise.
rendered his resignation, and desired to
know whether. under the rules, he ought to
accept the same. He was informed that
not only was IT strictly proper for him to
perform this function, but It would be just
as well for him to do IL in the manner
sometimes known as p. ID. O.
The letter books OF the commission are
public property. open to inspection. and
tuey TcidtS tue foregoing 1actS- Neverthe-
less: Mr.: George d. Skinner. liorton's
nephew. is today, September i, 1884. the
foreman In the printing ONCE in the United
states Department Of Agriculture at WASH
ington.
His Landlady Made scrubvvomau.
He and his sisters. who board at the
same house, were dissatisfied with the diff
fererce, between the prices of living in
Washington, Canada, Michigan, etc, and
m q Tv.rv
their landady was placed on the rolls of
the department as a scrubwoman at $50 a
month. which enabled her to somewhat re-
duce the rate of pay for the food and lodg-
ing OF the Secretary's folks, and, Incidental
ly. to ride the high horse in the ranks of
her companions IN the charwomen's force,
but the latter is hardly a civil service mat
ter"
The handbook further charges that the
Secretary of Agriculture has appointed as
his private secretary at $1,000 per annum a
young Swede who has never been natural
lied, and that a Frenchman named Z. Aime
Barbaux has been given a clerkship In the
department without having passed the civil
service examination and I'm direct violation
Of the law.
Secretary Morton's Denial.
Il saw Secretary Morton in the Hotel
Imperial last evening. and received from
him an emphatic denial OF the charges
n
mittee." Gays the Herald in a local item
following the correspondence.
ITO my knowledge" he said, there is not
a single violation of the civil service law
in any appointment i have made The
books of ihe department are open for in
spection at any time by any person who
has right to look at them. and they will
bear out my statement.
Il have no relative in any department.
either by blood or marriage. There are
neither Skinners. Smiths, Browns nor
Joneses there in violation Of the civil service
law. II so, am liable and ready to take
my medicine. There are no aliens there
that know of. but 1 found aliens I'm Office
when 1 took charge"
In relation to the statement that he had
appointed as his private secretary at 81 600
a year a young Swede who had not been
the Secretary said the Young
nan was appointed upon the recommenda-
tion OF Representative Michael ID. Harter
OF Ohio. and although he was foreign born
he was a naturalized citizen Of the United
States. SO far as he knew. The young man
had resigned the office q few months ago
to become the secretary Of a land company
at 5000 a year.
Mr.. Morton characterized as '.rot' the
statement that the landlady of the Skinner
family had been placed on the rolls of the
department as scrubwoman at $50 a
month, enabling her to reduce the price of
board for the SINNERS
I'm proof of the efficient manner In which
my department has been conducted" said
MIR. Morton, 'the recent report Of the dis
bursting officer shows that 1 cover back
2S per cent OF the entire appropriation for
my department., making an aggregate sum
Of s6O0.O00.
Il have put more persons in the Depart-
rent of Agriculture. legitimately than nv
predecessors and 1 am the only Secretary
who has had the heads Of the departments
under divisions
Il think" said Mr.. Morton. In conclusion.
that these charges come from a printers
Union, which has tried to regulate the print
ing Office OF the department to suit itself"
Fit. Monroe Sewerage Board
The acting Secretary of War has ap-